Alienware Aurora R11 vs. Alienware Aurora R9

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Aurora_R11.jpg case front and back pannelAlienware_Aurora_R9.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMid TowerMid Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen10 i3/i5/i7/i9;Intel Gen9 i3/i5/i7/i9;
ChipsetZ490Z370
Dedicated GPU *GeForce RTX 3090GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
RAMDIMM DDR4-2933/3400DIMM DDR4-2666/3000
RAM slots44
RAM speed3400 MT/s3000 MT/s
RAM max128 GB64 GB
USB ports(6x) USB 3.0 Type A; USB 3.0 Type C; (6x) USB-A 2.0; USB 3.1 Type C; USB 3.1 Type A;(6x) USB 3.0 Type A; (5x) USB-A 2.0; USB 3.1 Type C; USB 3.1 Type A; USB 3.0 Type C;
Video portsN/ADisplayPort 1.4;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog; Front, side, center, rare outputs;RJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog; Front, side, center, rare outputs;
Optional portsDisplayPortN.A.
SATA ports44
PCI slots(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x4;(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x4;
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2260/2242 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2242/2260/2280 (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe);
Drive bays(2x) 2.5in; 3.25in; U.2(2x) 2.5in; 3.25in; 9.5mm; U.2
PSU550/1000 W460/850 W
Weight17.80 kg (39.24 lb)14.82 kg (32.67 lb)
Released20202018
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 R11 and Alienware Aurora R9

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Alienware Aurora R11 which was released in 2020. The Alienware Aurora R9 is older and entered production in 2018.

Both models have the same form factor, meaning reoughtly they have the same phiysical size and form.

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 R11 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Alienware Aurora R9 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 Alienware Aurora R11 is using the faster 3400 MT/s RAM. The Alienware Aurora R9 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 3000 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Alienware Aurora R11 as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Alienware Aurora R9 can do a bit less at max 64 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Alienware Aurora R11 has 15 USB ports. The Alienware Aurora R9 is inferior in this regard and packs 14 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 Alienware Aurora R11 as it has 3 USB3.1 ports (the Alienware Aurora R9 has 2).

Unfortunately, only the Alienware Aurora R9 has a DisplayPort. The Alienware Aurora R11 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 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.

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 Alienware Aurora R9 comes with a decent 850 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Aurora R11 has a more powerful one rated at 1000 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_R11_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutAlienware_Aurora_R9_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout