Alienware Area 51 R5 vs. Dell XPS 8910

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Area_51_R5.jpg case front and back pannelDell_XPS_8910.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMid TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen7&9&10 Core X-seriesIntel Gen6 i3/i5/i7;
ChipsetX299 PCHZ170
Dedicated GPU *GeForce RTX 3090GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/3200DIMM DDR4-2133/2400
RAM slots44
RAM speed3200 MT/s2133 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;USB 3.1 Type C; USB 3.1 Type A;(2x) USB-A 2.0; (7x) USB-A 3.0;
Video portsN/AHDMI 1.4; DisplayPort 1.2;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical; Card Reader;RJ45; Mic; Headset; Card Reader;
Optional portsN.A.N.A.
SATA ports44
PCI slots(x3) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x8; PCIe 3.0 x4;PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe x4;
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2280 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x2, NVMe);M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays(2x) 2.5in; (x3) 3.25in;(3x) 3.5in;
PSU850/1500 W460 W
Weight28 kg (61.73 lbs)10.00 kg (22.00 lb)
Released20152016
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 Area 51 R5 and Dell XPS 8910

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell XPS 8910 which was released in 2016. The Alienware Area 51 R5 is older and entered production in 2015.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Alienware Area 51 R5 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell XPS 8910 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 Area 51 R5 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell XPS 8910 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 Alienware Area 51 R5 is using the faster 3200 MT/s RAM. The Dell XPS 8910 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2133 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 XPS 8910 is inferior in this regard and packs 11 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 XPS 8910 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.

The Dell XPS 8910 comes with an HDMI port, while the Alienware Area 51 R5 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 slots are located on the motherboard and it is where SSD, HDD and Optical Disk Drives are connected. Each of the two models being compared have 4 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.

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 Area 51 R5. Sadly, the Dell XPS 8910 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 XPS 8910 comes with a decent 460 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_XPS_8910_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout