Alienware Aurora R13 vs. Alienware Aurora R8
Comparison and Differences
Differences between Alienware Aurora R13 and Alienware Aurora R8
If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Alienware Aurora R13 which was released in 2021. The Alienware Aurora R8 is older and entered production in 2018.
Both models have the same form factor, meaning reoughtly they have the same phiysical size and form.
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 R13 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Alienware Aurora R8 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 R13 is using the faster 4400 MT/s RAM. The Alienware Aurora R8 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 3000 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Alienware Aurora R13 as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Alienware Aurora R8 can do a bit less at max 64 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 12. If this is not enough, using a USB hub is always a viable option. 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.
Nowadays, almost every new computer comes equipped with a DisplayPort. However, none of the devices being compared here has one. Don't worry though, DisplayPort adapters are very cheap and you can get virtually 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 R8 is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Alienware Aurora R13 has 3 slot(s).
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 Alienware Aurora R13 comes with a decent 750 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Aurora R8 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
