Alienware Aurora R12 vs. HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Aurora_R12.jpg case front and back pannel

HP_ProDesk_490_G3_Microtower.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Mid Tower	Mini Tower
CPU options	Intel Gen11 i3/i5/i7/i9;	Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	Z490	H110
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce RTX 3090	GeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAM	DIMM DDR4-3200/3400	DIMM DDR4-2133
RAM slots	4	4
RAM speed	3400 MT/s	2133 MT/s
RAM max	128 GB	64 GB
USB ports	(6x) USB 3.0 Type A; USB 3.0 Type C; (6x) USB-A 2.0; USB 3.1 Type C; USB 3.1 Type A;	(6x)USB-A 3.0; (2x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	N/A	DisplayPort; VGA;
Other ports	RJ45; 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 ports	DisplayPort	SD card reader; Serial; Parallel;
SATA ports	4	3
PCI slots	(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x4;	PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4);
M.2 slots	M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);	N.A.
Drive bays	(2x) 2.5in; 3.25in;	(2x) 3.5in; 5.25in (slim)
PSU	550/1000 W	180/300 W
Weight	17.80 kg (39.24 lb)	7.05 kg (15.5 lb)
Released	2021	2015
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 R12 and HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Alienware Aurora R12 which was released in 2021. The HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower is older and entered production in 2015.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Alienware Aurora R12 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the HP ProDesk 490 G3 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 Alienware Aurora R12 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower 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.

The Alienware Aurora R12 is using the faster 3400 MT/s RAM. The HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2133 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Alienware Aurora R12 as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower 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 R12 has 15 USB ports. The HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower 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. What is nice about the Alienware Aurora R12, is that it has 3 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the HP ProDesk 490 G3 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 490 G3 Microtower has a DisplayPort. The Alienware Aurora R12 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 R12 is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the HP ProDesk 490 G3 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 R12. Sadly, the HP ProDesk 490 G3 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 490 G3 Microtower comes with a decent 300 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Aurora R12 has a more powerful one rated at 1000 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.