Alienware Area 51 R2 vs. Dell OptiPlex 7000 M

Differences between Alienware Area 51 R2 and Dell OptiPlex 7000 M

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 7000 M which was released in 2022. The Alienware Area 51 R2 is older and entered production in 2018.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 7000 M is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Alienware Area 51 R2 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 OptiPlex 7000 M as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Alienware Area 51 R2 is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Alienware Area 51 R2 has 4 RAM slots while the Dell OptiPlex 7000 M 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 Dell OptiPlex 7000 M is using the faster 4800 MT/s RAM. The Alienware Area 51 R2 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2667 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 Area 51 R2 has 10 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex 7000 M is inferior in this regard and packs 9 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the Dell OptiPlex 7000 M, is that it has 2 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Alienware Area 51 R2 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 7000 M has a DisplayPort. The Alienware Area 51 R2 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 Area 51 R2 is better equipped as it comes with 6 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 7000 M has 0 slot(s).

If you want the fastest transfer speeds for your SSD, an M.2 interface is crucial. Thus, if the M.2 SSD slot is a mandatory requirement for you, go with the Dell OptiPlex 7000 M. Sadly, the Alienware Area 51 R2 has no such slot, and you will be forced to use the SATA interface instead.

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 7000 M comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Area 51 R2 has a more powerful one rated at 1500 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