Dell PowerEdge R-Series Reviews and Pricing

reviewer2380608

Solutions Architect at a tech vendor with 201-500 employees

May 20, 2024

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Our strong relationship with Dell helps in providing an effective and timely service

Pros and Cons

"The Dell name holds a lot of weight on our position as a partner of Dell's when it comes to liquid cooling the systems. We have a great relationship with Dell, so we are able to exchange information very easily to be able to build these systems for our customers."

What is our primary use case?

My focus is liquid cooling. We are taking the air-cooled PowerEdge systems and converting them to liquid cooling. That usually involves replacing and doing material compatibility, adjusting the thermal interface materials inside the systems, and adjusting the heat sinks. We turn off the fans and adjust the BIOS systems in some of the subsystems, such as PSUs.

This allows the server that has been designed for air cooling to be submerged in dielectric fluid so that it can now be cooled with dielectric fluid running through the systems. Because of the fact that it is submerged, all the subsystems are being cooled, but instead of air, it is done by fluid. It is far more effective at pulling heat out of the systems, taking that heat out of the unit, and then being able to use that heat for other purposes.

For the larger PowerEdge systems that have GPU integrations in them, we have seen a lot of trends in building those for AI systems. We have seen a generated interest in the PowerEdge system across the board for a majority of industries.

How has it helped my organization?

I am quite new to the company, but I see that customers keep asking for these servers. From our side, because of our relationship with Dell, we can take a server and convert it to liquid far quicker than with other partners. That has been a big advantage. The PowerEdge system is good in many aspects. Many times customers just want to deploy these systems, especially given the acceleration that we have seen in the AI industry. People just want to be able to get their systems up and running as quickly as possible, so sometimes, there is an advantage to the lead time of getting these things converted. We have been able to do that quicker through Dell than with other IT vendors. We have relationships with HPE as well as with Lenovo. We are dynamic. We are not tied to any particular vendor, and we can work with all customers to deploy different systems inside their environment for liquid cooling.

From our side, there is always a little bit of a challenge with the footprint. I am in an area where we are submerging these devices in tanks. We are in a situation where some of the server designs are a little bit deep. For example, PowerEdge R760xa has a slightly extended depth. It is not as long as PowerEdge XE9680, but PowerEdge R760xa is a beast in itself. It is influencing the infrastructure designers to change their footprint so that they can incorporate something like this in their AI systems. That is very impressive. This is the thing that so many people are talking about at the moment. We see a lot of potential in a device like this because of the fact that you can load H100 or H200 GPUs with NVLink. It is a complete system for AI training models.

We have our own challenges with firmware, but that is only because we sometimes have to adjust the firmware of things like PSUs. With the firmware that they have by default, there is a fan running inside that. When we run fluid through, we want to adjust the firmware so that the fan is turned off. We usually have to adjust the firmware to a very high version because we do not want someone updating the firmware to the new standard. That is because the moment they do that, the fans will start running again, and all the alarms are going to go off because a bunch of fluids are running through the systems. So, we have our own firmware challenges to work with, but Dell is strong in being able to help us with that information and get the firmware so that we can adjust it. It is not just one vendor who provides the PSUs, and firmware adjustments are far more successful than having to emulate the PSUs, which is something some people have done in the past, but they led to some failures inside the PSUs when they try to convert to liquid cooling.

In terms of energy consumption, because I am on the liquid cooling side of things, we turn the fans off. If we can get a PowerEdge system and convert it to liquid cooling, we can reduce the power consumption of that server by up to 40%. In data center environments, energy consumption is becoming an important ratio to measure when people are building up these large data centers around the world. Currently, in an air-cool system, power usage effectiveness (PUE) is 2.0 or 1.5. When you start to liquidate all these, that dramatically drops to 1.2 or 1 PUE. You can even get less than 1 PUE if you effectively reuse the heat. So, you get more environment-friendly servers. If you are reducing carbon emissions and your power consumption by 20% or 30%, that is incredibly attractive when you are trying to build out new systems. Not only that, with air-cool, to maintain strong air conditioning to keep these things cool, especially something like PowerEdge XE9680, air conditioning has to use up a lot of water, whereas, with immersion, you do not have to use up that water. You are using incredibly small amounts of water to cool. It is even zero in many cases. So, liquid cooling has a huge amount of environmentally friendly advantages, and the fact that we are able to do quite a lot of liquid cooling PowerEdge systems in turn makes PowerEdge a more environmentally friendly option.

Because we are able to change the standard with cooling, it gets purchased in positions where we can run the GPUs at their maximum performance. In fluid systems that we have tested using things like PowerEdge XE9680, we are able to achieve maximum frequency and maximum performance.

What is most valuable?

The Dell name holds a lot of weight on our position as a partner of Dell's when it comes to liquid cooling the systems. We have a great relationship with Dell, so we are able to exchange information very easily to be able to build these systems for our customers. When it comes to converting one of these to liquid cooling, we need to know a lot of information about the sub-components, the vendors, and the firmware inside PSUs. Without a strong relationship with our IT partner Dell, we would not be able to do that effectively and quickly to meet the lead times of our customers.

Dell PowerEdge systems are very strong or well-rounded systems. A lot of people like the 4th and 5th generation Xeon that has been implemented into PowerEdge. Xeon has a good advantage when it comes to the inputting element of AI systems, and, of course, Intel also has a good name. However, from our position, as a partner and as a systems integrator, the real strength is the relationship that we have with Dell and being able to exchange that information.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been a part of my current organization for a few months. I started at the end of last year. I have been acclimatizing to the PowerEdge systems.

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In the metrics that I have worked with, they have been very stable and reliable so far. We have not had cases where we have to go in and do maintenance work on our side of things. Usually, any issues that they have had from a liquid cooling side of things have mostly been down to people not doing the proper practice when it comes to installation.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

A lot of the time, we deal with customers who already have a pre-existing architecture. They perhaps have Cisco systems or HPE systems in their infrastructure. The challenge is to convert them to a new unit. The data center's presentation is such a big element of design. It is good if they stick with the same vendor and have the same relationship, but it is sometimes challenging to have someone change their traditional air-cooled infrastructure systems with the ones from Dell.

How was the initial setup?

I have not heard anything negative about its deployment.

What other advice do I have?

To those who are thinking about liquid cooling, I would strongly recommend it, especially in the EU. It is an environmentally friendly option. It is important to make sure that you have an integrator who understands liquid cooling to a strong degree. It is not something that you can just convert by yourself in the data center. It is something that needs to be done in a lab environment, and it needs to be supported going forward by someone who understands liquid cooling. You need a liquid cooling specialist who is able to assist with that, as well as being able to assist on the services and support side from Dell. We work fluently with Dell in those situations. We found that once the liquid cooling starts running in these systems, if there is going to be a problem, it would have happened in the first few weeks. It is usually down to installation practices, not the systems themselves.

I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers a nine out of ten. It is a very strong solution.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner

Gerard Gerritsen

Owner at WijZijnDe.IT

Feb 19, 2024

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Good pricing, reliable, and makes it easy to replace parts

Pros and Cons

"The reliability combined with management is what we like. The price is good too."

"It could be an option to remove discs and just have a virtual option. If you remove the room you need for discs, you could make it smaller. It would take up less room that way."

What is our primary use case?

Currently, it's mostly used for VMware-based virtual machines. That's the main use case. 90% of this product is used for VMware.

What is most valuable?

The servers just work. They don't let us down. We like the reliability combined with management. The price is good too.

If you have to replace parts, Dell was one of the first companies to make a system where you could click out one thing and just plug in another one. HP and IBM did not allow for that. You always needed to use a screwdriver. And I wasn't allowed to have one. With Dell, on the servers, you always had the option to swap out boards very easily, and that was great. Now, other companies do that, too. However, Dell was one of the first to offer that option.

In terms of energy consumption, it depends. If there are a lot of calculations, then you use a lot of power. If you need less, then you use less power. When we deliver it to customers, the power used is based on their power consumption. I'm not selecting servers based on power consumption. I base the choice on procedures and quality.

It's able to handle the evolving needs of high-performance workloads. We don't have any issues with it. If you make a good design and select the right sizing, you don't have any issues.

What needs improvement?

You select the server based on the product. It could be an option to remove discs and just have a virtual option. If you remove the room you need for discs, you could make it smaller. It would take up less room that way.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution since 1999. It's been about 24 years.

How are customer service and support?

Dell's support is very good. They are changing some things within the organization. I have my doubts that where they are going is the way to go. However, the Dell Server side in terms of customer support, is still very good.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We only use Dell PowerEdge. We've seen some HP servers in the field. However, we have only used Dell for 20 years. It's always working, and it's always good service. The price is good too.

How was the initial setup?

The deployment is easy. A basic installation might take 15 to 20 minutes.

What other advice do I have?

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

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Philippe Bonnemayre

Systems Engineer at BnF

Feb 7, 2024

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Offers remote management and makes administration easy with workload and consumption indicators

Pros and Cons

"These web servers were easily manageable from as early as 2003. We have a very large building, and it was possible to manage them remotely in a simple way from as early as 2003."

"All of the marketing terminologies from Dell are very complicated as they have names that sometimes involve the same technology."

What is our primary use case?

We use them for everything—from infrastructure services to virtualization, as well as storage.

By implementing these servers, we wanted to meet our needs regarding office automation. I work for a national library, so it was essentially about being able to distribute digital books and being able to create applications and a digital library.

How has it helped my organization?

At the time, they were the only ones to offer a remote management system, and that is a very important feature for us, especially bearing in mind that we have only two people for hundreds of servers. It is indeed very important.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have the PowerEdge Cyber Resilient Architecture approach to security, but I do not believe in that. We put the security in place well in advance and early on the servers as well as the networks in order to filter everything, so we have minimal exposure to the servers. Once it is on the servers, it is too late. They must be stopped well in advance.

In terms of energy consumption, it depends on what you are doing with the machine. If it is to manage AIs or other similar things, they consume far too much energy. If it is for the purpose of heritage conservation, then it is consuming what it needs to. It depends on what you are using it for. If you leave the light on in a room and everyone has their eyes closed and nobody is doing anything, then it is excess energy consumption. Even if it is barely a fraction of any watt being used, it is already too much. However, if it is for reading and learning about things, it can be justified. The justification does not take place at the server level but at the level of how we use that server. Certain servers are very energy-consuming because there are certain projects that have no purpose at all, and there are projects, such as the digital library, that are very useful, and I do not find them very energy-consuming.

They have very good indicators on them that allow us to follow the workloads as well as consumptions. That is very good. One good thing about those servers is that we are remotely warned. There is a follow-up, and the administration is much easier for us.

In terms of their impact on our sustainability goals, we do not have much money in the public sector, so we make them last for a very long time. I have some servers that are more than ten years old, so the maintenance or support no longer exists for those models. This equipment is well-manufactured and reliable, and it works very well.

For the last 20 years, there have been far fewer breakdowns. The servers function much better and the OS too. For sure, we are getting a much better quality product than we used to about 20 or 25 years ago. That is for sure. The machines no longer stop. We now only stop them for some safety updates or something similar, but that is it.

The OpenManage console does allow us to combine everything, but we had that system well before it was a VM. At the time, it was still an application.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have affected the overall flexibility of our operations. The fact that they are easily manageable is an essential aspect.

What is most valuable?

These web servers were easily manageable from as early as 2003. We have a very large building, and it was possible to manage them remotely in a simple way from as early as 2003.

What needs improvement?

All of the marketing terminologies from Dell are very complicated as they have names that sometimes involve the same technology. It is something very complex for me as well as for many people who are not that familiar with Dell’s catalog. Apart from that, from a technical aspect, Dell is following the technical progression of the motherboards and processors from other manufacturers, and as a result, they are always up to date.

Their price could be better.

For how long have I used the solution?

The first one was in 2003, so we have been using them for about 20 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

They are very stable. They last a very long time.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We never make any changes. We buy the equipment. Sometimes, we even buy a lot of identical equipment, and according to the lifespan, we add server disks from an obsolete server to make another server more powerful. That is the only thing that we do. We do not make any changes to processors or anything else. We buy the servers based on necessity.

How are customer service and support?

Their support is always very good. It is always a ten out of ten. They have very competent people. There is no need to negotiate something or explain it ten times when a server strip is faulty and needs to be returned. There is no problem regarding this, and it is very good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have some Lenovo servers, and we have some HPE servers. Dell does not always offer the best prices, and the competitors are also offering products at a good price. That is what the competitive game is about, and sometimes, it is the competitor who wins.

How was the initial setup?

I was involved in the initial setup. It is extremely simple.

In terms of the implementation strategy, we had two delivered. We watched how they were cabled up, how they were built up, and we put the others. We had ordered together with a guide, and there were no problems.

What about the implementation team?

We did the implementation with a guide. We always do this, but while telling him what to do. We made our own terms and conditions. We were the ones in charge.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Dell’s licensing is perfect. In comparison to the competitors, it is perfect. It is simple and well done. It is working for us.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers a ten out of ten. Out of all the brands that I know, they are the best together with HPE, but there is something that I do not like about HPE, and that is the licensing. I find their licensing absolutely unbearable.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

Stefan Hermes

Director/technischner it- leiter at Wagner it-consulting

Feb 4, 2024

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Offers good performance, expansive connectivity, and seamless integration

Pros and Cons

"The core strength of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers lies in their expansive connectivity and seamless integration with other offerings within the Dell product ecosystem."

"In older models, for instance, Melanox adapters remain a necessity, and they have sporadically caused complications."

What is our primary use case?

We build cloud stacks on our Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers.

In order to achieve a greater degree of autonomy and self-sufficiency in our IT infrastructure, we opted to embark on the implementation of private cloud solutions. This strategic decision led us to adopt Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers as the foundation of our private cloud environment, thereby mitigating our previous over-reliance on publicly accessible cloud services.

How has it helped my organization?

Our procurement of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers was conducted through Dell itself, acting in its capacity as a service provider. This decision was influenced, to a certain extent, by the inherent proclivity towards recommending Dell products within the Dell ecosystem. Ultimately, the design we adopted adhered to the standardized guidelines established by Dell, ensuring seamless integration and compatibility within our existing infrastructure.

Given our tendency towards aggregated configurations, we are fortunate to be largely immune to periods of inactivity. However, it's important to note that this high uptime is not solely attributable to the physical infrastructure. From a hardware perspective, I can confidently report an absence of recurring malfunctions across all functional domains. This testifies to the remarkable stability exhibited by the PowerEdge Rack Servers.

The OpenManage console is an inescapably necessary tool for large-scale environments. It provides all the capabilities it's intended to, like seamlessly applying firmware updates through OME and handling other tasks with ease. It consistently functions exceptionally well, and I sincerely hope it continues to do so in the future. Frankly, the thought of meandering through the data center and manually adjusting everything is enough to make anyone shudder. Thankfully, OpenManage has been a true game-changer in that regard. It's quantifiably increased the productivity of our IT staff by eliminating the need for tedious manual processes.

What is most valuable?

The core strength of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers lies in their expansive connectivity and seamless integration with other offerings within the Dell product ecosystem. This synergistic relationship is exemplified by the successful interoperability between PowerEdge servers and backup solutions like Data Domain or PowerScale, further enhanced by the native integration of S3 functionality within the German market. This well-orchestrated interplay of components fosters an exceptionally efficient and cohesive IT environment.

What needs improvement?

I would advocate for Dell to incorporate by default a greater number of network interface cards that boast enhanced network connectivity within their PowerEdge Rack Servers. In older models, for instance, Melanox adapters remain a necessity, and they have sporadically caused complications. It would be fantastic if Dell could incorporate them by default, precluding the requirement for supplementary adapters.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have no complaints about the stability of our Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. They perform well, are powerful, and experience few failures.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Dell PowerEdge rack servers offer easy scalability, as evidenced by our continued expansion.

How are customer service and support?

I've been consistently struck by the profound depth of knowledge exhibited by both the general representatives and the specialized cohorts within Dell's technical support team. Their remarkable facility for resolving any issue I presented with impressive celerity truly showcased their exceptional level of operational effectiveness.

Of course, unforeseen predicaments occasionally arise, but the team always responds with remarkable adaptability and graciousness. While some processes may necessitate a protracted timeframe for completion, I believe this stems more from the underlying organizational structure than any individual shortcomings. The on-site personnel were consistently exceedingly capable and demonstrably swift in their actions.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

In a previous engagement, I had the opportunity to collaborate with a client whose IT infrastructure was predominantly comprised of Fujitsu servers. However, our current clients have already established a longstanding partnership with Dell for their hardware requirements.

How was the initial setup?

We meticulously constructed the comprehensive foundation for a cloud service, laying each digital brick-and-mortar. Although the initial deployment presented a labyrinthine challenge, we were able to navigate its intricacies with measured steps. As anyone who has embarked on such an endeavor knows, erecting a full-fledged infrastructure, be it geographically dispersed for enhanced resilience or traditionally redundant for local fault tolerance, is no simple feat. It demands constant vigilance and adept stewardship to ensure its smooth operation.

We constructed the comprehensive network infrastructure, weaving the intricate cabling throughout the designated pathways. With resolute focus, we configured and installed the potent server hardware, ensuring its seamless integration. And most notably, we adeptly orchestrated the deployment of the robust cloud stack, paving the way for unparalleled scalability and agility.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost structure associated with Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers aligns closely with the prevailing norms established within the information technology hardware sector. In other words, the prices for these servers are neither exceptionally expensive nor significantly cheaper than comparable offerings from other major manufacturers.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers a nine out of ten.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers demonstrably excel in fulfilling their designated function, even when configured in various arrangements. While it is certainly prudent to maintain vigilance regarding forthcoming advancements in the technological landscape, it is undeniable that these servers are already eminently well-matched to their intended applications.

The flexibility that customers experience comes primarily from the cloud stack we deploy on the servers.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

Wilfried Hotot

Administrateur system at Ministère

Jan 31, 2024

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Fast support, easy to use, and no heating or breakdown issues

Pros and Cons

"We used to have HPE. Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are much easier to use and manage."

"There can be more visibility on the equipment remotely."

What is our primary use case?

We use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for data systems and databases for the Ministry of Home Affairs.

By implementing Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, we essentially wanted speed. We wanted fairly fast response times.

How has it helped my organization?

We already had some rack servers, and we changed to Dell because of the market. With regard to the ministries in France, we are forced to follow the markets that are offered to us, but in this case, we did have a choice. We carried on and bought a dozen rack servers that we would be receiving soon. We have also ordered about 50 more on top of that.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have the PowerEdge Cyber Resilient Architecture approach to security, but we have our own system for protection from cyberattacks. We do not handle that kind of thing. The Ministry of Home Affairs does that, and they have their own defense system for that.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers do not heat up too much. We have had some big heatwaves this summer, and they came out perfect considering the heat. We have not had any problems. As far as their energy consumption is concerned, they are not very noisy, which means that they are ventilating well enough. We hardly hear them. They are very quiet. In this regard, there are no issues at all.

We are planning to keep them for an average of five or six years, but we know that we can keep them much longer because the new equipment is very tough. There are no breakdowns.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers never break down. As a result, we double save on everything such as the hard drives, power supplies, etc. Our services never stop because they work 24 hours a day. We never have any downtime. The servers are constantly running.

The OpenManage console has not affected our IT staff’s productivity.

What is most valuable?

We can set up the systems where we have disks as RAID, and then on other systems, we set up SSD M.2, which is only set up for the OS. This is great. It separates two systems very well, which is a very good thing.

We used to have HPE. Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are much easier to use and manage.

What needs improvement?

There can be more visibility on the equipment remotely. It will help us to provide a better response in case of a breakdown because we are not always monitoring them. It will enable us to be more reactive when there is a breakdown at the level of the ventilation disk or the temperature. We are currently using another software that connects us to the server. It is called Grafana. It allows us to be connected to the servers and gather information, but it is not always that straightforward to get these two connected.

It would be great to have one general console to manage all of the servers. I do not know if Dell has one, but there should be one general console to obtain the temperature or detect if a disk is malfunctioning. We should be able to get information about disks, extractor fans, and other things related to the equipment because we do not enter the bays all the time. A centralized system would mean greater visibility into the equipment and maybe the capability to manage several servers, just like a console.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for approximately one year.

How are customer service and support?

I would rate their support a ten out of ten. We used to be with Dell before, and the maintenance response for any breakdown was very fast. It was within 24 hours. We often used to receive the part the next day. If we had a breakdown one day, we had a new part to replace it the next day.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We were using HPE. We moved to Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers because of the speed. Apart from the operating speed, we get safeguarding on disks or magnetic tapes. Thanks to the Dell servers, we have gained 24 hours of backups.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

As compared to two years ago, the prices have increased at least by 2,500 euros per server.

We do not take any other licenses offered by Dell. We take what comes in the pack, but for the same configuration servers, we were at 5,500 euros before, and nowadays, it is about 9,000 euros or almost 10,000 euros per item. I know that everything has gotten more expensive, but it still is a very high price increase.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers a ten out of ten. They are very good as far as I am concerned. Personally, I have no negative feedback. They function really well, and they get the job done. We just need one console to be able to manage all of the different aspects of the equipment in case there is a breakdown. Apart from that, we have no issues. We started dealing with Dell again two years ago, and we have had no problems so far.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

Carlos Renedo

Coordinador de IT at Varian Medical Systems, Inc.

Jan 31, 2024

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Reliable servers for secure and scalable infrastructure

Pros and Cons

"The reliability and the execution of the necessary assignments are valuable."

"I would like them to be more flexible when implementing more capabilities."

What is our primary use case?

The use cases are related to Medical Oncology, everything that has to do with radiotherapy.

By implementing Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, I wanted a platform with good reliability, good work, and good service.

How has it helped my organization?

It gives us reliability for our applications. It offers us a secure and scalable infrastructure, which has become essential to virtualize our workloads.

The PowerEdge Cyber Resilient Architecture approach to security is very good. I see much more interest from Dell in providing security that reflects our requirements. Because of better monitoring capabilities, it eliminates dependence on third-party certification authorities.

In terms of energy consumption, I would rate it an eight out of ten. They continually add more and more features to improve power consumption. In all the years as a Dell PowerEdge user, I have seen an improvement in their power delivery and consumption.

The impact of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers has been very high on our organization’s sustainability goals. In our company, we need a platform with high scalability and the capability to handle high workload. With the reliability of the platform, we feel free to be able to deal with other issues.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have clearly reduced unplanned production downtime, but I cannot exactly say how much.

The OpenManage console has affected the level of productivity of the IT team. In terms of system repair, they receive fewer demands, which makes them meet more goals than before.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have affected the overall flexibility of our operations or business. The better performance the servers have, the better the applications will work, which consequently leads to better performance for Dell as well as for the company that uses its services.

What is most valuable?

The reliability and the execution of the necessary assignments are valuable.

What needs improvement?

I would like them to be more flexible when implementing more capabilities.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for 15 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is very good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is very good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We used HP 15 years ago. We switched because of the decision at the company management level.

How was the initial setup?

The implementation was very simple.

They are currently deployed on-premises, with the possibility of a private cloud. We use Microsoft Azure. They are implemented at several locations. In the Galicia community, we have an implementation of PowerEdge with VxRail as well.

What about the implementation team?

We had project managers from our company and from Dell.

What was our ROI?

The biggest ROI is reliability. These servers never fail, and the performance of these servers is great. They are stable 99% of the time and do not show any signs of failure.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

They are good and reflect the prices on the market. We always wish they were lower, but they are good.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

At that time, we evaluated IBM and FUJITSU. In general, Rack Servers offer us much more reliability.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

Emile Maas

IT Manager at Teledyne Technologies Incorporated

Jan 1, 2024

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The performance now is exceptional and has surpassed our previous setup

Pros and Cons

"The newer servers are more energy-efficient compared to older ones."

"There is a suggestion to potentially revisit pricing."

What is our primary use case?

We use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers across our organization for diverse needs. Some handle essential services like DHCP and DNS, while others support websites and applications. Additionally, we use them for storage and computational power, adapting to the unique requirements of each site efficiently.

How has it helped my organization?

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have significantly improved our organization, especially for simulation work.

The switch to SSDs has made a tremendous difference, reducing simulation times from a day to just an hour. This boost in performance has translated into cost savings, allowing us to accomplish more in less time.

The impact of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers on our organization's sustainability goals has been significant. Although we are a large company and often maximize hardware life, investing in newer, more energy-efficient systems has proven worthwhile.

With energy pricing in leased buildings and considering the collective impact of servers, desktops, and screens, the upgrade has made a substantial positive difference both economically and environmentally.

Additionally, switching to Dell VSAN SSD storage has significantly boosted our server performance, especially for high-performance workloads. The transition from external storage with a different supplier to Dell storage took some time to adapt, but the results have been impressive. The performance now is exceptional and has surpassed our previous setup.

What is most valuable?

What I find valuable about Dell is that the newer servers are more energy-efficient compared to older ones, aligning with the need to consider power consumption.

What needs improvement?

We are generally very satisfied with Dell, but there is a suggestion to potentially revisit pricing, although this is a common consideration with most products.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have been incredibly reliable, minimizing unplanned production downtime. Over the past 11 years, I have experienced very few issues, such as only one failed hard drive. The servers have been stable, even during moves and power cycles, consistently performing well.

How are customer service and support?

Tech support for Dell PowerEdge has been excellent. I have had the same account manager for about two and a half to three years, and she has been awesome. Whenever there is a project or need for assistance, they provide valuable support, creating a collaborative and effective environment for problem-solving.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I find Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers valuable for our company's needs. While we have used HP systems before, we switched back to Dell due to their better service and more familiar hardware. The way Dell products work aligns well with our preferences, making them a more pleasant choice for our business.

How was the initial setup?

The deployment time for Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers depends on the project. For longer planning phases, it can take up to three years, while in more straightforward cases, it is a matter of weeks. The actual installation is easy and tool-free, involving simply clicking on the hardware, connecting it to the network, and using remote access for configuration.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have fair prices for our basic needs, and when we need more power, the cost matches the value we get. It feels like we get a good deal for what we pay.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers as a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

Shiju Unnithan

IT Admin at Vitronic Machine Vision

Jan 23, 2025

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Reliable servers for seamless operations

Pros and Cons

"It is reliable. We have not faced any issues."
"Overall, I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers in our environment a nine out of ten."

"I do not any have input as such, but there can be some AI capabilities."

What is our primary use case?

We have our own applications. We are dealing with traffic technology solutions, so we have in-house applications.

How has it helped my organization?

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are pretty good for handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads. They are scalable.

We have not experienced any security incidents or vulnerabilities with our Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. They are reliable. However, there has been no reduction in the downtime.

What is most valuable?

It is reliable. We have not faced any issues.

What needs improvement?

I do not any have input as such, but there can be some AI capabilities.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for 15 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have not faced any stability issues. Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are scalable.

What about the implementation team?

We did not use any third party or Dell Professional Services for deployment.

What was our ROI?

It is reliable. We do not face any new issues, which is a big deal.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated HPE but chose Dell because of our corporate strategy.

What other advice do I have?

We use the OpenManage console, but it has not affected our IT staff’s productivity.

We have not yet implemented AI. We have not run any AI workloads on Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, but it is in the pipeline.

Overall, I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers in our environment a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

reviewer960777

Senior Systems Technician at a government with 501-1,000 employees

Oct 30, 2024

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Offers effortless administration, superb support, and high performance

Pros and Cons

"VxRail has a smart and easy way to perform updates. The hypervisor on the other servers performs well according to the hypervisor level. The support is magnificent, and it's easier to administer the servers."

"The VxRail updates need to be faster."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case for PowerEdge involves VDI and standard servers. We are not using AI workloads yet because we don't have the hardware, but we're waiting on our first infrastructure order.

How has it helped my organization?

Using PowerEdge Servers has helped us reduce compliance production downtime. They are more stable than other vendors.

What is most valuable?

PowerEdge's OpenManage Console has made managing the entire infrastructure easier. It has improved employee productivity by simplifying administration but doesn't necessarily free up staff for other tasks.

VxRail has a smart and easy way to perform updates. The hypervisor on the other servers performs well according to the hypervisor level. The support is magnificent, and it's easier to administer the servers.

What needs improvement?

The VxRail updates need to be faster.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for about eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Dell PowerEdge rack servers are very reliable overall. They have never failed us, and we see less production downtime than we do with other vendors.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We used our Dell contacts to calculate the future need to get the right type of hardware and models. It's much easier to administer, and they are flexible. We don't have high-performance workloads, but PowerEdge servers perform well enough to meet our current needs.

How are customer service and support?

The support for Dell PowerEdge servers is magnificent.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We evaluated different server racks before choosing Dell PowerEdge, but the key factor for choosing Dell was security.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Dell PowerEdge Servers was very easy.

What about the implementation team?

We deployed the solution by ourselves. We do it in-house.

What was our ROI?

The biggest return on investment when using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is reducing the total cost of ownership and easy lifecycle management.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers nine out of 10. They're very reliable.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

Zion Zofiof

Vice President, Purchasing at Alltrade Ltd.

Sep 25, 2024

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The solution provides great value and reliability for the price

Pros and Cons

"The biggest value of PowerEdge servers is that Dell is a brand name. I also appreciate the flexibility of the platform. I know how to configure PowerEdge servers and build a solution from scratch."

"Dell could increase the training. My ability to use the product improved vastly once I became more knowledgeable about it. The sales desk and presales service could also improve."

What is our primary use case?

PowerEdge servers are used in banking, finance, tech, service, and academia, covering the full range of applications.

What is most valuable?

The biggest value of PowerEdge servers is that Dell is a brand name. I also appreciate the flexibility of the platform. I know how to configure PowerEdge servers and build a solution from scratch.

What needs improvement?

Dell could increase the training. My ability to use the product improved vastly once I became more knowledgeable about it. The sales desk and presales service could also improve.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used PowerEdge servers for 10 to 12 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

PowerEdge servers are highly stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

PowerEdge servers scale well. I make tailor-made solutions for my clients, and I can build the capacity as much as they want. If they need storage, I can choose a rack server with a lot of hard drive space or a GPU with a high capacity.