Alienware Aurora R3 vs. Alienware Aurora R4

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Aurora_R3.jpg case front and back pannel

Alienware_Aurora_R4.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Mid Tower	Mid Tower
CPU options	Intel Gen2 i3/i5/i7;	Intel Gen3&4 i3/i5/i7;
Chipset	P67	X79
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce GTX 1650 Super	GeForce GTX 1650 Super
RAM	DIMM DDR3-1333/1866	DIMM DDR3-1333/1866
RAM slots	4	4
RAM speed	1866 MT/s	1866 MT/s
RAM max	32 GB	32 GB
USB ports	(5x) USB 3.0 Type A; (8x) USB-A 2.0;	USB 3.0 Type A; (4x) USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	N/A	N/A
Other ports	RJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog;	RJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog;
Optional ports	N.A.	N.A.
SATA ports	4	3
PCI slots	(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x1;	(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x1;
M.2 slots	N.A.	N.A.
Drive bays	(4x) 3.25in; (3x) 5.25in;	(4x) 3.25in; (4x) 2.5in; (2x) 5.25in;
PSU	525/875 W	525/875 W
Weight	22.09 kg (48.7 lb)	20.41 kg (45.00 lbs)
Released	2011	2012
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 R3 and Alienware Aurora R4

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Alienware Aurora R4 which was released in 2012. The Alienware Aurora R3 is older and entered production in 2011.

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 R4 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Alienware Aurora R3 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.

None of the desktops has an advantage when it comes to the speed of the RAM being used. Both models support RAM speeds of up to 1866. In addition, you will be able to install the same amount of RAM in both models, and most probably 32 GB of RAM will be enough for most people. However, if you will be needing more RAM, make sure to check other desktop models too.

Ports

In total the Alienware Aurora R3 has 13 USB ports. The Alienware Aurora R4 is inferior in this regard and packs 5 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. 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.

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 R3 is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Alienware Aurora R4 has 3 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 R3, nor the Alienware Aurora R4 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

Looking at the Power Supply Unit (PSU) of the two models we don't see any differences. For either of them you get a maximum power of 875 Watts. However be careful, many models have more than one power supply option. When buying your computer, it is a good idea to get a version with the most powerful PSU. This will potentially allow you to upgrade to a more powerful GPU for example.