Fujitsu Esprimo Q520 vs. Fujitsu Esprimo Q958

Comparison and Differences

Fujitsu_Esprimo_Q520.jpg case front and back pannelFujitsu_Esprimo_Q958.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMicroMicro
CPU optionsIntel Gen4 i3/i5/i7Intel Gen8&9 i3/i5/i7; Pentium
ChipsetH81Q370
Dedicated GPU *N.A.N.A.
RAMSODIMM DDR3-1600SODIMM DDR4-2666
RAM slots24
RAM speed1600 MT/s2666 MT/s
RAM max16 GB32 GB
USB ports(2x) 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 portsDisplayPort 1.2; DVI(2x) DisplayPort 1.2; DVI
Other portsRJ45; Line in; Line out; Card readerRJ45; Headphones; Mic; Line out
Optional portsVGA (DVI to VGA adapter)Serial; VGA; PS/2 (1)
SATA ports22
PCI slotsN.A.N.A.
M.2 slotsN.A.M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays2.5in; 5.25 inch2.5in; 5.25 inch
PSU65 W65 W
Weight1.60 kg (3.53 lb)1.60 kg (3.53 lb)
Released20142018
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 Q520 and Fujitsu Esprimo Q958

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Fujitsu Esprimo Q958 which was released in 2018. The Fujitsu Esprimo Q520 is older and entered production in 2014.

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 Q958 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Fujitsu Esprimo Q520 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 Fujitsu Esprimo Q520 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 Q958 is using the faster 2666 MT/s RAM. The Fujitsu Esprimo Q520 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 Q958 as it has the ability to run 32 GB of RAM. The Fujitsu Esprimo Q520 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 Q958 has 9 USB ports. The Fujitsu Esprimo Q520 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 Q958, is that it has 5 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Fujitsu Esprimo Q520 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 Q958 comes with 2 ports, while the Fujitsu Esprimo Q520 has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Fujitsu Esprimo Q958 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 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.

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 Q958. Sadly, the Fujitsu Esprimo Q520 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

Looking at the Power Supply Unit (PSU) of the two models we don't see any differences. For either of them you get a maximum power of 65 Watts. However be careful, many models have more than one power supply option. When buying your computer, it is a good idea to get a version with the most powerful PSU. This will potentially allow you to upgrade to a more powerful GPU for example.

Motherboard

Fujitsu_Esprimo_Q520_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutFujitsu_Esprimo_Q958_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout