Alienware Aurora R9 vs. HP EliteDesk 800 G6 Mini

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Aurora_R9.jpg case front and back pannel

HP_EliteDesk_800_G6_Mini.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Mid Tower	Micro
CPU options	Intel Gen9 i3/i5/i7/i9;	Intel Gen10 i3/i5/i7/i9; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	Z370	Q470
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce RTX 2080 Ti	NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti (custom)
RAM	DIMM DDR4-2666/3000	SODIMM DDR4-2933
RAM slots	4	2
RAM speed	3000 MT/s	2933 MT/s
RAM max	64 GB	64 GB
USB ports	(6x) 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;	USB-C 3.1; (3x)USB-A 3.1; (3x)USB-A 3.0;
Video ports	DisplayPort 1.4;	(2x) DisplayPort;
Other ports	RJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog; Front, side, center, rare outputs;	RJ45; Hdph; Headset;
Optional ports	N.A.	DP1.4/ HDMI2.0a/ VGA/ USB-C(DP1.4)/ (2x)USB-A 3.0/ LAN/ Thunderbolt3; NVIDIA GTX 1660/(2x)USB-A 2.0/ Serial; WiFi antenna;
SATA ports	4	1
PCI slots	(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x4;	N.A.
M.2 slots	M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2242/2260/2280 (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe);	(2x) M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays	(2x) 2.5in; 3.25in; 9.5mm; U.2	2.5in;
PSU	460/850 W	65/90/150 W
Weight	14.82 kg (32.67 lb)	1.42 kg (3.13 lb)
Released	2018	2020
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 R9 and HP EliteDesk 800 G6 Mini

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP EliteDesk 800 G6 Mini which was released in 2020. The Alienware Aurora R9 is older and entered production in 2018.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the HP EliteDesk 800 G6 Mini is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Alienware Aurora R9 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G6 Mini as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Alienware Aurora R9 is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Alienware Aurora R9 has 4 RAM slots while the HP EliteDesk 800 G6 Mini 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 R9 is using the faster 3000 MT/s RAM. The HP EliteDesk 800 G6 Mini 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 R9 has 14 USB ports. The HP EliteDesk 800 G6 Mini is inferior in this regard and packs 7 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G6 Mini as it has 3 USB3.1 ports (the Alienware Aurora R9 has 2).

DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the HP EliteDesk 800 G6 Mini comes with 2 ports, while the Alienware Aurora R9 has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the HP EliteDesk 800 G6 Mini is the better choice.

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 R9 is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the HP EliteDesk 800 G6 Mini has 1 slot(s).

An M.2 SSD can be several times faster than a SATA one. Thus, we are happy to see that both models support the M.2 interface. However, the HP EliteDesk 800 G6 Mini has 1 M.2 slots while the Alienware Aurora R9 comes with just 1.

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 EliteDesk 800 G6 Mini comes with a decent 150 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Aurora R9 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.