Alienware Aurora R3 vs. Dell XPS 8700
Comparison and Differences
Differences between Alienware Aurora R3 and Dell XPS 8700
If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell XPS 8700 which was released in 2013. The Alienware Aurora R3 is older and entered production in 2011.
If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Alienware Aurora R3 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell XPS 8700 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 XPS 8700 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.
The Alienware Aurora R3 is using the faster 1866 MT/s RAM. The Dell XPS 8700 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1600 MT/s. 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 Dell XPS 8700 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. 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.
Unfortunately, only the Dell XPS 8700 has a DisplayPort. The Alienware Aurora R3 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 XPS 8700 comes with an HDMI port, while the Alienware Aurora R3 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 Dell XPS 8700 is better equipped as it comes with 5 SATA slot(s), while the Alienware Aurora R3 has 4 slot(s).
M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the Dell XPS 8700, nor the Alienware Aurora R3 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
Having a Power Supply Unit with high power rating is important, if you are going to use components which require extra power. The Dell XPS 8700 comes with a decent 460 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Aurora R3 has a more powerful one rated at 875 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
