Alienware Aurora R8 vs. Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Aurora_R8.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_7090_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMid TowerSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen8&9 i3/i5/i7/i9;Intel Gen10&11 i3/i5/i7/i9;
ChipsetZ370Q570
Dedicated GPU *GeForce RTX 2080 TiAMD Radeon RX 6400 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/3000DIMM DDR4-2666/2933/3200
RAM slots44
RAM speed3000 MT/s3200 MT/s
RAM max64 GB128 GB
USB ports(4x) 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;USB 3.2 Type C; USB 3.1 Type C; (2x) USB-A 3.1; USB-A 3.0; (x4) USB-A 2.0;
Video portsN/A(3x) Display Port 1.4; HDMI 2.0b;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog; Front, side, center, rare outputs;RJ45; Audio; Line-Out/In; Serial; (x2) PS2
Optional portsDisplayPortUSB Type-C (DP Alt Mode); Media Card Reader;
SATA ports43
PCI slots(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x4;PCIe 4.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4;
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2242/2260/2280 (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 M-key (PCIe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays(2x) 2.5in; 3.25in; 9.5mm; U.2(x2) 3.5in; (2x) 2.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU460/850 W200/300 W
Weight14.82 kg (32.67 lb)5.72 kg (12.61 lb)
Released20182021
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 R8 and Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF which was released in 2021. The Alienware Aurora R8 is older and entered production in 2018.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Alienware Aurora R8 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 7090 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Alienware Aurora R8 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 7090 SFF is using the faster 3200 MT/s RAM. The Alienware Aurora R8 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 3000 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Alienware Aurora R8 can do a bit less at max 64 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Alienware Aurora R8 has 12 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF 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. It's great that both of the models have USB 3.1 ports which will allow you to exchange data with your peripherals at up to 10Gb/s. But if you need maximum connectivity, go with the Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF as it has 3 USB3.1 ports (the Alienware Aurora R8 has 2).

Unfortunately, only the Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF has a DisplayPort. The Alienware Aurora R8 does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

The Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF comes with an HDMI port, while the Alienware Aurora R8 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 R8 is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF has 3 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 7090 SFF has 1 M.2 slots while the Alienware Aurora R8 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 7090 SFF comes with a decent 300 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Aurora R8 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_R8_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_7090_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout