Alienware X51 R3 vs. HP ProDesk 400 G4 SFF

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_X51_R3.jpg case front and back pannelHP_ProDesk_400_G4_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmall GamingSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen6 i3/i5/i7;Intel Gen6&7 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetZ170H270
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 SuperGeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR3-2133DIMM DDR4-2400
RAM slots22
RAM speed2133 MT/s2400 MT/s
RAM max32 GB64 GB
USB ports(4x) USB 3.0 Type A; (2x) USB-A 2.0; (2x) USB 3.1 Type A(4x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.4b;DisplayPort; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog;RJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In;
Optional portsN.A.SD card reader; Serial and (2x) PS2;
SATA ports32
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16;PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4;
M.2 slotsN.A.M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays(2x) 2.5in; 3.25in; 5.25in;2.5in/3.5in; 5.25in (slim)
PSU180/240/330 W180 W
Weight5.49 kg (12.10 lbs4.6 kg (10.14 lb)
Released20152017
Manuallinklink
Price**Check PriceCheck Price

** As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
* 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 X51 R3 and HP ProDesk 400 G4 SFF

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 400 G4 SFF which was released in 2017. The Alienware X51 R3 is older and entered production in 2015.

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 HP ProDesk 400 G4 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Alienware X51 R3 is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (2 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 HP ProDesk 400 G4 SFF is using the faster 2400 MT/s RAM. The Alienware X51 R3 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2133 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the HP ProDesk 400 G4 SFF as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Alienware X51 R3 can do a bit less at max 32 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

Both models have the same amount of USB ports for total count of 8. If this is not enough, using a USB hub is always a viable option. What is nice about the Alienware X51 R3, is that it has 2 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the HP ProDesk 400 G4 SFF 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.

The DisplayPort is usually the more popular video port used with desktops and laptops, while the HDMI is used predominantly in consumer electronics. That's why, it is good to see that both of the models come with a DisplayPort.

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 Alienware X51 R3 is better equipped as it comes with 3 SATA slot(s), while the HP ProDesk 400 G4 SFF has 2 slot(s).

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the Alienware X51 R3, nor the HP ProDesk 400 G4 SFF has one. However, you can still use a SATA SSD drive which should give you satisfactory performance.

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 HP ProDesk 400 G4 SFF comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Alienware X51 R3 has a more powerful one rated at 330 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_X51_R3_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutHP_ProDesk_400_G4_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout