Acer Veriton X2660g vs. Alienware Aurora R9

Comparison and Differences

Acer_Veriton_X2660g.jpg case front and back pannel

Alienware_Aurora_R9.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Small	Mid Tower
CPU options	Intel Gen8 i3/i5/i7; Pentium; Celeron	Intel Gen9 i3/i5/i7/i9;
Chipset	B360	Z370
Dedicated GPU *	Radeon RX 6400 Low Profile	GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
RAM	UDIMM DDR4-2666	DIMM DDR4-2666/3000
RAM slots	2	4
RAM speed	2666 MT/s	3000 MT/s
RAM max	32 GB	64 GB
USB ports	(2x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0; (2x) USB-A 3.1	(6x) USB 3.0 Type A; (5x) USB-A 2.0; USB 3.1 Type C; USB 3.1 Type A; USB 3.0 Type C;
Video ports	DisplayPort 1.2; HDMI 1.4; VGA	DisplayPort 1.4;
Other ports	RJ45; (2x) Mic, Speaker; Line in; Line out; PS/2 ports; Serial	RJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog; Front, side, center, rare outputs;
Optional ports	Serial; Parallel; Card reader	N.A.
SATA ports	4	4
PCI slots	PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 3.0 x1; PCI	(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x4;
M.2 slots	M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)	M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2242/2260/2280 (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe);
Drive bays	3.5in; 5.25 inch slim	(2x) 2.5in; 3.25in; 9.5mm; U.2
PSU	180/250 W	460/850 W
Weight	5.00 kg (11.02 lb)	14.82 kg (32.67 lb)
Released	2018	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 Acer Veriton X2660g and Alienware Aurora R9

Both computers, the Alienware Aurora R9 and the Acer Veriton X2660g, were released during the same year - 2018.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Acer Veriton X2660g is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Alienware Aurora R9 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 R9 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Acer Veriton X2660g is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Alienware Aurora R9 has 4 RAM slots while the Acer Veriton X2660g 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 R9 is using the faster 3000 MT/s RAM. The Acer Veriton X2660g is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2666 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Alienware Aurora R9 as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Acer Veriton X2660g can do a bit less at max 32 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Alienware Aurora R9 has 14 USB ports. The Acer Veriton X2660g is inferior in this regard and packs 8 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. Both of the models have USB 3.1 ports which will allow you to exchange data with your peripherals at up to 10Gb/s. This is especially crucial if you are using external drives on a regular basis.

The DisplayPort is usually the more popular video port used with desktops and laptops, while the HDMI is used predominantly in consumer electronics. That's why, it is good to see that both of the models come with a DisplayPort.

The Acer Veriton X2660g comes with an HDMI port, while the Alienware Aurora R9 does not support the interface. Of course missing HDMI port is something that can be easily fixed with a good adapter (e.g. DisplayPort to HDMI).

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 Acer Veriton X2660g comes with a decent 250 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Aurora R9 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.