It's the end of an era. Dell Precision is no more.... Having introduced the first workstation in 1997, two years after the launch of SolidWorks, the Dell Precision brand went on to become synonymous with high performance PCs for use with professional applications such as CAD, Cam, and simulation. Dell surprised many by announcing that for 2025, this brand is being retired. And the change isn't just for workstations. It's part of an overall strategy to simplify that product range with well-known brands such as Inspiron, XPS and Latitude also being retired. Window will have just three main brands Dell, Dell Pro, and at the top of the range, Dell Pro Max, launched in spring 2025, is the new Dell Pro Max desktop range, which dell are referring to as high performance PCs rather than workstations. However, this doesn't change much for us. Professional applications like CAD will only be supported on the Dell Pro Max range. The main difference Dell want to convey is that those who want the best performance should choose Dell Pro Max, even if in the past they would not have bought a Dell Precision workstation, there should now be far less overlap and confusion between the three different brands. So on to the 2025 Dell Pro Max desktop range. For spring 2025, Dell have launched three new desktops. The Dell Pro Max micro, the Dell Pro Max slim, and the Dell Pro Max tower T2. The Pro Max micro replaces the Dell Precision 3280 compact form factor desktop. The Pro Max slim replaces the Dell Precision 3460 small form factor desktop. And the Dell Pro Max tablet two replaces the Dell Precision three 680 tower. So gone are the model numbers been replaced by a simpler naming scheme. But if you need to know the year of release, the seven digit part code on the system includes the year the system was first produced. So enough about the names. What about the systems? The Dell Pro Max micro offers a remarkable amount of power in a tiny form factor, which can be paired with an optional stand to mount behind a monitor or in a server rack for secure remote access. In terms of specs, these new desktops feature the new Intel Ultra 200 series CPU range. And with these new, more efficient CPUs, the small form factor is even more attractive, with these able to run up to 85W in the Dell Pro Max micro. There is also room for small form factor versions of in videos. Professional graphics range up to the RTX 4000 Ada generation, running at 75W. Added to this is support for up to 64GB of workstation grade error correction code Ram for increased stability and dual SSD drives for up to eight terabytes of SSD storage. It also still manages plenty of ports with audio, USB, and usb-C on the front and a further USB and network port at the rear, where it also connects to an external 280 watt power supply. One thing to note is, while there are two DisplayPort connect to the top, we advise connecting your monitors to the dedicated and video graphics card using mini DisplayPort adapters to the full size connector. A bundled in with the system Moving up the range to the Dell Pro Max slim, the middle ground option has improved cooling for 2025. Now supporting 125 watt CPUs from the Intel Ultra range and the same Nvidia RTX professional small form factor cards as the Dell Pro Max micro. The Dell Pro Max slim also supports up to 128GB of ECC Ram, double its predecessor and the Micro Desktop, plus up to three solid state drives for up to 12TB of storage. The main other differences are support for optical drive and SSD card readers at the front. Finally, at the top of the range is the Dell Pro Max tower T2. Its predecessor, the Dell Precision three 680, was our pick of the Dell range for most engineering users. And the Dell Pro Max tower T2 keeps the ideal blend of single multi-threaded CPU performance along with support for the entire range of Nvidia's professional graphics, making it a very scalable solution. The chassis has grown slightly in all directions now, with a 32 liter versus 27 liter in the previous generation, allowing support for more powerful components. Connectivity remains excellent with audio, USB, A and C, and options for an optical drive and a lockable 3.5in storage bay at the front. At the rear, we have four more Usb-a ports, one Thunderbolt four and one regular usb-C with a one gigabit network port. And as with all of Dell's Pro Max range, there is an option for an additional pull, such as a five gigabit network port, more USBs, or even a figure connector. While there are two DisplayPort connectors at the top, we advise connecting your monitors to the dedicated graphics card at the bottom of the system. The Intel Ultra 200 series CPU in this model can run at sustained power limits of 250W. This is more than double any others in the range, and the larger chassis supports graphics cards with power limits of up to 600W. A key feature to allow this is the air shroud to channel air from the intake at the top of the system, across the large air cooler, before being exhausted at the rear of the system. This also means that hot air from the graphics card does not mix with that of the CPU, allowing each to perform optimally. To sum up, the Dell Pro Max Micro and Slim offer a lot of performance and a smaller form factor, with the micro desktop being particularly versatile for space constrained areas and remote access purposes. And while you may still see some Dell Precision workstations until they're replaced, make sure to check with us on the most suitable option for you, as it is quite possible to spend 2 to 3 times the cost of the Dell Pro Max tower T2 and get worse performance for your application. The Dell Pro Max Tower T2 offers the best blend of CPU and Nvidia professional graphics support. The Intel Ultra CPUs have the highest single threaded performance for CAD, along with up to 24 cores running sustained power limits of 250W, for more multi-threaded tasks such as cam and simulation.