Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF vs. Dell Tower Plus EBT2250
Comparison and Differences
Differences between Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF and Dell Tower Plus EBT2250
If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 which was released in 2025. The Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF is older and entered production in 2017.
If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 and will fit more easily under your desk.
Processor
Usually the newer the generation of the CPU, the better the performance and efficiency is. If your budget allows it, you should go with the Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.
Memory
The Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 has only 2 slot(s). This is not something to worry about. Just make sure you take it into consideration when planning how much RAM you are going to use.
The Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 is using the faster 5200 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2400 MT/s. In addition, you will be able to install the same amount of RAM in both models, and most probably 64 GB of RAM will be enough for most people. However, if you will be needing more RAM, make sure to check other desktop models too.
Ports
In total the Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF has 10 USB ports. The Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 is inferior in this regard and packs 4 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the Dell Tower Plus EBT2250, is that it has 1 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF has no such port, thus restricting your transfer speeds significantly. For people who want to use external drives on regular basis, this might be an issue.
Unfortunately, only the Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF has a DisplayPort. The Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.
In case your monitor supports HDMI only, you will be happy to hear that both models come with an HDMI port.
SATA slots are located on the motherboard and it is where SSD, HDD and Optical Disk Drives are connected. Each of the two models being compared have 3 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.
An M.2 SSD can be several times faster than a SATA one. Thus, we are happy to see that both models support the M.2 interface. However, the Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 has 1 M.2 slots while the Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF comes with just 1.
Make sure that the available M.2 slot supports the PCIe (also called NVMe) interface. This is important as there are M.2 slots which support only the inferior SATA III interface. For comparison, the SATA III interface has max speeds of 6Gb/s, while the PCIe 3.0 x4 will support speeds up to 32Gb/s!
Power Supply
Having a Power Supply Unit with high power rating is important, if you are going to use components which require extra power. The Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 has a more powerful one rated at 1000 Watts. Choosing either one depends on your specific requirements and use case. Also don't forget that some models might have more than one PSU option - try to always get the most powerful one, especially if you plan to upgrade to a powerful GPU.
Motherboard
