Alienware Aurora R8 vs. HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Aurora_R8.jpg case front and back pannel

HP_ProDesk_400_G6_Mini.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Mid Tower	Micro
CPU options	Intel Gen8&9 i3/i5/i7/i9;	Intel Gen10 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	Z370	Q470
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce RTX 2080 Ti	N.A.
RAM	DIMM DDR4-2666/3000	SODIMM DDR4-3200
RAM slots	4	2
RAM speed	3000 MT/s	3200 MT/s
RAM max	64 GB	64 GB
USB ports	(4x) 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; USB-A 3.1; (3x) USB-A 3.0; (2x) USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	N/A	DisplayPort; HDMI;
Other ports	RJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog; Front, side, center, rare outputs;	RJ45; Headset;
Optional ports	DisplayPort	DP1.4/HDMI2.0/VGA/Serial/USB-C; Serial/(2x)USB-A3.1; WiFi anntena;
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);	M.2 2280 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 W
Weight	14.82 kg (32.67 lb)	1.25 kg (2.74 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 R8 and HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini which was released in 2020. The Alienware Aurora R8 is older and entered production in 2018.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Alienware Aurora R8 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 ProDesk 400 G6 Mini as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Alienware Aurora R8 is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Alienware Aurora R8 has 4 RAM slots while the HP ProDesk 400 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 HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini is using the faster 3200 MT/s RAM. The Alienware Aurora R8 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 3000 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 R8 has 12 USB ports. The HP ProDesk 400 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. 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 HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini has a DisplayPort. The Alienware Aurora R8 does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

The HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini comes with an HDMI port, while the Alienware Aurora R8 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 Alienware Aurora R8 is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the HP ProDesk 400 G6 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 G6 Mini comes with a decent 65 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Aurora R8 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.