Fujitsu Esprimo P7012 vs. Fujitsu Esprimo Q556

Comparison and Differences

Fujitsu_Esprimo_P7012.jpg case front and back pannelFujitsu_Esprimo_Q556.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMicro
CPU optionsIntel Gen12 i3/i5/i7/i9; Pentium; CeleronIntel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Pentium
ChipsetQ670H110
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 SuperN.A.
RAMUDIMM DDR4-3200SODIMM DDR4-2133
RAM slots42
RAM speed3200 MT/s2133 MT/s
RAM max128 GB32 GB
USB ports(2x) USB-A 3.0; (7x) USB-A 2.0; USB-A 3.1; USB-C 3.2(2x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0
Video ports(2x) DisplayPort 1.4DisplayPort 1.2; DVI
Other portsRJ45; Headset, Line in; Line outRJ45; Headphones; Mic; Line out; (1x) PS/2
Optional portsHDMI 2.1; DP 1.4a; DVI; VGA; Parallel; Serial; Thunderbolt 4; (2x) USB-C 3.1 (DP support 60W/15W)VGA
SATA ports42
PCI slotsPCIe 4.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4)N.A.
M.2 slots(2x) M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 2.0 x2, SSD); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays(3x) 3.5in; 2.5in; (2x) 5.25 inch2.5in; 5.25 inch slim
PSU280/300 W65 W
Weight7.40 kg (16.31 lb)1.60 kg (3.53 lb)
Released20222015
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 Fujitsu Esprimo P7012 and Fujitsu Esprimo Q556

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Fujitsu Esprimo P7012 which was released in 2022. 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 Fujitsu Esprimo P7012 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 P7012 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 Fujitsu Esprimo P7012 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 Fujitsu Esprimo P7012 is using the faster 3200 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 Fujitsu Esprimo P7012 as it has the ability to run 128 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 Fujitsu Esprimo P7012 has 11 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. What is nice about the Fujitsu Esprimo P7012, is that it has 1 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Fujitsu Esprimo Q556 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.

DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the Fujitsu Esprimo P7012 comes with 2 ports, while the Fujitsu Esprimo Q556 has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Fujitsu Esprimo P7012 is the better choice.

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 Fujitsu Esprimo P7012 is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Fujitsu Esprimo Q556 has 2 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 P7012 has 1 M.2 slots while the Fujitsu Esprimo Q556 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 Q556 comes with a decent 65 Watt PSU, but the Fujitsu Esprimo P7012 has a more powerful one rated at 300 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_P7012_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutFujitsu_Esprimo_Q556_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout