Fujitsu Esprimo D556 vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower

Comparison and Differences

Fujitsu_Esprimo_D556.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_Edge_72_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Pentium; CeleronIntel Gen2&3 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetH110H61
Dedicated GPU *Radeon RX 6400 Low ProfileRadeon RX 550
RAMUDIMM DDR4-2133DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots22
RAM speed2133 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max32 GB16 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 3.0; (6x) USB-A 2.0(6x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDisplayPort 1.2; DVIDVI-D; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headphones; Mic; Line in; Line out; PS/2RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In;
Optional portsVGA; eSATASerial; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports33
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x1; PCIe 2.0 x16 (wired x4)PCIe 2.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 2.0 x2, SSD)N.A.
Drive bays(3x) 3.5in; 5.25 inch(2x) 2.5/3.5in; 5.25in;
PSU280 WATX 180 W
Weight8.00 kg (17.64 lb)7.5 kg (16.53 Ib)
Released20152012
Manuallinklink
Price**Check PriceCheck Price

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* 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 Fujitsu Esprimo D556 and Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Fujitsu Esprimo D556 which was released in 2015. The Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower is older and entered production in 2012.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Fujitsu Esprimo D556 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower 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 Fujitsu Esprimo D556 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (2 RAM). Usually two RAM slots are more than enough for most cases. However, the count should be taken into account when planning how much and what combination of RAM you are going to need for your system.

The Fujitsu Esprimo D556 is using the faster 2133 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1600 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Fujitsu Esprimo D556 as it has the ability to run 32 GB of RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower can do a bit less at max 16 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Fujitsu Esprimo D556 has 10 USB ports. The Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower is inferior in this regard and packs 6 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. None of the desktop models has a USB 3.1 port (10Gb/s), so if you need a fast connection to your peripherals, like external Solid State Drive, you will need to look elsewhere.

Unfortunately, only the Fujitsu Esprimo D556 has a DisplayPort. The Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

None of the models has an HDMI port. If your monitor supports only the HDMI interface, you will need to buy an adapter. Such adapters are cheap so nothing to worry about.

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 3 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.

If you want the fastest transfer speeds for your SSD, an M.2 interface is crucial. Thus, if the M.2 SSD slot is a mandatory requirement for you, go with the Fujitsu Esprimo D556. Sadly, the Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower has no such slot, and you will be forced to use the SATA interface instead.

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 Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Fujitsu Esprimo D556 has a more powerful one rated at 280 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

Fujitsu_Esprimo_D556_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_Edge_72_Tower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout