Alienware Aurora R4 vs. Fujitsu Esprimo D6012

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Aurora_R4.jpg case front and back pannelFujitsu_Esprimo_D6012.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMid TowerSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen3&4 i3/i5/i7;Intel Gen12 i3/i5/i7; Pentium; Celeron
ChipsetX79B660
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 SuperRadeon RX 6400 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR3-1333/1866UDIMM DDR4-3200
RAM slots44
RAM speed1866 MT/s3200 MT/s
RAM max32 GB128 GB
USB portsUSB 3.0 Type A; (4x) USB-A 2.0;(2x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0; (2x) USB-A 3.1; USB-C 3.1
Video portsN/A(2x) DisplayPort 1.4
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog;RJ45; Headset, Line in; Line out
Optional portsN.A.N.A
SATA ports34
PCI slots(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x1;PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4)
M.2 slotsN.A.M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays(4x) 3.25in; (4x) 2.5in; (2x) 5.25in;3.5in; 2.5in; 5.25 inch slim
PSU525/875 W280/300 W
Weight20.41 kg (45.00 lbs)6.00 kg (13.20 lb)
Released20122022
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 Alienware Aurora R4 and Fujitsu Esprimo D6012

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Fujitsu Esprimo D6012 which was released in 2022. The Alienware Aurora R4 is older and entered production in 2012.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Fujitsu Esprimo D6012 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Alienware Aurora R4 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 D6012 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Alienware Aurora R4 is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

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.

The Fujitsu Esprimo D6012 is using the faster 3200 MT/s RAM. The Alienware Aurora R4 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1866 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Fujitsu Esprimo D6012 as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Alienware Aurora R4 can do a bit less at max 32 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Fujitsu Esprimo D6012 has 9 USB ports. The Alienware Aurora R4 is inferior in this regard and packs 5 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the Fujitsu Esprimo D6012, is that it has 3 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Alienware Aurora R4 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.

Unfortunately, only the Fujitsu Esprimo D6012 has a DisplayPort. The Alienware Aurora R4 does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

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 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 D6012 is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Alienware Aurora R4 has 3 slot(s).

If you want the fastest transfer speeds for your SSD, an M.2 interface is crucial. Thus, if the M.2 SSD slot is a mandatory requirement for you, go with the Fujitsu Esprimo D6012. Sadly, the Alienware Aurora R4 has no such slot, and you will be forced to use the SATA interface instead.

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 D6012 comes with a decent 300 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Aurora R4 has a more powerful one rated at 875 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

Alienware_Aurora_R4_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutFujitsu_Esprimo_D6012_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout