Alienware Aurora R12 vs. HP ProDesk 400 G1 Mini

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Aurora_R12.jpg case front and back pannelHP_ProDesk_400_G1_Mini.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMid TowerMicro
CPU optionsIntel Gen11 i3/i5/i7/i9;Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetZ490H81
Dedicated GPU *GeForce RTX 3090N.A.
RAMDIMM DDR4-3200/3400SODIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots42
RAM speed3400 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max128 GB16 GB
USB ports(6x) USB 3.0 Type A; USB 3.0 Type C; (6x) USB-A 2.0; USB 3.1 Type C; USB 3.1 Type A;(2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsN/ADisplayPort v1.2; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog; Front, side, center, rare outputs;RJ45; Hdph; Mic;
Optional portsDisplayPortN.A.
SATA ports41
PCI slots(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x4;N.A.
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2280 M-key (PCIe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays(2x) 2.5in; 3.25in;2.5in;
PSU550/1000 W65 W
Weight17.80 kg (39.24 lb)1.3 kg (2.9 lb)
Released20212014
Manuallinklink
Price**Check PriceCheck 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 R12 and HP ProDesk 400 G1 Mini

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Alienware Aurora R12 which was released in 2021. The HP ProDesk 400 G1 Mini is older and entered production in 2014.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the HP ProDesk 400 G1 Mini is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Alienware Aurora R12 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 Alienware Aurora R12 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that HP ProDesk 400 G1 Mini is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Alienware Aurora R12 has 4 RAM slots while the HP ProDesk 400 G1 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 R12 is using the faster 3400 MT/s RAM. The HP ProDesk 400 G1 Mini is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1600 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Alienware Aurora R12 as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The HP ProDesk 400 G1 Mini can do a bit less at max 16 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Alienware Aurora R12 has 15 USB ports. The HP ProDesk 400 G1 Mini is inferior in this regard and packs 6 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the Alienware Aurora R12, is that it has 3 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the HP ProDesk 400 G1 Mini 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 HP ProDesk 400 G1 Mini has a DisplayPort. The Alienware Aurora R12 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 R12 is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the HP ProDesk 400 G1 Mini has 1 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 HP ProDesk 400 G1 Mini comes with a decent 65 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Aurora R12 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

Alienware_Aurora_R12_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutHP_ProDesk_400_G1_Mini_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout