Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 2025, Core Ultra 9 285K, 64GB, 2TB SSD + 8TB SSD, RTX 5070, Graphite

A 24-core CPU and 10TB of NVMe storage make this a workstation monster. Just don't expect the RTX 5070 to keep up with the rest of the build.

The storage setup is the real surprise here. A 2TB boot drive plus an 8TB secondary NVMe SSD puts this thing in the 100th percentile for storage, which is just absurd. You could dump a decade of raw video footage on this and still have room for your Steam library. The CPU is the other standout, with 24 cores and a 5.7GHz boost clock that chews through multi-threaded workloads. The RTX 5070 is solid, but it's the one component that feels slightly out of step with the rest of the build. It's a great card, just not the absolute top of the charts like everything else in this tower.

Against the Apple Mac Studio M3 Ultra, the Dell wins on raw storage and upgradeability, but the Mac's integrated memory bandwidth and efficiency are on another level for certain creative workflows. The Lenovo Legion Tower 5a Gen 10 is a more gaming-focused alternative with a similar GPU class, but it won't touch the Dell's CPU or storage. The HP OMEN GT16-0364 is the budget pick if you want a capable desktop without the workstation tax. For pure CPU and storage muscle, the Dell is the clear winner here, but if you need the absolute best GPU performance, the MSI Aegis ZS2 or CLX SET are worth a look.

Here's the thing: the price on this config bounces between $2,398 and $3,547 depending on which listing you're looking at. That's a massive spread. At the low end, this is a genuinely strong deal for a 24-core workstation with 10TB of storage. At the high end, you're paying a premium for convenience and the Dell name. If you're buying, hunt for the cheaper listing. The components are the same, and the seller with the better price is the one to reward.

The Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 is a serious workstation hiding in a clean, minimal mid-tower. The headline spec is the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, a 24-core monster that sits in the 98th percentile of CPUs in our database. Pair that with 64GB of DDR5 and a massive 10TB of NVMe storage, and you've got a machine built for heavy creative work, AI tinkering, and multitasking that would make lesser desktops cry. The RTX 5070 with 12GB of GDDR7 is no slouch either, landing in the 89th percentile for GPUs. This isn't a gaming-first box, but it'll handle 1440p gaming without breaking a sweat when you're off the clock.

If you're a competitive gamer chasing maximum frame rates, this isn't your machine. The RTX 5070 is fine, but the CPU and storage are overkill for gaming, and you're paying for power you won't use. Go grab a system with an RTX 5080 or 5090 instead. And if you need something compact, the 31.3/100 compact score tells you everything: this is a big, heavy tower that wants to live under a desk, not on one.

The Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 is a no-brainer for anyone doing serious CPU-heavy work who also wants a mountain of fast storage. Video editors, 3D artists, data crunchers, and AI hobbyists will all find something to love here. The RTX 5070 is the only component that feels like it's holding the rest of the system back, but it's still a very capable card. If you can snag this at the lower end of the price range, it's an easy recommendation.