Alienware Aurora R11 vs. Fujitsu Esprimo D7012

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Aurora_R11.jpg case front and back pannelFujitsu_Esprimo_D7012.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMid TowerSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen10 i3/i5/i7/i9;Intel Gen12 i3/i5/i7/i9; Pentium
ChipsetZ490Q670
Dedicated GPU *GeForce RTX 3090Radeon RX 6400 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR4-2933/3400UDIMM DDR4-3200
RAM slots44
RAM speed3400 MT/s3200 MT/s
RAM max128 GB128 GB
USB ports(6x) USB 3.0 Type A; USB 3.0 Type C; (6x) USB-A 2.0; USB 3.1 Type C; USB 3.1 Type A;(2x) USB-A 3.0; (7x) USB-A 2.0; USB-A 3.1; USB-C 3.2
Video portsN/A(2x) DisplayPort 1.4
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog; Front, side, center, rare outputs;RJ45; Headset, Line in; Line out
Optional portsDisplayPortHDMI 2.1; DP 1.4a; DVI; VGA; Parallel; Serial; Thunderbolt 4; (2x) USB-C 3.1 (DP support 60W/15W)
SATA ports44
PCI slots(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x4;PCIe 4.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4)
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2260/2242 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); (2x) M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays(2x) 2.5in; 3.25in; U.23.5in; 2.5in; (2x) 5.25 inch
PSU550/1000 W280/300 W
Weight17.80 kg (39.24 lb)6.00 kg (13.20 lb)
Released20202022
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 Aurora R11 and Fujitsu Esprimo D7012

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Fujitsu Esprimo D7012 which was released in 2022. The Alienware Aurora R11 is older and entered production in 2020.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Fujitsu Esprimo D7012 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Alienware Aurora R11 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 Fujitsu Esprimo D7012 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Alienware Aurora R11 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 Aurora R11 is using the faster 3400 MT/s RAM. The Fujitsu Esprimo D7012 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 128 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 Aurora R11 has 15 USB ports. The Fujitsu Esprimo D7012 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. 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 Alienware Aurora R11 as it has 3 USB3.1 ports (the Fujitsu Esprimo D7012 has 1).

Unfortunately, only the Fujitsu Esprimo D7012 has a DisplayPort. The Alienware Aurora R11 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 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.

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 Fujitsu Esprimo D7012 has 1 M.2 slots while the Alienware Aurora R11 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 Fujitsu Esprimo D7012 comes with a decent 300 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Aurora R11 has a more powerful one rated at 1000 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_R11_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutFujitsu_Esprimo_D7012_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout