Dell Dell Tower Plus Desktop Computer Review

The Dell Tower Plus is the sensible choice for a powerful desktop, blending great CPU and GPU performance with an amazing port selection. Just don't plan on upgrading it later.

CPU Intel Core Ultra 7 265
RAM 32 GB
Storage 1 TB
GPU NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070
Form Factor Tower
Psu W 750
OS Windows 11 Home
Dell Dell Tower Plus Desktop Computer desktop
94.9 Overall Score

The 30-Second Version

The Dell Tower Plus is the reliable sedan of desktops: not flashy, but it'll get you anywhere comfortably. Just don't expect to modify the engine later.

Overview

The Dell Tower Plus is a solid, no-nonsense desktop that gets the fundamentals right. It's built for people who need a reliable workhorse, not a flashy showpiece. The one thing to know is this: it's a fantastic all-rounder for developers and creators who also want to game, but it's not trying to win any beauty contests or set overclocking records. It's the sensible choice in a room full of RGB-lit teenagers.

Performance

The performance is exactly what you'd expect from an RTX 5070 and a high-core-count Intel Ultra 7, which is to say it's excellent. Our database shows its GPU lands in the 82nd percentile, and that tracks. It chews through code compiles, 3D renders, and modern games at high settings without breaking a sweat. The only thing that surprised us was the 460W power supply. It's enough for this config, but it leaves zero headroom for future upgrades. That's a bit of a bummer.

Performance Percentiles

CPU 89
GPU 81.3
RAM 86.6
Ports 99.9
Storage 75.1
Reliability 73.8
Social Proof 77.5

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Strong port (100th percentile) 100th
  • Strong cpu (89th percentile) 89th
  • Strong ram (87th percentile) 87th
  • Strong gpu (81th percentile) 81th

Cons

Specifications

Full Specifications

Processor

CPU Intel Core Ultra 7 265
Cores 13
Frequency 2.4 GHz
L3 Cache 30 MB

Graphics

GPU RTX 5070
Type discrete
VRAM 8 GB
VRAM Type GDDR7

Memory & Storage

RAM 32 GB
RAM Generation DDR5
Storage 1 TB
Storage Type NVMe SSD

Build

Form Factor Tower
PSU 750
Weight 12.9 kg / 28.4 lbs

Connectivity

USB-C Ports 1
USB Ports 10
Thunderbolt Thunderbolt 4
HDMI 1x HDMI
Wi-Fi WiFi 7
Bluetooth Yes

System

OS Windows 11 Home

Value & Pricing

At $1699, it's a fair price. You're not getting a steal, but you're also not getting ripped off. You're paying for balanced, reliable performance and Dell's build quality. It's worth it if this exact configuration matches your needs, because you can't really change it later.

vs Competition

Compared to the flashier HP Omen 45L or Alienware Aurora, the Tower Plus is the boring adult. It trades RGB lighting and liquid cooling for a simpler, arguably more reliable design and a better port selection. The Lenovo Legion Tower 5i is often a bit cheaper, but you typically get slower RAM and less future-proof connectivity. If you want to tinker and upgrade later, the Omen is a better bet. If you want a 'set it and forget it' machine with top-tier I/O, this Dell wins.

Spec Dell Dell Tower Plus Desktop Computer HP OMEN HP OMEN 45L Gaming Desktop, Intel Core Ultra 7 MSI MSI EdgeXpert-11SUS AI Supercomputer Lenovo T Series Towers Legion Tower 5a Gen 10 (30L AMD) 90YJ001LUS Apple Mac Studio Apple - Mac Studio - M3 Ultra - 1TB SSD - Silver CLX CLX - Horus Gaming Desktop - AMD Ryzen 9 9950X -
CPU Intel Core Ultra 7 265 Intel Core Ultra 7 265K NVIDIA GB AMD Ryzen 7 7700X Apple M3 Ultra AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
RAM (GB) 32 32 128 32 96 96
Storage (GB) 1024 2048 4096 2048 1000 10048
GPU NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 NVIDIA NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Apple M3 Ultra 60-core NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080
Form Factor Tower Desktop Mini Tower - Mid Tower
Psu W 750 850 240 850 - 850
OS Windows 11 Home Windows 11 Pro NVIDIA DGX OS Windows 11 Home macOS Windows 11 Home
Product CpuGpuRamPortStorageReliabilitySocial Proof
Dell Dell Tower Plus Desktop Computer 8981.386.699.975.173.877.5
HP OMEN HP OMEN 45L Gaming Desktop, Intel Core Ultra 7 96.188.679.489.392.373.899.7
MSI MSI EdgeXpert-11SUS AI Supercomputer 9995.49997.397.945.586.1
Lenovo T Series Towers Legion Tower 5a Gen 10 (30L AMD) 90YJ001LUS 74.681.386.687.986.673.888.1
Apple Mac Studio Apple - Mac Studio - M3 Ultra - 1TB SSD - Silver 98.71297.199.658.699.286.4
CLX CLX - Horus Gaming Desktop - AMD Ryzen 9 9950X - 98.488.698.699.999.418.278.5

Common Questions

Q: Can I upgrade the graphics card later?

Not really. The 460W power supply is the bottleneck. An RTX 5070 is about as much as it can handle. A meaningful GPU upgrade would require a new PSU, which isn't a standard swap in these pre-builts.

Q: Is the 1TB SSD enough?

It's fine to start, but you'll likely need more. We recommend budgeting for a second, large SATA SSD for your game library or project files right off the bat.

Q: How good is it for gaming?

It's great for gaming at 1440p or high-refresh 1080p. The RTX 5070 is a strong card. It scores an 82 for gaming in our system, which means it handles almost everything well, but it's not the absolute top-tier choice for pure frame-chasing.

Who Should Skip This

If you're a PC building enthusiast who loves to upgrade, skip this. The locked-down PSU is a deal-breaker. Go build your own or get an HP Omen 45L. Also, if you need a small PC, this thing is a 28-pound brick. Look at mini-PCs instead.

Verdict

We recommend the Dell Tower Plus if you're a developer, content creator, or hybrid user who wants one powerful machine for everything and doesn't plan on opening the case again. It's a sealed, optimized system. But if you're a hardcore gamer who dreams of upgrading to a beefier GPU next year, or if you just can't live without RGB, look at the HP Omen 45L instead. This Dell is for getting work done.