Fujitsu Esprimo E520 vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 Small Pro

Comparison and Differences

Fujitsu_Esprimo_E520.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_M83_Small_Pro.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Pentium; CeleronIntel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Pentium;
ChipsetB85Q85
Dedicated GPU *Radeon RX 6400 Low ProfileGeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAMUDIMM DDR3-1600DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots44
RAM speed1600 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max32 GB32 GB
USB ports(2x) USB-A 3.0; (6x) USB-A 2.0(4x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDVI; VGA(2x) DisplayPort; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headphones; (2x) Mic; Line in; Line out; PS/2; SerialRJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial;
Optional portsParallel; eSATA; DisplayPortParallel; Serial; (2x) PS2; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports44
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1; PCIe 2.0 x16 (wired x4)PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x1; PCIe 2.0 x16 (wired x4);
M.2 slotsN.A.N.A.
Drive bays(2x) 3.5in; 5.25 inch(2x) 2.5/3.5in; (2x) 5.25in;
PSU280 WATX 280/450 W
Weight10.00 kg (24.00 lb)11.20 kg (24.69 lb)
Released20142013
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 E520 and Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 Small Pro

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Fujitsu Esprimo E520 which was released in 2014. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 Small Pro is older and entered production in 2013.

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

Processor

The two models have the same generation of Intel processors. We think that the 4 generation of Intel Processors have enough power to execute all of the home and office tasks that most people will care to do.

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.

None of the desktops has an advantage when it comes to the speed of the RAM being used. Both models support RAM speeds of up to 1600. In addition, you will be able to install the same amount of RAM in both models, and most probably 32 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

Both models have the same amount of USB ports for total count of 8. If this is not enough, using a USB hub is always a viable option. 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.

DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 Small Pro comes with 2 ports, while the Fujitsu Esprimo E520 has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 Small Pro 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 4 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 Small Pro, nor the Fujitsu Esprimo E520 has one. However, you can still use a SATA SSD drive which should give you satisfactory performance.

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 E520 comes with a decent 280 Watt PSU, but the Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 Small Pro has a more powerful one rated at 450 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_E520_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_M83_Small_Pro_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout