Fujitsu Esprimo Q520 review

This business-oriented system from Fujitsu is considerably larger than most mini PCs, but offers some unique features.

Designed with space-saving and low power consumption in mind, the Esprimo Q520 business PC is fitted with the most powerful processor yet draws only 10W of power when sitting idle. It’s flat, square casing is constructed from brushed aluminium and textured plastic and finished to a very high standard, with a smart, professional look which wouldn’t look out of place on any corporate desktop.

It’s relatively large physical dimensions are still absolutely minuscule compared to a standard desktop PC and yet unusually for a mini PC it includes a built-in optical drive. It also features an internal power supply and comes with a matching keyboard and mouse included in the purchase price. This is a very well supplied mini PC.

The front of the case provides a pair of convenient USB 3.0 ports and an SD card reader, while four additional USB 2.0 ports can be found round the back along with DVI, DisplayPort ethernet and audio jacks. The underside features an integrate VESA mounting bracket. Snap on covers provide tool-free access to the inside for easy upgrade.

Fujitsu Esprimo Q520: specifications and performance

A low-power 2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i3-4130T “Haswell” processor ensures that the Esprimo Q520 has ample computing power for demanding business applications, while its integrated Intel HD 4400 graphics ensure seamless multimedia playback. In fact, this system turns in a very decently fast computation score when we run the PCMark 7 benchmark suite.

The reason it doesn’t top the performance chart entirely is down to its use of a regular 320GB hard drive rather than a speedy, but lower capacity, SSD. It’s also fitted with just 4GB of RAM where many mini PCs nowcome with 8GB. If you need more performance, the Esprimo Q520 can be purchased with faster processors, up to the quad-core Core i7-4765T. SSD and hybrid SSHD drives are also available. Our review sample does not include the optional Wi-Fi support, but a module can easily be added via an internal slot, accessible from the bottom of the PC.

A fanless processor cooler ensures that, under normal use, the Esprimo Q520 is completely silent. Only under heavy load does the case fan kick in which, due to its small size, can be rather loud. It’s only under exceptional circumstances that you’ll hear it, and it turns off very quickly when CPU load is reduced.