Alienware Area 51 R2 vs. Fujitsu Esprimo Q556

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Area_51_R2.jpg case front and back pannelFujitsu_Esprimo_Q556.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMid TowerMicro
CPU optionsIntel Gen5&6 i7 Extreme/K; Xeon E5-v3/v4Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Pentium
ChipsetX99 ExpressH110
Dedicated GPU *GeForce RTX 2080 TiN.A.
RAMDIMM DDR4-2133/2667SODIMM DDR4-2133
RAM slots42
RAM speed2667 MT/s2133 MT/s
RAM max64 GB32 GB
USB ports(6x) USB 3.0 Type A; (4x) USB-A 2.0;(2x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0
Video portsN/ADisplayPort 1.2; DVI
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog; Card Reader;RJ45; Headphones; Mic; Line out; (1x) PS/2
Optional portsN.A.VGA
SATA ports62
PCI slots(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x4;N.A.
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 2.0 x2, SSD); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays(2x) 2.5in; (x3) 3.25in; 5.25in;2.5in; 5.25 inch slim
PSU850/1500 W65 W
Weight28 kg (61.73 lbs)1.60 kg (3.53 lb)
Released20182015
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 Alienware Area 51 R2 and Fujitsu Esprimo Q556

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Alienware Area 51 R2 which was released in 2018. The Fujitsu Esprimo Q556 is older and entered production in 2015.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Fujitsu Esprimo Q556 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Alienware Area 51 R2 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 Alienware Area 51 R2 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Fujitsu Esprimo Q556 is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Alienware Area 51 R2 has 4 RAM slots while the Fujitsu Esprimo Q556 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 Alienware Area 51 R2 is using the faster 2667 MT/s RAM. The Fujitsu Esprimo Q556 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2133 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Alienware Area 51 R2 as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Fujitsu Esprimo Q556 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 Alienware Area 51 R2 has 10 USB ports. The Fujitsu Esprimo Q556 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 Q556 has a DisplayPort. The Alienware Area 51 R2 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 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 Alienware Area 51 R2 is better equipped as it comes with 6 SATA slot(s), while the Fujitsu Esprimo Q556 has 2 slot(s).

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 Q556. Sadly, the Alienware Area 51 R2 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 Fujitsu Esprimo Q556 comes with a decent 65 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Area 51 R2 has a more powerful one rated at 1500 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

Alienware_Area_51_R2_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutFujitsu_Esprimo_Q556_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout