Alienware Aurora R5 vs. HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Aurora_R5.jpg case front and back pannelHP_EliteDesk_800_G5_Mini.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMid TowerMicro
CPU optionsIntel Gen6 i3/i5/i7;Intel Gen8&9 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetZ170Q370
Dedicated GPU *GeForce RTX 2070 SuperN.A.
RAMDIMM DDR4-2133/2400SODIMM DDR4-2666
RAM slots42
RAM speed2400 MT/s2666 MT/s
RAM max64 GB64 GB
USB ports(5x) USB 3.0 Type A; (6x) USB-A 2.0; USB 3.1 Type C; USB 3.1 Type A;USB-C 3.1; (3x)USB-A 3.1; (3x)USB-A 3.0;
Video portsN/A(2x) DisplayPort;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog; Front, side, center, rare outputs;RJ45; Hdph; Headset;
Optional portsDisplayPortDP/HDMI/VGA/USB-C(DP)/Serial/Thunderbolt 3.0/Fiber NIC; WiFi antenna;
SATA ports41
PCI slots(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x4;N.A.
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2280/2260/2240 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x2, NVMe); (2x) M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays(2x) 2.5in; 3.25in;2.5in;
PSU460/850 W65/90/150 W
Weight14.62 kg (32.23 lb)1.05 kg (2.31 lb)
Released20152019
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 R5 and HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini which was released in 2019. The Alienware Aurora R5 is older and entered production in 2015.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Alienware Aurora 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Alienware Aurora R5 is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Alienware Aurora R5 has 4 RAM slots while the HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini is using the faster 2666 MT/s RAM. The Alienware Aurora R5 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2400 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 Aurora R5 has 13 USB ports. The HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini is inferior in this regard and packs 7 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini as it has 4 USB3.1 ports (the Alienware Aurora R5 has 2).

Unfortunately, only the HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini has a DisplayPort. The Alienware Aurora 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 Aurora R5 is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini has 1 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini has 1 M.2 slots while the Alienware Aurora 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini comes with a decent 150 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Aurora R5 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_R5_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutHP_EliteDesk_800_G5_Mini_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout