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Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250): Two-minute review

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

The Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) is a hard computer to pin down just because its configurations vary so wildly. It’s almost like the Tower Plus is more of a concept than an actual model with the only thing really remaining the same are its most barebones aspects, such as its chassis and ports. There’s such variation in availability of CPUs, RAM, GPUs, and storage that you can configure this tower to be an efficient budget option or a robust gaming or creative content machine.

Despite the fact that you can end up on opposite sides of the desktop spectrum depending on the configuration you choose or customize, it has an argument for consideration among the best desktops. The flexibility in customization it offers is a point in its favor if you’re okay spending a little time picking out what exactly you need. But even if you get a lower-end build, it’s made to be expanded upon at a later date; so if you want to save up and get a discrete graphics card at a later date, you can.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

I also appreciate the amount of ports on offer, particularly accessible on the front. Really, there’s not much to dislike with the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250). Sure, the wired keyboard and mouse Dell included are not much more than functional. But they work well enough and I expect most people to probably want to upgrade to one of the best keyboards or mice anyway.

Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250): Price and availability

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• How much does it cost? Starting at $949.99 / £849.01 (about AU$1,460)
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

Since Dell is one of the biggest brands in the world, the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) is available just about everywhere. The only real issue to keep in mind is that, while those in the US and UK have access to the full gamut of customizations, potential users in Australia only have a list of about eight more premium (in price and components) configurations. That means no budget machines for Oceania, at least for this model.

As far as the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250)’s price, it’s all over the place since the customizations vary so wildly. The only consistent factor is that whatever configuration you get will be well-priced, if not quite a steal, for what you end up with. The cheapest configuration with an Intel Core Ultra 5 and integrated graphics has an MSRP of $949.99 / £849.01 (about AU$1,460), though it is discounted by $200 on Dell’s direct site at the time of writing (all the configurations are on the US site).

The maxed out configuration goes for $3,679.99 / £3,399.00 (about AU$5,630), but that gives you an Intel Core Ultra 9, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080, 64GB of RAM, and 4TB of SSD storage. Backing off on the RAM from 64 to 32GB and the SSD from 4TB to 1TB, both still more than enough for the vast majority of people, gets you a lot closer to $2,500.

The review configuration with its slightly weaker CPU and GPU (both the Intel Core Ultra 7 and RTX 5070 are still quite robust) gets you a surprisingly decent price tag of $1,899.99 / £1,899.00 / AU$3,399.00 for what’s still a fairly powerful gaming machine.

For comparison’s sake, let’s take a look at the NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition) I reviewed not too long ago. It comes with an Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF, RTX 5070, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB SSD. This lineup targets more dedicated gamers and is on offer for $1,999.99.

So, the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) is priced right, though it’s not quite a knockout in terms of value. That is, unless you get it at one of Dell’s regular discounts - in which case it becomes a very tempting deal.

• Value: 4 / 5

Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250): Specs

There are a lot of options to choose from with the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250). The CPU ranges from the Intel Core Ultra 5 255 10-core CPU to an Intel Core Ultra 285K 24-core option. The GPU offering is even wider as you can either stick with Intel integrated graphics or get a wide variety of Nvidia GeForce Now GPUs, starting with the RTX 3050 and 4060 Ti to just about every offering of the 5000 series except for the 5090 (the 5080 is the most premium option).

RAM ranges from 16 to 64GB, while the SSD goes from 512GB to 4TB in various configurations, such as getting two 1TB drives instead of one 2TB drive.

Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) base configuration

Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) review configuration

Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) max configuration

Price:

$949.99 / £849.01 (about AU$1,460)

$1,899.99 / £1,899.00 / AU$3,399.00

$3,679.99 / £3,399.00 (about AU$5,630)

CPU:

Intel Core Ultra 5 255

Intel Core Ultra 7 265K

Intel Core Ultra 9 285K

Graphics:

Intel UHD Graphics

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 (12GB)

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 (16GB)

RAM:

16GB DDR5

32GB DDR5

64GB DDR5

Storage:

512GB SSD

1TB SSD

4TB SSD

Ports:

Front Ports:

3x USB 3.2 Type-A Gen 1, USB 3.2 Type-C Gen 2, Headset jack, SD card slot

Rear Ports:

4x USB 2.0 Type-A, 2x USB 3.2 Type-A Gen 1, Thunderbolt 4 (includes 4K video output), HDMI (includes 4K video output), RJ45 Ethernet Port, 2.5GbE, 2x Stereo Audio (Line In / Line Out), S/PDIF Optical, Kensington lock slot

Front Ports:

3x USB 3.2 Type-A Gen 1, USB 3.2 Type-C Gen 2, Headset jack, SD card slot

Rear Ports:

4x USB 2.0 Type-A, 2x USB 3.2 Type-A Gen 1, Thunderbolt 4 (includes 4K video output), HDMI (includes 4K video output), RJ45 Ethernet Port, 2.5GbE, 2x Stereo Audio (Line In / Line Out), S/PDIF Optical, Kensington lock slot

Front Ports:

3x USB 3.2 Type-A Gen 1, USB 3.2 Type-C Gen 2, Headset jack, SD card slot

Rear Ports:

4x USB 2.0 Type-A, 2x USB 3.2 Type-A Gen 1, Thunderbolt 4 (includes 4K video output), HDMI (includes 4K video output), RJ45 Ethernet Port, 2.5GbE, 2x Stereo Audio (Line In / Line Out), S/PDIF Optical, Kensington lock slot

Wireless:

Wi-Fi 7 2x2 BE, Bluetooth

Wi-Fi 7 2x2 BE, Bluetooth

Wi-Fi 7 2x2 BE, Bluetooth

Weight:

Starting at 19.00 lb (8.62 kg)

Starting at 19.00 lb (8.62 kg)

Starting at 19.00 lb (8.62 kg)

Dimensions:

14.68 x 6.81 x 16.80 inches (372.90 x 173.00 x 426.90 mm)

14.68 x 6.81 x 16.80 inches (372.90 x 173.00 x 426.90 mm)

14.68 x 6.81 x 16.80 inches (372.90 x 173.00 x 426.90 mm)

You can also upgrade the power supply (and you might be limited in choice depending on the other components selected), which is strangely paired with colorway, though the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) only comes in platinum or graphite. You can also upgrade, for a fairly nominal fee ($29), to the wireless Dell Pro Keyboard and Mouse combo.

Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250): Design

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• Discreet office-style look
• Plenty of ports
• Future upgradeability is a big boon

Despite the fact that you can soup the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) into a gaming machine, it fits the aesthetic of an upscale office the same way that a Dell 14 Premium laptop does. It’s clean and minimalist looking with fairly neutral colors, either platinum or graphite (aka gray or black), and some well-placed venting to not only help with cooling efficiency but also keep it from looking too boring. It’s also just a bit on the smaller size for a regular ATX-style desktop tower.

Image 1 of 3

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)Image 2 of 3

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)Image 3 of 3

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

As far as ports go, the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) is fully stocked. There’s a plethora of USB ports as well as Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI (on top of the inputs on the graphics card), but more importantly, there are some easily accessible ones on the front including three USB, a USB-C, headphone hack, and a microSD card reader.

But none of that is unexpected. The one thing that the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) does that I only really see in gaming machines for enthusiasts is an eye toward expansion in its setup. Not only can you upgrade the RAM to hold up to two 32GB sticks of RAM, but there are two M.2 SSD slots along with two regular hard drive slots, as well as three PCIe slots for later additions or upgrades in the graphics card department.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250): Performance

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• It can be as powerful as you want it to be
• Review configuration is a powerhouse
• Can handle demanding gaming and editing tasks

It’s hard to really pin down the performance of the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) just because computers are rarely more than the sum of their parts. A computer with an Intel Core Ultra 7 265K CPU, 32GB or RAM, and a Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 GPU is going to perform similarly to any other computer with similar hardware.

Now, sometimes manufacturers do cut corners or have issues with cooling efficiency that can make a difference. The difference between the configuration I reviewed with those components I just mentioned and the most basic configuration is going to be night and day to the point of feeling like different computers (because they are).

Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250): Benchmarks

Here's how the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Fire Strike: 38910; Time Spy: 21176; Port Royal: 13981

GeekBench 6.4 2985 (single-core); 19181 (multi-core)

Handbrake 1.9.2: 2:06

CrossMark: Overall: 2230 Productivity: 2130 Creativity: 2426 Responsiveness: 1986

Cyberpunk 2077: 68.42 FPS (1080p), 19.43 FPS (4K), 73.20 FPS (Ultra, upscaling)

Monster Hunter Wilds: 81.57 FPS (1080p), 39.22 FPS (4K)

That basic build is great for anyone who wants a working desktop that they want to upgrade at a later time or just want something cost effective to get them online and doing regular productivity work. Keep in mind that the most affordable model runs on Ubuntu Linux, not Windows (but all other Dell Tower Plus configurations run Windows).

The model I reviewed ran like a gaming computer, however. In fact, it did very well even running beautifully with a 120Hz 4K monitor. I never had any performance issues; there was no stuttering or screen tearing when gaming, and no noticeable slowdown during any other kind of use.

The difference between my review model and a regular gaming computer is simply aesthetics. It was able to get over 80 FPS in 1080p and almost 40 FPS in 4K when running Monster Hunter Wilds, for instance.

And its results in Cyberpunk 2077, specifically its almost 70 FPS in 1080p and 20 FPS in 4K (not including DLSS upscaling) give a good idea of the RTX 5070’s limitations more than anything else. For powerful gaming performance, you’ll probably want the 5080.

If you’re looking for a desktop that can handle other demanding tasks, the Dell Tower Plus is capable of doing that as well. Its benchmark of 2:06 in Handbrake represents how quickly it can convert video, for instance. And any horsepower that can be used for gaming does well for 3D design and video editing as well.

Lastly, I want to mention that when I tried to push this computer, mostly by running demanding games, it still operated fairly quietly. That’s not always the case with powerful computers.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250)? Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) Scorecard

Category

Rating

Value

While the price tag can vary by the thousands, any configuration you get will be a good price if not quite a steal.

4 / 5

Design

On the outside, it looks like a nice office computer. On the inside, it has enough expandability for just about any need. The keyboard and mouse are a little basic, though.

4.5 / 5

Performance

The review configuration is a powerhouse and candle just about anything, especially at 1080p. Plus, it runs quietly.

4.5 / 5

Final score

Between its solid price tag, good performance, and extra expandability, this desktop is an easy recommendation.

4.5 / 5

Buy the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) if...

You want expandability without building your own PC

If you don’t want to build your PC, but want the expandability and future-proofing that most mass-produced desktops don’t have, then the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) might be the ideal computer for you.

You want something that looks discreet

Between its platinum and graphite colorways and more minimalist case, this computer doesn’t call too much attention to itself, making it an attractive addition for your office.

You need power

With the right configuration, you can get enough power to run just about anything one could want out of a consumer computer.

Don't buy it if...

You want something exciting

The Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) can do whatever you need it to depending on the configuration. Regardless of that, there’s really nothing sexy or exciting about this. There’s no glass panel, water cooling, RGB lighting, or interesting colorways.

You need something small

It might be smaller than other mid-size desktops, but the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) is still, as the name suggests, a tower PC. If you want something small, you can either get a laptop and connect it to a monitor or go with a small form factor computer.

Also consider

If our Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) review has you considering other options, here are two desktops to consider...

NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition)

The NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition) is very comparable when it comes to spec’s, but it has fans with backlighting (and you can always upgrade or add RGB) as well as a glass side panel for peaking inside. It is a tiny bit more and doesn’t come with a keyboard and mouse, but is a good option for gamers.

Read our full NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition) reviewView Deal

Apple Mac mini (M4, 2024)

If you want a desktop for the office and don’t need that gaming or video editing process, then there are some better and cheaper options, particularly if you don’t need to stick with Windows. The Apple Mac mini (M4, 2024) is powerful in its own right and starts at a price that’s lower than a mid-tier laptop, Mac or otherwise.

Read our full Apple Mac mini (M4, 2024) reviewView Deal

How I tested the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250)

• Tested for a couple weeks
• Used it for productivity, streaming, gaming
• Played with the included accessories

I used the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) for a couple weeks to get a feel for it. I did some productivity work including researching and typing up most of this article. I also did a bit of streaming and played some demanding games, all while using the included keyboard and mouse for the majority of the testing.

The Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) is interesting because it can be so many different things, like a budget productivity machine or a powerful gaming workhorse, that just happen to share the same basic building blocks and look. This computer seems to be ideal for someone who wants a discreet desktop, possibly for an office, that can be upgraded at a later date.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, where I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation.

• First reviewed October 2025

The Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) can be so many things, a budget productivity machine or gaming powerhouse, depending on the configuration. Regardless, it’s worth your attention.

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