Alienware Area 51 R2 vs. Dell OptiPlex 5080 MT

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Area_51_R2.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_5080_MT.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMid TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen5&6 i7 Extreme/K; Xeon E5-v3/v4Intel Gen10 i3/i5/i7; Pentium
ChipsetX99 ExpressQ470
Dedicated GPU *GeForce RTX 2080 TiGeForce RTX 3050
RAMDIMM DDR4-2133/2667DIMM DDR4-2666/2933
RAM slots44
RAM speed2667 MT/s2933 MT/s
RAM max64 GB128 GB
USB ports(6x) USB 3.0 Type A; (4x) USB-A 2.0;USB 3.1 Type C; (5x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;
Video portsN/A(2x) Display Port 1.4;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog; Card Reader;RJ45; Headset; Line-Out/In;
Optional portsN.A.HDMI2.0b/DP1.4/VGA/USB Type-C (DP Alt Mode); Serial+PS2; SD4.0; 2xWiFi antenna;
SATA ports64
PCI slots(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x4;PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4; (2x) PCIe x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays(2x) 2.5in; (x3) 3.25in; 5.25in;3.5in; (2x) 2.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU850/1500 W260/360 W
Weight28 kg (61.73 lbs)7.2kg (15.89lb)
Released20182020
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 Area 51 R2 and Dell OptiPlex 5080 MT

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 5080 MT which was released in 2020. The Alienware Area 51 R2 is older and entered production in 2018.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Alienware Area 51 R2 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell OptiPlex 5080 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 Dell OptiPlex 5080 MT as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Alienware Area 51 R2 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 Dell OptiPlex 5080 MT is using the faster 2933 MT/s RAM. The Alienware Area 51 R2 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2667 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 5080 MT as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Alienware Area 51 R2 can do a bit less at max 64 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 10. If this is not enough, using a USB hub is always a viable option. What is nice about the Dell OptiPlex 5080 MT, is that it has 1 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Alienware Area 51 R2 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.

Unfortunately, only the Dell OptiPlex 5080 MT has a DisplayPort. The Alienware Area 51 R2 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 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 Area 51 R2 is better equipped as it comes with 6 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 5080 MT has 4 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 Dell OptiPlex 5080 MT. Sadly, the Alienware Area 51 R2 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 5080 MT comes with a decent 360 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Area 51 R2 has a more powerful one rated at 1500 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_Area_51_R2_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_5080_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout