Alienware Aurora R4 vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tiny

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Aurora_R4.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_M92_Tiny.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMid TowerMicro
CPU optionsIntel Gen3&4 i3/i5/i7;Intel Gen2&3 i3; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetX79Q77
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 SuperN.A.
RAMDIMM DDR3-1333/1866SODIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots42
RAM speed1866 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max32 GB16 GB
USB portsUSB 3.0 Type A; (4x) USB-A 2.0;(4x)USB-A 3.0; USB-A 2.0;
Video portsN/ADisplayPort; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog;RJ45; Hdph; Mic;
Optional portsN.A.DisplayPort; USB-A 2.0; Serial; WiFi antenna;
SATA ports31
PCI slots(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x1;N.A.
M.2 slotsN.A.M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays(4x) 3.25in; (4x) 2.5in; (2x) 5.25in;2.5in
PSU525/875 W65 W
Weight20.41 kg (45.00 lbs)4.1 kg (9.1 lb)
Released20122011
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 R4 and Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tiny

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Alienware Aurora R4 which was released in 2012. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tiny is older and entered production in 2011.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tiny is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Alienware Aurora R4 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 Aurora R4 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tiny is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Alienware Aurora R4 has 4 RAM slots while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tiny 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 Alienware Aurora R4 is using the faster 1866 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tiny is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1600 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Alienware Aurora R4 as it has the ability to run 32 GB of RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tiny can do a bit less at max 16 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

Both models have the same amount of USB ports for total count of 5. If this is not enough, using a USB hub is always a viable option. None of the desktop models has a USB 3.1 port (10Gb/s), so if you need a fast connection to your peripherals, like external Solid State Drive, you will need to look elsewhere.

Unfortunately, only the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tiny has a DisplayPort. The Alienware Aurora R4 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 R4 is better equipped as it comes with 3 SATA slot(s), while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tiny has 1 slot(s).

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the Alienware Aurora R4, nor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tiny has one. However, you can still use a SATA SSD drive which should give you satisfactory performance.

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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tiny comes with a decent 65 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Aurora R4 has a more powerful one rated at 875 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_R4_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_M92_Tiny_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout