Alienware Aurora R4 vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Tower

Comparison and Differences

Alienware_Aurora_R4.jpg case front and back pannel

Lenovo_ThinkCentre_M92p_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Mid Tower	Mini Tower
CPU options	Intel Gen3&4 i3/i5/i7;	Intel Gen2&3 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	X79	Q77
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce GTX 1650 Super	GeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAM	DIMM DDR3-1333/1866	DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots	4	4
RAM speed	1866 MT/s	1600 MT/s
RAM max	32 GB	32 GB
USB ports	USB 3.0 Type A; (4x) USB-A 2.0;	(4x)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;
Optional ports	N.A.	DisplayPort; (2x) PS2; Serial; Parallel; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports	3	4
PCI slots	(x2) PCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe 3.0 x1;	PCIe 2.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x1; (2x) PCI;
M.2 slots	N.A.	N.A.
Drive bays	(4x) 3.25in; (4x) 2.5in; (2x) 5.25in;	(2x) 2.5/3.5in; (2x) 5.25in;
PSU	525/875 W	ATX 280 W
Weight	20.41 kg (45.00 lbs)	11 kg (24.25 lb)
Released	2012	2011
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 M92p Tower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Alienware Aurora R4 which was released in 2012. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Tower is older and entered production in 2011.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Alienware Aurora R4 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Tower 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 R4 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Tower 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 R4 is using the faster 1866 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Tower 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Tower has 8 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 M92p Tower 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 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Tower is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Alienware Aurora R4 has 3 slot(s).

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 M92p Tower 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 M92p Tower comes with a decent 280 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.