Alienware Aurora R6 vs. HP ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Aurora_R6.jpg case front and back pannel

HP_ProDesk_600_G5_Microtower.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Mid Tower	Mini Tower
CPU options	Intel Gen7 i3/i5/i7;	Intel Gen8&9 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	Z270	Q370
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce RTX 2070 Super	GeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAM	DIMM DDR4-2400/2667	DIMM DDR4-2666
RAM slots	4	4
RAM speed	2666 MT/s	2666 MT/s
RAM max	64 GB	128 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; (4x)USB-A 3.1; (2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	N/A	(2x) DisplayPort:
Other ports	RJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog; Front, side, center, rare outputs;	RJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In;
Optional ports	DisplayPort	DP1.2/HDMI2.0/VGA/USB-C(DP); Serial; SD card reader;
SATA ports	4	4
PCI slots	(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x4;	PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4);
M.2 slots	M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2280/2260/2240 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x2, NVMe);	M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays	(2x) 2.5in; 3.25in; 5.25in; U.2	(2x) 2.5in; 3.5in; 5.25in; 5.25in (slim)
PSU	460/850 W	250/400 W
Weight	14.62 kg (32.23 lb)	7.14 kg (15.74 lb)
Released	2016	2018
Manual	link	link
Price**	Check Price	Check 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 R6 and HP ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower which was released in 2018. The Alienware Aurora R6 is older and entered production in 2016.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Alienware Aurora R6 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the HP ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower 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 ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Alienware Aurora R6 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.

None of the desktops has an advantage when it comes to the speed of the RAM being used. Both models support RAM speeds of up to 2666. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the HP ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Alienware Aurora R6 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 R6 has 15 USB ports. The HP ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower 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 HP ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower as it has 5 USB3.1 ports (the Alienware Aurora R6 has 2).

Unfortunately, only the HP ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower has a DisplayPort. The Alienware Aurora R6 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.

When your goal is to have the fastest SSD transfer speeds, an M.2 interface is crucial. Thus, it is good that both models have M.2 SSD slots. Today M.2 SSDs are not much more expensive than the average SATA drives, so it really does not make sense to invest in SATA drives anymore.

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 G5 Microtower comes with a decent 400 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Aurora R6 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.