Dell Inspiron 3881 vs. Fujitsu Esprimo D958
Comparison and Differences
Differences between Dell Inspiron 3881 and Fujitsu Esprimo D958
If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell Inspiron 3881 which was released in 2020. The Fujitsu Esprimo D958 is older and entered production in 2018.
If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Fujitsu Esprimo D958 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell Inspiron 3881 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 Dell Inspiron 3881 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Fujitsu Esprimo D958 is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.
Memory
The Fujitsu Esprimo D958 has 4 RAM slots while the Dell Inspiron 3881 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 Dell Inspiron 3881 is using the faster 2933 MT/s RAM. The Fujitsu Esprimo D958 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2666 MT/s. In addition, you will be able to install the same amount of RAM in both models, and most probably 64 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
In total the Fujitsu Esprimo D958 has 11 USB ports. The Dell Inspiron 3881 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. It's great that both of the models have USB 3.1 ports which will allow you to exchange data with your peripherals at up to 10Gb/s. But if you need maximum connectivity, go with the Fujitsu Esprimo D958 as it has 3 USB3.1 ports (the Dell Inspiron 3881 has 1).
DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the Fujitsu Esprimo D958 comes with 2 ports, while the Dell Inspiron 3881 has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Fujitsu Esprimo D958 is the better choice.
The Dell Inspiron 3881 comes with an HDMI port, while the Fujitsu Esprimo D958 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 Fujitsu Esprimo D958 is better equipped as it comes with 5 SATA slot(s), while the Dell Inspiron 3881 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 Dell Inspiron 3881 comes with a decent 260 Watt PSU, but the Fujitsu Esprimo D958 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
