Alienware Area 51 R5 vs. Dell OptiPlex 7000 M

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Area_51_R5.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_7000_M.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMid TowerMicro
CPU optionsIntel Gen7&9&10 Core X-seriesIntel Gen 12 i3/i5/i7/i9;
ChipsetX299 PCHQ670
Dedicated GPU *GeForce RTX 3090N.A.
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/3200SODIMM DDR5-4800
RAM slots42
RAM speed3200 MT/s4800 MT/s
RAM max64 GB64 GB
USB ports(9x) USB 3.0 Type A; (2x) USB-A 2.0; USB 3.1 Type C; USB 3.1 Type A;(3x) USB-A 3.0; (3x) USB-A 3.1; USB-C 3.2;
Video portsN/A(2x) Display Port 1.4a;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical; Card Reader;RJ45; Audio; Line-Out/In;
Optional portsN.A.HDMI 2.0b/Displayport/VGA/PS2/serial/USB Type-C;
SATA ports40
PCI slots(x3) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x8; PCIe 3.0 x4;N.A.
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2280 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x2, NVMe);(2x)M.2 2230/2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays(2x) 2.5in; (x3) 3.25in;N/A
PSU850/1500 W90/130/180 W
Weight28 kg (61.73 lbs)1.25 kg (2.75 lb)
Released20152022
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 R5 and Dell OptiPlex 7000 M

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 7000 M which was released in 2022. The Alienware Area 51 R5 is older and entered production in 2015.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 7000 M is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Alienware Area 51 R5 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 7000 M as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Alienware Area 51 R5 is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Alienware Area 51 R5 has 4 RAM slots while the Dell OptiPlex 7000 M 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 Dell OptiPlex 7000 M is using the faster 4800 MT/s RAM. The Alienware Area 51 R5 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 3200 MT/s. In addition, you will be able to install the same amount of RAM in both models, and most probably 64 GB of RAM will be enough for most people. However, if you will be needing more RAM, make sure to check other desktop models too.

Ports

In total the Alienware Area 51 R5 has 13 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex 7000 M is inferior in this regard and packs 9 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. Both of the models have USB 3.1 ports which will allow you to exchange data with your peripherals at up to 10Gb/s. This is especially crucial if you are using external drives on a regular basis.

Unfortunately, only the Dell OptiPlex 7000 M has a DisplayPort. The Alienware Area 51 R5 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 R5 is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 7000 M has 0 slot(s).

An M.2 SSD can be several times faster than a SATA one. Thus, we are happy to see that both models support the M.2 interface. However, the Dell OptiPlex 7000 M has 1 M.2 slots while the Alienware Area 51 R5 comes with just 1.

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 7000 M comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Area 51 R5 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_R5_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_7000_M_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout