Dell OptiPlex 5040 MT vs. Fujitsu Esprimo D556

Differences between Dell OptiPlex 5040 MT and Fujitsu Esprimo D556

Both computers, the Dell OptiPlex 5040 MT and the Fujitsu Esprimo D556, were released during the same year - 2015.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Fujitsu Esprimo D556 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell OptiPlex 5040 MT and will fit more easily under your desk.

Processor

The two models have the same generation of Intel processors. We think that the 6 generation of Intel Processors have enough power to execute all of the home and office tasks that most people will care to do.

Memory

The Dell OptiPlex 5040 MT has 4 RAM slots while the Fujitsu Esprimo D556 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 D556 is using the faster 2133 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 5040 MT 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 D556 as it has the ability to run 32 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 5040 MT can do a bit less at max 16 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

Both models have the same amount of USB ports for total count of 10. 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 Dell OptiPlex 5040 MT comes with 2 ports, while the Fujitsu Esprimo D556 has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex 5040 MT is the better choice.

The Dell OptiPlex 5040 MT comes with an HDMI port, while the Fujitsu Esprimo D556 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 Dell OptiPlex 5040 MT is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Fujitsu Esprimo D556 has 3 slot(s).

When your goal is to have the fastest SSD transfer speeds, an M.2 interface is crucial. Thus, it is good that both models have M.2 SSD slots. Today M.2 SSDs are not much more expensive than the average SATA drives, so it really does not make sense to invest in SATA drives anymore.

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 Dell OptiPlex 5040 MT comes with a decent 240 Watt PSU, but the Fujitsu Esprimo D556 has a more powerful one rated at 280 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