Alienware Aurora R11 vs. Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF
Comparison and Differences
Differences between Alienware Aurora R11 and Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF
Both computers, the Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF and the Alienware Aurora R11, were released during the same year - 2020.
If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Alienware Aurora R11 and will fit more easily under your desk.
Processor
The two models have the same generation of Intel processors. We think that the 10 generation of Intel Processors have enough power to execute all of the home and office tasks that most people will care to do.
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.
The Alienware Aurora R11 is using the faster 3400 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF 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 128 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 R11 has 15 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF is inferior in this regard and packs 10 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. Both of the models have USB 3.1 ports which will allow you to exchange data with your peripherals at up to 10Gb/s. This is especially crucial if you are using external drives on a regular basis.
Unfortunately, only the Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF has a DisplayPort. The Alienware Aurora R11 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 R11 is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF has 3 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 Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF has 1 M.2 slots while the Alienware Aurora R11 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 Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF comes with a decent 200 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Aurora R11 has a more powerful one rated at 1000 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
