Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF vs. Fujitsu Esprimo G6012

Differences between Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF and Fujitsu Esprimo G6012

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Fujitsu Esprimo G6012 which was released in 2022. The Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF is older and entered production in 2015.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Fujitsu Esprimo G6012 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF 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 G6012 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the Fujitsu Esprimo G6012 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 G6012 is using the faster 3200 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF 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 G6012 as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF 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 Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF has 10 USB ports. The Fujitsu Esprimo G6012 is inferior in this regard and packs 8 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the Fujitsu Esprimo G6012, is that it has 4 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF 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 Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF comes with 2 ports, while the Fujitsu Esprimo G6012 has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF is the better choice.

In case your monitor supports HDMI only, you will be happy to hear that both models come with an HDMI port.

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 SFF is better equipped as it comes with 3 SATA slot(s), while the Fujitsu Esprimo G6012 has 2 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 Fujitsu Esprimo G6012 comes with a decent 90 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF has a more powerful one rated at 180 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