Alienware Aurora R4 vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Aurora_R4.jpg case front and back pannel

Lenovo_ThinkCentre_M73_Small.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Mid Tower	Small
CPU options	Intel Gen3&4 i3/i5/i7;	Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	X79	H81
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce GTX 1650 Super	GeForce GTX 1650 Low Profile
RAM	DIMM DDR3-1333/1866	DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots	4	2
RAM speed	1866 MT/s	1600 MT/s
RAM max	32 GB	16 GB
USB ports	USB 3.0 Type A; (4x) USB-A 2.0;	(2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	N/A	DisplayPort; VGA;
Other ports	RJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDFI optical/analog;	RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;
Optional ports	N.A.	Parallel; Serial; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports	3	3
PCI slots	(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x1;	PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1;
M.2 slots	N.A.	N.A.
Drive bays	(4x) 3.25in; (4x) 2.5in; (2x) 5.25in;	2.5in; 3.5in; 5.25in;
PSU	525/875 W	TFX 240 W
Weight	20.41 kg (45.00 lbs)	6.6 kg (14.55 lb)
Released	2012	2013
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 R4 and Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small which was released in 2013. The Alienware Aurora R4 is older and entered production in 2012.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Alienware Aurora R4 and will fit more easily under your desk.

Processor

The two models have the same generation of Intel processors. We think that the 4 generation of Intel Processors have enough power to execute all of the home and office tasks that most people will care to do.

Memory

The Alienware Aurora R4 has 4 RAM slots while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small 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 R4 is using the faster 1866 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small 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 R4 as it has the ability to run 32 GB of RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small has 6 USB ports. The Alienware Aurora R4 is inferior in this regard and packs 5 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small has a DisplayPort. The Alienware Aurora 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 slots are located on the motherboard and it is where SSD, HDD and Optical Disk Drives are connected. Each of the two models being compared have 3 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the Alienware Aurora R4, nor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small comes with a decent 240 Watt PSU, but the Alienware Aurora R4 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.