Alienware Aurora R7 vs. Dell OptiPlex 390 MT

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Aurora_R7.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_390_MT.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMid TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen8 i3/i5/i7;Intel Gen2 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetZ370H61
Dedicated GPU *GeForce RTX 2070 SuperGeForce GTX 1650 Super
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/2933DIMM DDR3-1333
RAM slots42
RAM speed2933 MT/s1333 MT/s
RAM max64 GB8 GB
USB ports(6x) USB 3.0 Type A; (6x) USB-A 2.0; USB 3.1 Type C; USB 3.1 Type A; USB 3.0 Type C;(8x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsN/AHDMI 1.2; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog; Front, side, center, rare outputs;RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; PS2/COM;
Optional portsDisplayPortN.A.
SATA ports44
PCI slots(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x4;PCIe 2.0 x16; (3x) PCIe 2.0 x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2280/2260/2240 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x2, NVMe); N.A.
Drive bays(2x) 2.5in; 3.25in; 9.5mm; U.2(2x) 3.5in; (2x) 5.25in;
PSU460/850 W265 W
Weight14.62 kg (32.23 lb)8.87 kg (19.55 lb)
Released20182011
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 R7 and Dell OptiPlex 390 MT

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Alienware Aurora R7 which was released in 2018. The Dell OptiPlex 390 MT is older and entered production in 2011.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Alienware Aurora R7 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell OptiPlex 390 MT 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 Alienware Aurora R7 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 390 MT is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Alienware Aurora R7 has 4 RAM slots while the Dell OptiPlex 390 MT 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 Alienware Aurora R7 is using the faster 2933 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 390 MT is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1333 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Alienware Aurora R7 as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 390 MT can do a bit less at max 8 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Alienware Aurora R7 has 15 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex 390 MT 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 Alienware Aurora R7, is that it has 3 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell OptiPlex 390 MT 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.

Nowadays, almost every new computer comes equipped with a DisplayPort. However, none of the devices being compared here has one. Don't worry though, DisplayPort adapters are very cheap and you can get virtually any combination of conversion types.

The Dell OptiPlex 390 MT comes with an HDMI port, while the Alienware Aurora R7 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 slots are located on the motherboard and it is where SSD, HDD and Optical Disk Drives are connected. Each of the two models being compared have 4 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.

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 Alienware Aurora R7. Sadly, the Dell OptiPlex 390 MT 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 Dell OptiPlex 390 MT comes with a decent 265 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Aurora R7 has a more powerful one rated at 850 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_R7_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_390_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout