Dell PowerEdge R-Series Reviews

We are a web hosting company, so we host websites. They are predominantly high-value websites. They tend to be very intensive applications, so we use CPUs with lots of cores and memory. We try to get as much performance as possible out of these machines.

At the moment, we are using Dell R640 and 740XD, and we have some 540s for backups.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are very good for handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads. Even though we do not use the very latest generation servers, they are in line with our customers' needs. Our customers do not know or care what the specs of the servers are. They just want the results, which speed from websites or whatever applications they are running. We have a very strong reputation in the industry for producing those fast results, and at the moment, Dell servers support that very well. Our knowledge perhaps is not as good as it could be on some of the latest technologies. We do not even use NVMe storage yet, but I am quite interested in seeing some of the new technology for NVMe support.

Due to our environmental compliance, we are very aware of our consumption, and it is pleasing to see regular improvements in that area. We are regularly looking at and reviewing our power consumption. We replaced some of our older Dell models with newer ones, which are way more efficient. They are very good in terms of energy consumption. There is a useful calculator available on their website to work out how much we are going to be using, so we can tell in advance. Before we populate a new data center cabinet, we can see how much we should expect it to be using. That makes it a lot easier. We then do not underfill or overfill a cabinet. We can maximize the use of the space by knowing with some degree of accuracy how much power is going to be used.

I like the reliability and ease of swapping out failed equipment. It is very easy to replace power supplies and drives.

We use older-generation servers. We are two generations behind. There can be remote access management and iDRAC improvements, but I do not have many complaints about that.

From the licensing model perspective, it might be useful for enterprises to get an overall enterprise license, rather than licensing each server. That is one option because we tend to buy the service with the licenses, but some of our older equipment does not have them.

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

They are very reliable.

We tend to buy quite high-spec servers, so we do not need to upgrade, but storage-wise, typically, we always have an empty base in the servers we deploy. So, we have plenty of scope for scaling.

We do not use their support. We use a third party. We rarely need to get support because the equipment is so reliable. 

We used to use HPE many years ago. We moved to Dell because their servers were more customizable. We were able to use our own disks, for example, whereas HP would not allow us to do that. They had to ship the disks, and that was the main reason we moved.

Dell is just a little bit more logical. Even when you open up the box and carry out the replacement tasks with the components, it seems a little bit more logical. In every generation, there is a change, but when you open up a new box, it does not take long. Without reading the manual, you can figure out what needs to be done. We have never been disappointed with the new products that do come out, so we are quite involved now and attached to the Dell ecosystem.

They are very good in terms of deployment. Our automated system is there, and there is no problem with using our deployment tool with it. I cannot think of a case where we have hit a problem. It has been fast. There is nothing to do with the hardware. There are no obstacles.

We looked at Supermicro, but we never found them very reliable. The chassis and the build felt a little bit more flimsy compared to Dell. Dell servers felt a lot more like enterprise hardware.

In terms of the impact of PowerEdge Servers on our organization’s sustainability goals, we have not recycled much old equipment. I am not sure what to do with it. I do not know whether they have any incentives for returning old hardware. One thing we need to factor in is how to dispose of older hardware.

For the simple needs that we have, I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers an eight out of ten. 

My experience and background is in the OEM space. I help customers take their IP to market on a reliable server, and Dell is normally the go-to option for that.

Reliability is the main benefit. From a services standpoint, on the OEM side, customers always like the ability to deploy in other countries with their own IP. They can use the Dell tier-one global service. Normally, the service appeals to the customers more than the platform.

They are seen as a very power-efficient option, but I do not have any metrics to back it up.

Within that space, one of the most valuable features is the management. We are able to do remote monitoring and installation of hardware and software, and that tends to be very popular with customers. When customers are deploying their IP out into the field, being able to handle the management and servicing of platforms remotely to diagnose issues is always useful.

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.

There is probably room to expand the lower-end range.

I have been working with Dell PowerEdge servers throughout my career. It has been seven or eight years.

We do not have too many reports of the platform being unstable, but it is not something I would directly get involved with.

I do not work directly with the hardware, so I cannot speak from a quality perspective and compare it to others, but Dell has some of the best services when looking at comparable server vendors. Their after-sales and pre-sales support is probably the best in the business. 

My experience has always been positive. I would rate their customer service and support a nine out of ten. No one gets a ten.

Positive

In the environments I work in, they are almost entirely on-prem, but I am not involved in the deployment.

Pricing is very competitive. I have not been too involved in the licensing, but from a hardware perspective, I always find them to be competitive.

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

We employ Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers within our vSphere cluster to support our business applications.

Virtual storage, bandwidth optimization with caching, SSD integration, and similar features contribute significantly to the overall performance and efficiency of the servers. These advancements provide a notable improvement in operations.

The PowerEdge servers have poor energy consumption performance.

For the sustainability of our company, we plan to purchase new PowerEdge servers. Our current servers have been in use for five years and are nearing the end of their life cycle. Therefore, we intend to replace them with new PowerEdge servers to ensure continued efficiency and satisfaction.

It contributed to reducing production downtime by approximately 20%.

One of the key reasons we integrate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, particularly the ID Rack model, is for its remote monitoring and administration capabilities. This feature is essential for managing the servers efficiently, allowing remote access and administration without the need for physical monitors or on-site presence.

Using SD cards for installing the hypervisor is not particularly reliable. Its customer support should be improved.

I have been using the servers for fifteen years.

It offers excellent stability.

Tech support can be slow to respond at times, and there are occasions when they seem hesitant to trust our assessments. This can lead to prolonged troubleshooting processes, often requiring us to provide extensive logs for investigation. I would rate it seven out of ten.

Neutral

We utilize various types of servers, with a predominant focus on HPE models.
In my view, there isn't a significant distinction between them; they essentially perform the same tasks but in slightly different ways. There are variations in management tools, however. Customers seem to prefer Dell, possibly due to their positive experiences with the products and alignment with specific guidelines or regulations.

Deployment was straightforward, and to be honest, not much different from other solutions.

Overall, I would rate it nine out of ten.

We have virtualization running on Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. We have VMware. We have some physical workloads. We also have Oracle databases.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are reliable and do not require a lot of maintenance. We put them in the rack and forget them. 

In terms of the overall flexibility of our operations, we have a lot of servers, and because of virtualization, it is very flexible, but it has nothing to do with the hardware.

Reliability is important for us. They are reliable, and the service is very good. iDRAC is a good feature that we use very often. We are rarely in the data center.

The server itself is good, but sometimes, the salesperson forgets to sell us the right controller. It is related to sales. It is not related to the technical part. There is nothing that can be improved in these servers technically.

I have been working in this organization for nine years, and they were already using Dell servers when I joined. 

These servers are very stable.

Most times, we take care of things on our own. Usually, when there is something that needs to be fixed or replaced, we take Dell's help. I would rate their support an eight out of ten. It is very good, but it can always be better.

Positive

We only use Dell servers.

They are easy to deploy. There are no problems with that.

We have seen an ROI. We rarely have any problems with these servers. Overall, it is a good deal.

We have not compared them with others. The price is okay, but they can always be a little bit cheaper.

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

We use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for our office automation and our VDI needs. It offers a robust and reliable solution that can scale with our business requirements while providing the flexibility and manageability necessary to streamline IT operations.

As a customer, we find that these servers offer excellent durability and require minimal maintenance over time. They deliver strong performance, backed by reliable support services. The ability to control the servers remotely through the rack interface is particularly valuable, as it eliminates the need for onsite visits or physical access. All that's required is the password, providing full access to manage the servers efficiently without any additional hassle.

The server energy consumption has shown significant improvement. Looking back about a decade, energy efficiency wasn't a major concern, leading to higher consumption levels. However, there's been a noticeable decrease in power consumption in recent years, resulting in a smaller environmental footprint. This reduction in power usage is largely attributed to the servers becoming more compact, requiring less power overall.

Addressing the evolving demands of high-performance workloads requires a versatile range of server options. By conducting a thorough assessment of our requirements and performance expectations, we identify the most suitable model from the diverse array of choices available. This process ensures that we select a server that aligns closely with our specific needs. With such a broad spectrum of products to choose from, there is consistently a model that fits our requirements effectively.

It significantly reduces unplanned production downtime. In our entirely virtualized environment, we can seamlessly place one server into maintenance mode, conduct complete hardware and software upgrades, and then transition to the next server. While the software solutions provided with virtualization products play a key role in this process, Dell servers also contribute to this uptime reliability. Remarkably, we have experienced no downtime whatsoever in the past five years.

The combination with the OpenManage, along with the ease of installation, configuration, and maintenance, is the most valuable aspect for me.

There have been certain environmental concerns, but they don't pose a significant issue for me as my focus is on maximizing performance, especially in providing a fast API environment for both my customers and myself. Larger customers might benefit from servers that strike a better balance between performance and environmental considerations.

We have been working with it for approximately twenty years.

When comparing Dell's PowerEdge Rack Servers with competitors like HP's Proliant servers, as a Dell partner, we have experience with both brands and their respective services. In our assessment, Dell outperforms HP in several key areas, notably in terms of support and ease of maintenance. While HP offers OneView for server management, which some find easier to use than Dell's OpenManage, this might be a subjective opinion. Overall, Dell's PowerEdge servers excel in delivering superior support and streamlined maintenance processes compared to HP's Proliant servers.

Deployment typically takes around one hour.

We have noticed a return on investment.

The pricing is considered fair.

Overall, I would rate it nine out of ten.