Alienware Aurora R9 vs. Dell OptiPlex 3060 MT

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Aurora_R9.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_3060_MT.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMid TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen9 i3/i5/i7/i9;Intel Gen8 i3/i5/i7; Pentium; Celeron;
ChipsetZ370H370
Dedicated GPU *GeForce RTX 2080 TiGeForce GTX 1650 Super
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/3000DIMM DDR4-2400/2666
RAM slots42
RAM speed3000 MT/s2666 MT/s
RAM max64 GB32 GB
USB ports(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;(4x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDisplayPort 1.4;Display Port 1.2; HDMI 1.4;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog; Front, side, center, rare outputs;RJ45; Headset; Line-Out;
Optional portsN.A.Serial+PS2; DP1.2/HDMI2.0b/VGA; Media Card Reader; WiFi antenna;
SATA ports43
PCI slots(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x4;PCIe 3.0 x16; (3x) PCIe x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2242/2260/2280 (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe);M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 2.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays(2x) 2.5in; 3.25in; 9.5mm; U.23.5in; (2x) 2.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU460/850 W260 W
Weight14.82 kg (32.67 lb)7.93 kg (17.49 lb)
Released20182018
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 R9 and Dell OptiPlex 3060 MT

Both computers, the Dell OptiPlex 3060 MT and the Alienware Aurora R9, were released during the same year - 2018.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Alienware Aurora R9 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell OptiPlex 3060 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 R9 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 3060 MT is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Alienware Aurora R9 has 4 RAM slots while the Dell OptiPlex 3060 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 R9 is using the faster 3000 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3060 MT is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2666 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Alienware Aurora R9 as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3060 MT 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 Alienware Aurora R9 has 14 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex 3060 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 R9, is that it has 2 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell OptiPlex 3060 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.

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.

The Dell OptiPlex 3060 MT comes with an HDMI port, while the Alienware Aurora R9 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 Alienware Aurora R9 is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 3060 MT has 3 slot(s).

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 Dell OptiPlex 3060 MT comes with a decent 260 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Aurora R9 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_R9_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_3060_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout