Alienware Aurora R13 vs. Dell OptiPlex 9020M
Comparison and Differences
Differences between Alienware Aurora R13 and Dell OptiPlex 9020M
If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Alienware Aurora R13 which was released in 2021. The Dell OptiPlex 9020M is older and entered production in 2013.
If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 9020M is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Alienware Aurora R13 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 R13 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 9020M is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.
Memory
The Alienware Aurora R13 has 4 RAM slots while the Dell OptiPlex 9020M 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 R13 is using the faster 4400 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 9020M 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 R13 as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 9020M can do a bit less at max 16 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.
Ports
In total the Alienware Aurora R13 has 12 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex 9020M is inferior in this regard and packs 6 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the Alienware Aurora R13, is that it has 2 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell OptiPlex 9020M 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 Dell OptiPlex 9020M has a DisplayPort. The Alienware Aurora R13 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 R13 is better equipped as it comes with 3 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 9020M has 1 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 Dell OptiPlex 9020M comes with a decent 65 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Aurora R13 has a more powerful one rated at 750 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
