Dell Pro Precision 9 T4 Review: 86 Xeon Cores and Two RTX PRO 6000 GPUs for Models Too Big for One Card - StorageReview.com

The Dell Pro Precision 9 T4 represents the pinnacle of single-socket tower workstations, designed for organizations requiring maximum compute density and expandability. Our review unit pairs Intel's 86-core Xeon 698X with 256GB of DDR5-6400 ECC memory, two 300W NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q cards (each with 96GB of GDDR7), two 2TB Gen5 SSDs, and a dual-port 25GbE adapter, all powered by a 2400W supply. This configuration lists at about $66,600 on Dell.com.

The standout feature is the dual GPU setup, which enables models too large for a single card to run efficiently. When testing MiniMax M2.7 at 129.3GB, splitting the model across both RTX PRO 6000 cards generated 83.7 tokens per second for one user—2.8 times the 30.3 tokens per second achieved with one card and the rest of the model in system memory.

Performance Advantages

The second GPU significantly improved performance across various AI workloads. It scaled serving by 1.85 to 2.02 times and embedding by 1.92 times compared to a single GPU. Peak llama.cpp output rose from 582.5 to 1,176.1 tokens per second on Ministral 3 3B and from 424.8 to 787.9 on gpt-oss 120B with one server per GPU. Embedding one million Wikipedia passages dropped from 890 to 464 seconds, and a LoRA epoch was reduced by 37 percent.

Memory bandwidth is where the T4's Xeon processor excels, reaching 328GB/s in STREAM Triad tests—53 percent above the Threadripper PRO 9995WX in the Precision 7875. The T4 also completed the OpenFOAM drivAer solve in 293 seconds (compared to 556) and a 10-billion-digit y-cruncher run in 53.9 seconds (against 83.7).

Design and Build

The T4 is a full tower measuring 449.8mm tall, 203.7mm wide, and 617.5mm deep, weighing between 24.1kg and 33.6kg depending on configuration. Serviceability is a strong point, featuring tool-less entry through a side panel latch and a 2400W power supply that slides out by hand. Dell's blue touch points mark components that can be removed without tools, making field repairs easier for this premium workstation.

Cooling represents Dell's best execution in this class, with separate air streams for the processor/memory and GPU areas. The chassis includes six full-height PCIe slots (two Gen5 x16 for GPUs), three internal M.2 Gen5 slots, one Gen4 slot, and various storage bays. The front panel offers multiple USB ports including 10Gbps and 20Gbps options, while the rear adds 25GbE networking capabilities.

Positioning and Value

Dell positions the T4 above the Pro Precision 9 T2 in its lineup, targeting AI development, engineering simulation, and scientific computing. The base configuration starts at $5,925, with our premium configuration adding $8,300 for the Xeon 698X, $15,000 for the 256GB of memory, and $30,820 for the pair of RTX PRO 6000 Max-Q cards before storage and networking.

While the Precision 7875 with Threadripper PRO 9995WX leads on core-bound CPU work—37 percent ahead in 7-Zip and 30 percent in Blender Monster—the T4's dual-GPU setup makes it superior for AI workloads requiring more memory. The workstation also includes security features like TPM 2.0, Dell SafeBIOS, and Intel vPro Enterprise, with up to 85 percent recycled plastic in key components.