Alienware Aurora R8 vs. Dell Inspiron 3881

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Aurora_R8.jpg case front and back pannelDell_Inspiron_3881.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMid TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen8&9 i3/i5/i7/i9;Intel Gen10 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetZ370H470
Dedicated GPU *GeForce RTX 2080 TiGeForce GTX 1650 Super
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/3000DIMM DDR4-2666/2933
RAM slots42
RAM speed3000 MT/s2933 MT/s
RAM max64 GB64 GB
USB ports(4x) 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;(3x) USB 3.0 Type A; USB 3.1 Type C; (4x) USB-A 2.0;
Video portsN/AHDMI 1.4; DisplayPort 1.4; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog; Front, side, center, rare outputs;RJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Card Reader;
Optional portsDisplayPortN.A.
SATA ports42
PCI slots(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x4;PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2242/2260/2280 (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays(2x) 2.5in; 3.25in; 9.5mm; U.23.25in; 9.5mm
PSU460/850 W260 W
Weight14.82 kg (32.67 lb)6.40 kg (14.11 lb)
Released20182020
Manuallinklink
Price**Check PriceCheck Price

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* 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 R8 and Dell Inspiron 3881

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell Inspiron 3881 which was released in 2020. The Alienware Aurora R8 is older and entered production in 2018.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Alienware Aurora R8 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell Inspiron 3881 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 Dell Inspiron 3881 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

The Alienware Aurora R8 has 4 RAM slots while the Dell Inspiron 3881 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 R8 is using the faster 3000 MT/s RAM. The Dell Inspiron 3881 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2933 MT/s. In addition, you will be able to install the same amount of RAM in both models, and most probably 64 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 R8 has 12 USB ports. The Dell Inspiron 3881 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. It's great that both of the models have USB 3.1 ports which will allow you to exchange data with your peripherals at up to 10Gb/s. But if you need maximum connectivity, go with the Alienware Aurora R8 as it has 2 USB3.1 ports (the Dell Inspiron 3881 has 1).

Unfortunately, only the Dell Inspiron 3881 has a DisplayPort. The Alienware Aurora R8 does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

The Dell Inspiron 3881 comes with an HDMI port, while the Alienware Aurora R8 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 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 Dell Inspiron 3881 has 2 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 Inspiron 3881 comes with a decent 260 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

Alienware_Aurora_R8_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_Inspiron_3881_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout