Dell Pro Slim QCS1250 desktop Core Ultra 5 235 16/512 GB Ubuntu

Slim is Dell's thin desktop chassis, sitting between the small Micro and a classic tower. The narrow black case fits on the desk beside the monitor or under the desk in a tight corner without getting in the way of your legs. The workspace stays tidy and is easier to clean, especially in an open-plan office with rows of identical desks. The manufacturer does not specify exact dimensions or weight.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 belongs to Intel's Core Ultra series, whose hybrid architecture pairs performance cores with efficiency cores. Background tasks run on the efficient cores while demanding work gets the performance cores, so the computer stays responsive even with a browser, a terminal, email and a video call open at once. There is no T in the model name, so this is the standard rather than the low-power version.

The 16 GB of DDR5 memory at 5600 MHz is fitted as a single module (1 × 16 GB). That is a sensible amount for office work, web applications and running several programs at once. The 512 GB SSD boots the system and launches programs in seconds and leaves room for plenty of documents, presentations and photos, so not everything has to move straight to a network drive or the cloud.

Graphics are handled by Intel integrated graphics built into the processor. There is no separate graphics card, which means lower power draw and less heat inside the case. Office, a web browser, video calls, video playback and light photo editing all run smoothly. For 3D modelling, rendering and demanding games, a computer with a dedicated graphics card is the right tool.

The computer runs Ubuntu, a widely used free Linux distribution. It suits developers, system administrators and organisations that work in a Linux environment or deploy their own system image to every machine. A Windows licence is not included: if you need Windows, the licence has to be obtained and the system installed separately. Software is installed and updated through the package manager, as is usual on Linux.

Offices and schools that run free software; developers and students who learn or work in Linux; organisations that deploy their own system image and have no use for preinstalled Windows; and service points and information desks where the computer has to be compact and dependable.