Upgrade Season: Seeking the Perfect Computer for Summer 2025

As I look forward to Summer 2025, it’s time for an upgrade. Over the years, I have owned more than ten computers, but my current setup—a Dell XPS 8700—has aged gracefully for the past 12 years. Specced with an Intel i7-4790 processor, 16GB of RAM, multiple hard drives ranging from 500MB to 8TB, and no SSD, it’s clear my aging system has seen better days. Currently running on Windows 10 Pro, I’ve hit a wall as I’m unable to upgrade to Windows 11.

My usage demands are high. As a professional translator, I juggle an impressive amount of multitasking: frequently running 12-15 applications simultaneously. My workspace typically includes 5 Word documents, 3-4 dictionary apps, 6-7 PDFs, and a variety of 7-10 open tabs in Firefox. Additionally, I have my email through Thunderbird constantly open, along with regular music streaming and frequent YouTube sessions. My work also involves using Photoshop for image editing and DaVinci Resolve for occasional video projects. It’s a lot of demand for an aging system, and its performance has begun to falter—crashes are more frequent, and Windows updates can take upwards of four hours to complete.

While I have always had a preference for Dell computers, I am open to exploring other brands that offer robust and durable machines. I have no interest in transitioning to a laptop; a desktop setup is more suitable for my workflow. Ideally, I am prepared to invest around $3,500 in a new system that can withstand my heavy usage for the next 7-10 years—unless, of course, Artificial Intelligence introduces some miraculous performance advancements in the near future!

Currently, I’m considering a setup similar to the Dell Pro Max Tower T2 Ultra 7, with specifications that include: