Dell Vostro 3681 vs. Fujitsu Esprimo Q958

Comparison and Differences

Dell_Vostro_3681.jpg case front and back pannelFujitsu_Esprimo_Q958.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallMicro
CPU optionsIntel Gen10 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen8&9 i3/i5/i7; Pentium
ChipsetB460Q370
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GT 1030 Low ProfileN.A.
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/2933SODIMM DDR4-2666
RAM slots24
RAM speed2933 MT/s2666 MT/s
RAM max64 GB32 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;(2x) USB-A 3.0; (2x) USB-A 2.0; (4x) USB-C 3.1; USB-C 3.1
Video portsHDMI 1.4b; VGA;(2x) DisplayPort 1.2; DVI
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Card Reader;RJ45; Headphones; Mic; Line out
Optional portsN.A.Serial; VGA; PS/2 (1)
SATA ports22
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;N.A.
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays3.5in; 9.5mm2.5in; 5.25 inch
PSU200 W65 W
Weight4.66 Kg (10.28 lbs)1.60 kg (3.53 lb)
Released20202018
Manuallinklink
Price**Check PriceCheck Price

** As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
* Dedicated GPU warning: Check if your particular power supply model has enough power. Additionally some PSUs don't come with an auxiliary PCIe power connector and you may need to buy a SATA to PCIe power adapter.

Differences between Dell Vostro 3681 and Fujitsu Esprimo Q958

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell Vostro 3681 which was released in 2020. The Fujitsu Esprimo Q958 is older and entered production in 2018.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Fujitsu Esprimo Q958 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell Vostro 3681 and will fit more easily under your desk.

Processor

Usually the newer the generation of the CPU, the better the performance and efficiency is. If your budget allows it, you should go with the Dell Vostro 3681 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Fujitsu Esprimo Q958 is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Fujitsu Esprimo Q958 has 4 RAM slots while the Dell Vostro 3681 has only 2 slot(s). This is not something to worry about. Just make sure you take it into consideration when planning how much RAM you are going to use.

The Dell Vostro 3681 is using the faster 2933 MT/s RAM. The Fujitsu Esprimo Q958 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2666 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell Vostro 3681 as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Fujitsu Esprimo Q958 can do a bit less at max 32 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Fujitsu Esprimo Q958 has 9 USB ports. The Dell Vostro 3681 is inferior in this regard and packs 8 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the Fujitsu Esprimo Q958, is that it has 5 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell Vostro 3681 has no such port, thus restricting your transfer speeds significantly. For people who want to use external drives on regular basis, this might be an issue.

Unfortunately, only the Fujitsu Esprimo Q958 has a DisplayPort. The Dell Vostro 3681 does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

The Dell Vostro 3681 comes with an HDMI port, while the Fujitsu Esprimo Q958 does not support the interface. Of course missing HDMI port is something that can be easily fixed with a good adapter (e.g. DisplayPort to HDMI).

SATA slots are located on the motherboard and it is where SSD, HDD and Optical Disk Drives are connected. Each of the two models being compared have 2 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.

When your goal is to have the fastest SSD transfer speeds, an M.2 interface is crucial. Thus, it is good that both models have M.2 SSD slots. Today M.2 SSDs are not much more expensive than the average SATA drives, so it really does not make sense to invest in SATA drives anymore.

Make sure that the available M.2 slot supports the PCIe (also called NVMe) interface. This is important as there are M.2 slots which support only the inferior SATA III interface. For comparison, the SATA III interface has max speeds of 6Gb/s, while the PCIe 3.0 x4 will support speeds up to 32Gb/s!

Power Supply

Having a Power Supply Unit with high power rating is important, if you are going to use components which require extra power. The Fujitsu Esprimo Q958 comes with a decent 65 Watt PSU, but the Dell Vostro 3681 has a more powerful one rated at 200 Watts. Choosing either one depends on your specific requirements and use case. Also don't forget that some models might have more than one PSU option - try to always get the most powerful one, especially if you plan to upgrade to a powerful GPU.

Motherboard

Dell_Vostro_3681_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutFujitsu_Esprimo_Q958_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout