Dell Pro Max Micro FCM2250 2025, Core Ultra 7 265, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Black

A tiny business powerhouse with a killer CPU and graphics that belong in 2015. Buy it for work, not for play.

The Core Ultra 7 265 is the star here. With 20 cores and a boost up to 5.3 GHz, it sits in the 89th percentile for CPU performance among desktops we track. That's genuinely impressive for a mini PC. Multitasking, data crunching, even light AI workloads via the 13 TOPS NPU all feel snappy. But the integrated Intel Graphics with 4GB of shared VRAM is a wet blanket. Gaming performance lands at a dismal 14.5 out of 100, which is one of the worst scores we've seen for any desktop. Don't even think about it.

If you need a tiny business PC, the Dell Pro Max Micro is a strong pick, but it's not the only game in town. The Apple Mac Studio M3 Ultra absolutely destroys it in graphics and overall performance, though it costs significantly more and locks you into macOS. On the Windows side, the HP OMEN GT22-3080 and Lenovo Legion Tower 5a Gen 10 are gaming towers that'll run circles around the Dell in any GPU-bound task, but they're full-size desktops that eat desk space. The ASUS ROG GM700 is another gaming-focused alternative with far better graphics. If your work is CPU-heavy and space is tight, the Dell makes sense. If you need any graphical horsepower, look elsewhere.

Pricing is all over the place. In the US, you'll see this listed anywhere from USD 1,592 to USD 2,092 across three listings. That's a USD 500 spread for the exact same box. Newegg has the best deal at the low end, so don't pay Best Buy prices without checking there first. Canadian buyers face a similar mess, with prices ranging from CAD 2,152 to CAD 2,884. At the low end, this is a reasonable business purchase. At the high end, you're getting fleeced.

The Dell Pro Max Micro FCM2250 is a business workhorse crammed into a 2.9L box, and it mostly nails the assignment. You get a 20-core Intel Core Ultra 7 265, 16GB of DDR5, and Windows 11 Pro in a chassis that'll disappear behind your monitor. The one thing to know? This is a productivity machine, not a gaming rig, and the integrated Intel Graphics make that painfully clear.

If you're looking for a gaming PC or anything that needs real graphics performance, this isn't it. The integrated Intel Graphics score a 14.5 out of 100 for gaming, which is basically a polite way of saying 'don't bother.' Go grab an HP OMEN GT22-3080 or a Lenovo Legion Tower 5a Gen 10 instead. You'll get a real GPU and a machine that can actually run games.

The Dell Pro Max Micro FCM2250 is a solid choice for office work, data analysis, and general business tasks where desk space matters. The CPU is genuinely excellent, and the port selection is generous. But the integrated graphics are a hard stop for anything beyond basic display output, and the 512GB SSD feels stingy at this price. Buy it for spreadsheets and Zoom calls, not for anything that needs a real GPU. And shop around, because the price spread is ridiculous.