Alienware Aurora R13 vs. Dell Inspiron 3668

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Aurora_R13.jpg case front and back pannelDell_Inspiron_3668.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMid TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen12 i3/i5/i7/i9;Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetZ690H110
Dedicated GPU *GeForce RTX 3090GeForce GTX 1650 Super
RAMDIMM DDR4-4400DIMM DDR4-2133/2400
RAM slots42
RAM speed4400 MT/s2400 MT/s
RAM max128 GB16 GB
USB ports(5x) USB 3.0 Type A; (4x) USB-A 2.0; (2x) USB 3.1 Type C; USB 3.2 Type C;(2x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) 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; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Card Reader;
Optional portsN.A.N.A.
SATA ports35
PCI slots(x2) PCIe 5.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x4;PCIe 2.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays3.25in;(2x) 2.5in; 3.25in; 9.5mm
PSU460/750 W240 W
Weight16.05 kg (35.38 lb)5.90 kg (13.01 lb)
Released20212016
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 Aurora R13 and Dell Inspiron 3668

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Alienware Aurora R13 which was released in 2021. The Dell Inspiron 3668 is older and entered production in 2016.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Alienware Aurora R13 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell Inspiron 3668 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 R13 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell Inspiron 3668 is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Alienware Aurora R13 has 4 RAM slots while the Dell Inspiron 3668 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 R13 is using the faster 4400 MT/s RAM. The Dell Inspiron 3668 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2400 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Alienware Aurora R13 as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Dell Inspiron 3668 can do a bit less at max 16 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Alienware Aurora R13 has 12 USB ports. The Dell Inspiron 3668 is inferior in this regard and packs 6 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the Alienware Aurora R13, is that it has 2 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell Inspiron 3668 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 Inspiron 3668 comes with an HDMI port, while the Alienware Aurora R13 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 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 Dell Inspiron 3668 is better equipped as it comes with 5 SATA slot(s), while the Alienware Aurora R13 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 Alienware Aurora R13. Sadly, the Dell Inspiron 3668 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 Inspiron 3668 comes with a decent 240 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Aurora R13 has a more powerful one rated at 750 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_R13_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_Inspiron_3668_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout