Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Dell PowerEdge R-Series vs Lenovo Edge Servers comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 26, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Dell PowerEdge R-Series
Ranking in Rack Servers
1st
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
228
Ranking in other categories
Converged Infrastructure (4th), Data Center Networking (2nd), Blade Servers (5th)
Lenovo Edge Servers
Ranking in Rack Servers
10th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Rack Servers category, the mindshare of Dell PowerEdge R-Series is 27.4%, down from 28.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Lenovo Edge Servers is 1.0%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rack Servers Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Dell PowerEdge R-Series27.4%
Lenovo Edge Servers1.0%
Other71.6%
Rack Servers
 

Featured Reviews

Ravi Ramananda - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers unmatched security, stability, and uptime
Based on my experience, one area where Dell could improve the PowerEdge R-Series servers is in the disk bus controllers. There is a need for advancements in this area from a hardware perspective. While PowerEdge has several AI-enabled models and is making strides in technology, I believe that the hard disk controllers need to be more effective compared to competitors like Lenovo and HPE. Currently, even when using SSDs or SaaS disk models in my Dell PowerEdge R-Series servers, the throughput is roughly 10%-15% lower compared to similar offerings from HPE and Lenovo. While this doesn't have a major impact on my business, it is worth noting since Dell has a strong position in Gartner ratings. Overall, the hardware quality is good, but I frequently encounter errors that are not hardware-related; they're mainly cyclic errors where the server struggles to process data as quickly as other manufacturers' controllers. Despite this, I am completely satisfied with the functionality of the Dell PowerEdge R-Series. Flexibility is a debatable topic, and I would rate it about a six out of ten. When it comes to flexibility, we do need to account for downtime if we want to extend or make changes. There are very few hot-pluggable devices in Dell servers compared to others, making online plug-and-play opportunities limited. So, I would rate flexibility as a six rather than a five.
Hawi Nadew - PeerSpot reviewer
A budget-friendly tool that offers good stability
I don't have much to comment on what requires improvement in the product because my company is more engaged with Dell's servers than Lenovo's ones. I'm not that much familiar with Lenovo. My company has seen that the servers from Lenovo offer good performance and high scalability, so I don't see any scope for improvement in the solution. With Lenovo, when it comes to its HCI-related part, which includes ThinkAgile, users may face issues as VMware licenses are not linked with ThinkAgile. With ThinkAgile in the picture, there are two different vendors, Lenovo and VMware. Suppose VMware and Lenovo come together, then they produce a common product. In the case of the servers under Lenovo, the virtualization software is again both from VMware and Dell, and the licenses are deployed on the server. Different vendors manage the servers from Lenovo that fall under ThinkAgile and VMware, so if there is a way that allows Lenovo and VMware to produce a system together like ThinKAgile, then it would be a good improvement.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The initial setup is pretty straightforward."
"The use of OpenManage Console reduces the time it takes to manage PowerEdge Rack Servers in terms of updates and maintenance."
"The product is reliable."
"Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers scale with the growing needs of my company."
"Dell's professional services as great, as they're very helpful and also do cross-training with us."
"Dell PowerEdge R-Series has given us a stable platform to build on, which is significant for us because we do high-frequency trading, so stability and performance are crucial."
"They have superior customer support compared to Supermicro, which does not cater to enterprise-level needs."
"I find great value in Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, particularly in their excellent serviceability."
"I like Lenovo's XClarity Controller, and the ability to control and deploy Edge Servers through this XClarity interface."
"It is a stable solution. The product doesn't have any problems when it comes to stability."
 

Cons

"Considering from a hardware perspective, some areas of concern were network cards on the models we had in our organization, which were fairly inaccessible, so we had to remove the whole motherboard and, basically, the whole system to get rid of or swap a network card."
"There is potential for enhancement in terms of its overall upgradeability."
"I do not have any input. My servers are quite old. Newer systems are more sustainable in terms of energy consumption. I need to consider more power-saving and sustainable options."
"I do not have any input as such. There can be a bit more expansive AI portfolio, but I have not worked on any AI projects with Dell, so I might not be up to date in knowledge."
"Dell's support is an area that needs improvement as their product reliability is good, but the support is not as strong as HP's."
"In terms of energy use, it takes up a lot."
"My biggest grievance is related to getting a caddy. We have decommissioned our old servers that we used for development or testing. You cannot buy hard drives for old servers from Dell. It is very annoying."
"Different types of applications that are now trendy in the market, like AI, are still big topics that are not mapped correctly in the server and storage environment. Knowing those kinds of activities and definitions will help us more to position these kinds of servers for the client."
"Airflow in the servers can be a problem. Sometimes we cannot add CPU to Edge Servers because there's not enough airflow in the appliance."
"With Lenovo, when it comes to its HCI-related part, which includes ThinkAgile, users may face issues as VMware licenses are not linked with ThinkAgile."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is good for the quality of the Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers."
"Dell is somewhat more expensive than HPE."
"The pricing is good compared to other products."
"Regarding the pricing, it seems fair."
"Dell is priced better than alternative solutions."
"When you compare public cloud solutions to PowerEdge in terms of cost, initially the cost of Dell servers or Dell technology was really high. However, right now it's on par or, maybe, even cheaper when we use Dell hardware. If we don't swap it out in three years and if we stretch it to four or five years, then we can get even more of an ROI versus cloud cost."
"We have not compared them with others. The price is okay, but they can always be a little bit cheaper."
"The licensing is expensive and inflexible."
"The solution is available to users at a low price."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Rack Servers solutions are best for your needs.
869,785 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
21%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
6%
University
6%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business79
Midsize Enterprise52
Large Enterprise95
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

When shopping for a rack server, would you go with Dell EMC Poweredge or Lenovo Thinksystem?
Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether the Dell EMC Poweredge or Lenovo Thinksystem rack servers were the better fit for us. We ultimately decided to go with Dell EMC Poweredge....
What do you like most about Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers?
It has helped us reduce unplanned downtime by 20% to 30%.
What needs improvement with Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers?
For the most part, there’s no need for improvement in areas like manageability and security; they’ve covered those quite well. The storage controllers are also very well designed, and the support f...
What do you like most about Lenovo Edge Servers?
It is a stable solution. The product doesn't have any problems when it comes to stability.
What needs improvement with Lenovo Edge Servers?
I don't have much to comment on what requires improvement in the product because my company is more engaged with Dell's servers than Lenovo's ones. I'm not that much familiar with Lenovo. My compan...
 

Also Known As

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers
ThinkSystem Edge Servers, ThinkSystem SE Series, Lenovo SE Series, Lenovo ThinkSystem Edge Servers
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

NxtGen Datacenter, Medien-Service Untermain (MSU), Exasol, IndigoVision, Dayco
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell PowerEdge R-Series vs. Lenovo Edge Servers and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
869,785 professionals have used our research since 2012.