Alienware Aurora R5 vs. HP ProDesk 600 G2 Microtower

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Aurora_R5.jpg case front and back pannelHP_ProDesk_600_G2_Microtower.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMid TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen6 i3/i5/i7;Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetZ170Q150
Dedicated GPU *GeForce RTX 2070 SuperGeForce GTX 1650 Super
RAMDIMM DDR4-2133/2400DIMM DDR4-2133
RAM slots44
RAM speed2400 MT/s2133 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;(6x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsN/A(2x) DisplayPort: VGA
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog; Front, side, center, rare outputs;RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;
Optional portsDisplayPortMedia card reader (USB 2.0); Serial;
SATA ports43
PCI slots(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x4;PCIe 3.0 x16; (3x) PCIe x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2280/2260/2240 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x2, NVMe); N.A.
Drive bays(2x) 2.5in; 3.25in;(2x) 3.5in; 5.25in (slim)
PSU460/850 W280 W
Weight14.62 kg (32.23 lb)7.35 kg (16.2 lb)
Released20152015
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 ProDesk 600 G2 Microtower

Both computers, the Alienware Aurora R5 and the HP ProDesk 600 G2 Microtower, were released during the same year - 2015.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Alienware Aurora R5 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the HP ProDesk 600 G2 Microtower and will fit more easily under your desk.

Processor

The two models have the same generation of Intel processors. We think that the 6 generation of Intel Processors have enough power to execute all of the home and office tasks that most people will care to do.

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 R5 is using the faster 2400 MT/s RAM. The HP ProDesk 600 G2 Microtower 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 Aurora R5 has 13 USB ports. The HP ProDesk 600 G2 Microtower is inferior in this regard and packs 10 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the Alienware Aurora R5, is that it has 2 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the HP ProDesk 600 G2 Microtower has no such port, thus restricting your transfer speeds significantly. For people who want to use external drives on regular basis, this might be an issue.

Unfortunately, only the HP ProDesk 600 G2 Microtower 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 ProDesk 600 G2 Microtower has 3 slot(s).

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 Aurora R5. Sadly, the HP ProDesk 600 G2 Microtower 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 HP ProDesk 600 G2 Microtower comes with a decent 280 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_ProDesk_600_G2_Microtower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout