Dell XPS 8940 vs. Fujitsu Esprimo P9012

Comparison and Differences

Dell_XPS_8940.jpg case front and back pannelFujitsu_Esprimo_P9012.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen10 & 11 i3/i5/i7;Intel Gen12 i5/i7/i9
ChipsetH470Q670
Dedicated GPU *GeForce RTX 3080GeForce GTX 1650 Super
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/2933UDIMM DDR4-3200
RAM slots44
RAM speed2666 MT/s3200 MT/s
RAM max128 GB128 GB
USB portsUSB 3.0 Type C; USB 3.1 Type A; (2x) USB-A 2.0; (7x) USB-A 3.0;(2x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0; (4x) USB-A 3.1; USB-C 3.1; USB-C 3.2
Video portsHDMI 2.0; DisplayPort 1.4;(2x) DisplayPort 1.4
Other portsRJ45; Mic; Headset; Card Reader;RJ45; Headset, Line in; Line out
Optional portsN.A.HDMI 2.1; DP 1.4a; DVI; VGA; Parallel; Serial; Thunderbolt 4; (2x) USB-C 3.1 (DP support 60W/15W)
SATA ports35
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe x4; PCIe x1;PCIe 4.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 4.0 x16 (wired x4)
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); (2x) M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays(3x) 3.5in;(3x) 3.5in; 2.5in; (3x) 5.25 inch
PSU500 W280/300 W
Weight6.3 kg (13.89 lb)7.40 kg (16.31 lb)
Released20202022
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 Dell XPS 8940 and Fujitsu Esprimo P9012

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Fujitsu Esprimo P9012 which was released in 2022. The Dell XPS 8940 is older and entered production in 2020.

Both models have the same form factor, meaning reoughtly they have the same phiysical size and form.

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 P9012 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell XPS 8940 is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (4 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 P9012 is using the faster 3200 MT/s RAM. The Dell XPS 8940 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2666 MT/s. In addition, you will be able to install the same amount of RAM in both models, and most probably 128 GB of RAM will be enough for most people. However, if you will be needing more RAM, make sure to check other desktop models too.

Ports

In total the Fujitsu Esprimo P9012 has 12 USB ports. The Dell XPS 8940 is inferior in this regard and packs 10 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. It's great that both of the models have USB 3.1 ports which will allow you to exchange data with your peripherals at up to 10Gb/s. But if you need maximum connectivity, go with the Fujitsu Esprimo P9012 as it has 5 USB3.1 ports (the Dell XPS 8940 has 1).

DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the Fujitsu Esprimo P9012 comes with 2 ports, while the Dell XPS 8940 has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Fujitsu Esprimo P9012 is the better choice.

The Dell XPS 8940 comes with an HDMI port, while the Fujitsu Esprimo P9012 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 ports are placed on the system board and it is where you connect your HDD, SSD and Optical Disk Drives. More SATA slots will allow you to have more drives running at the same time. In this regard the Fujitsu Esprimo P9012 is better equipped as it comes with 5 SATA slot(s), while the Dell XPS 8940 has 3 slot(s).

An M.2 SSD can be several times faster than a SATA one. Thus, we are happy to see that both models support the M.2 interface. However, the Fujitsu Esprimo P9012 has 1 M.2 slots while the Dell XPS 8940 comes with just 1.

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 P9012 comes with a decent 300 Watt PSU, but the Dell XPS 8940 has a more powerful one rated at 500 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_XPS_8940_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutFujitsu_Esprimo_P9012_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout