Dell Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 Desktop - Intel Core Ultra Review

The Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 packs an 87th percentile CPU that crunches through creative and business workloads. Just don't expect gaming thrills from its 61st percentile RTX 4060 GPU. It's a reliable, upgradeable tower for power users on a budget.

The Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 is a solid, no-nonsense desktop that scores where it counts for business and creative work. Its Intel Core Ultra 7 265 processor lands in the 87th percentile for CPU performance, which is the real headline here. That means it's built to handle heavy multitasking and demanding applications without breaking a sweat. Paired with 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD, it's a capable machine for the price.

Where it starts to show its trade-offs is in the graphics department. The RTX 4060 is a decent GPU, but it only hits the 61st percentile in our database. That's fine for moderate gaming and creative tasks, but don't expect top-tier performance. The chassis is also a full-sized tower weighing over 8.5kg, so it scores a lowly 21st percentile for portability. This is a machine you'll set up and leave in one spot.

Let's talk about that CPU. An 87th percentile ranking is serious business. The 20-core Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is the star of the show, offering excellent multi-threaded performance for rendering, compiling, or heavy data processing. It's the kind of chip that makes this feel more like a workstation than a standard office PC.

The RTX 4060 is a bit more of a mixed bag. At the 61st percentile, it's perfectly capable for 1080p gaming and can accelerate many creative apps, but it's not going to blow you away. The 16GB of RAM and 1TB SSD are both right around the 60th percentile mark, which is adequate but not exceptional. You're getting good, not great, supporting specs to match that excellent processor.

At $1430, you're paying for that strong CPU and the Dell brand's reliability. The price-to-performance ratio is decent, but not a steal. You're getting workstation-grade processing power in a consumer-friendly package, with the added value of that onsite service warranty. Compared to building it yourself, you'd likely save a couple hundred bucks on the DIY route, but you'd lose the warranty and support. It's a fair trade for someone who wants a ready-to-go system.

Stacked against its peers, the Tower Plus has a clear strength and weakness. The HP Omen 45L and Alienware Aurora R16 often come with more powerful GPUs for gaming, but their CPUs might not match the Ultra 7 265's 87th percentile score for pure multi-core work. The Lenovo Legion Tower 5i is usually a more balanced gaming machine, while something like an MSI Aegis might offer better value with similar specs. This Dell's sweet spot is for users who prioritize CPU horsepower and reliability over cutting-edge graphics. If your main job is video editing, 3D modeling, or running virtual machines, this CPU gives you an edge. If you're mostly gaming, you can find better GPU performance for the same money elsewhere.

Hardcore gamers should look elsewhere. The RTX 4060's 61st percentile ranking means you're leaving a lot of frame rates on the table compared to similarly priced gaming rigs. Also, if you need a compact PC, this isn't it. Its 21st percentile portability score means it's a giant, 8.6kg anchor of a machine. And anyone who relies on traditional 3.5mm audio jacks might be frustrated by the port selection.

We can recommend the Dell Tower Plus if your workflow is CPU-intensive and you value a reliable, serviceable machine. The 87th percentile processor performance is legit, and the onsite service is a great bonus. But if you're a hardcore gamer or need a compact PC, look elsewhere. The middling GPU and massive tower form factor are real compromises. For the right user—think a small business owner, a content creator, or an engineer—this is a very sensible choice.