Alienware Area 51 R4 vs. HP ProDesk 600 G2 SFF

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Area_51_R4.jpg case front and back pannel

HP_ProDesk_600_G2_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Mid Tower	Small
CPU options	Intel Gen7&9&10 Core X-series	Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	X299 PCH	Q150
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce RTX 3090	GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAM	DIMM DDR4-2666/2933	DIMM DDR4-2133
RAM slots	4	4
RAM speed	2933 MT/s	2133 MT/s
RAM max	64 GB	64 GB
USB ports	(8x) USB 3.0 Type A; (2x) USB-A 2.0; USB 3.1 Type C; USB 3.1 Type A;	(6x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	N/A	(2x) DisplayPort: VGA
Other ports	RJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical; Card Reader;	RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;
Optional ports	N.A.	Media card reader (USB 2.0); Serial;
SATA ports	4	3
PCI slots	(x3) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x8; PCIe 3.0 x4;	PCIe 3.0 x16; (3x) PCIe x1;
M.2 slots	M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2280 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x2, NVMe);	N.A.
Drive bays	(2x) 2.5in; (x3) 3.25in; 5.25in;	2.5in; (2x) 3.5in; 5.25in (slim)
PSU	850/1500 W	200 W
Weight	28 kg (61.73 lbs)	6.9 kg (16.7 lb)
Released	2015	2015
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 Area 51 R4 and HP ProDesk 600 G2 SFF

Both computers, the Alienware Area 51 R4 and the HP ProDesk 600 G2 SFF, were released during the same year - 2015.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the HP ProDesk 600 G2 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Alienware Area 51 R4 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 Area 51 R4 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that HP ProDesk 600 G2 SFF 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 Area 51 R4 is using the faster 2933 MT/s RAM. The HP ProDesk 600 G2 SFF is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2133 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 R4 has 12 USB ports. The HP ProDesk 600 G2 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. What is nice about the Alienware Area 51 R4, is that it has 2 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the HP ProDesk 600 G2 SFF 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 600 G2 SFF has a DisplayPort. The Alienware Area 51 R4 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 R4 is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the HP ProDesk 600 G2 SFF has 3 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 Alienware Area 51 R4. Sadly, the HP ProDesk 600 G2 SFF 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 HP ProDesk 600 G2 SFF comes with a decent 200 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Area 51 R4 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.