No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.
Lead Engineer with 1,001-5,000 employees
User
Nov 30, 2023
It's very easy to get new systems in the data center and to get them ready for production
Pros and Cons
  • "It's very easy to get new systems in the data center and to get them ready for production."
  • "I would like more resilience because, for all companies, cybersecurity is important."

What is our primary use case?

We use multiple models of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. We're currently using the more hypervisor-focused models with AMD CPUs but from different generations.

We use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers mostly for hypervisors and also for single application usage.

We've had some supply and support challenges with other manufacturers, and Dell could deliver for us, and the cooperation with the Dell team works really well for us. The accounting team knows a lot. They can help us out with our challenges. They can help us fill our needs.

How has it helped my organization?

Through Dell's OpenManage software, we can track our power usage, but we can also track what components use how much power in the system. It helps us at least get the intelligence we need to get the reports out to the business and to our partners.

In regards to energy consumption for the whole company, it's only a small percentage. But if we look at just IT, then the surface does consume a sizable amount. And whether that's renewable or fossil energy, it's still impacting.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are able to handle high performance well. We're using high-performance systems and they fill our needs. 

We are able to save days' worth of time depending on the number of services we are deploying.

The flexibility of the Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is good because they come in smaller spec sizes to larger spec sizes. If we need it for a stand-alone system, we can get a really small system. For our Hypervisor, we can get the larger spec systems to carry a higher workload.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the ease of use. It's very easy to get new systems in the data center and to get them ready for production.

What needs improvement?

I'm currently not running into specific cases that I'd say we could improve. Of course, the most important features are security and sustainability. Those are subjects that Dell does a lot of work on. The whole industry works a lot on it, but everyone also sets goals of being sustainable. Working together on those subjects, I'd say could help us achieve those goals together. Sustainability and the data center is a hot topic. I work for the airport and we want to be the most sustainable airport in the world. So starting with our IT stack could benefit.

The most important for us is once someone gets access to a system that we don't want them to have access to, it probably won't be physical access. What will a system do to detect besides all the software we have in place? And right now, I'm not really aware of what the PowerEdge stack does for us in those scenarios, but that's an interesting use case. I would like more resilience because, for all companies, cybersecurity is important. Once something goes wrong, then we'll see the whole business go along. Within the IT department, we have to be ahead of that.

Buyer's Guide
Dell PowerEdge R-Series
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about Dell PowerEdge R-Series. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
885,376 professionals have used our research since 2012.

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 scalability of the solution?

In terms of a real IT company, we're small. So for us, our needs can be easily filled with the current scalability that Dell can deliver to us.

How are customer service and support?

We've had some small communication errors with support agents going on holiday and not doing a good handover of a case, but that's just one thing. The rest of our experiences with technical support are great.

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

We used exclusively Lenovo and IBM in the past. For some reason, we switched to Dell. It may have been pricing, but also support. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial installation is easy. Through Dell software, we can create baselines. And with those baselines, we can automate the first steps of deployment. Stuff we would normally have to go into the data center, physically connect to a server, and do by hand, can now just be done after two simple steps.

Normally, deploying new hardware would sometimes take a couple of days, including getting it already for the business. Now especially on the tedious first steps of installation, we save time.

What was our ROI?

We have had good life cycles. While they may not directly generate a return on investment, they fulfill their intended purpose and have demonstrated long-term viability.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?


What other advice do I have?

I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack ten 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.
PeerSpot user
Ovadya Rachamim - PeerSpot reviewer
Ovadya RachamimStorage & Data Protection Team Leader at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Top 5Real User

easy to install and manage , deploy, updates , user freindly

reviewer2289357 - PeerSpot reviewer
Technology & Digital Product Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Oct 16, 2023
Fairly priced, stable, and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
  • "The ease of setting them up is valuable. It is easy to set them up."
  • "Their support can be better. Getting to the right person for support is a challenge."

What is our primary use case?

We use them to host a car parking system. 

How has it helped my organization?

We use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers with pre-installed Microsoft Windows Server. It is just easier when they come already loaded. There is less for us to do.

We host our application on them. They are great for running our applications. We recently had to upgrade the specs of some of the servers due to the demands on the system. For example, where it used to be Dell R350 with hard drives, we are now expected to go with SSDs, but it deals with our applications very well.

We do not necessarily use a lot of its security and other features. We take it out of the box, put our application on it, and then just run it or install it on a device if needed.

With Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, we now have more resilience. Previously, we used a PowerPC as a server. By using a dedicated PowerEdge Rack Server, there is resilience when using, for example, a RAID array.

Our in-house application runs directly on it. That is a big critical element, but the impact of these servers on our IT infrastructure is no different from another server.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have helped to reduce unplanned production downtime by about 20%.

What is most valuable?

The ease of setting them up is valuable. It is easy to set them up. 

What needs improvement?

Training needs to be improved. I feel we are not getting the best benefit out of the PowerEdge servers at the moment because we do not have in-depth knowledge on how to fully configure them. The PowerEdge servers are fine. It is our training that needs to be improved.

Their support can be better. Getting to the right person for support is a challenge.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for eight or nine years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have never seen any major issues with stability. They are stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Once we have deployed a server, we do not increase any specs on it, so we do not have too much experience with scalability. If we do need an improved or enhanced server, we will get that straight from Dell. We would not enhance RAM, SSD, or anything else on our own.

There are about eight people who may configure them. Once these servers go to the site, there are more people using them, but I do not know how many.

How are customer service and support?

Their support is usually very good, but getting to the right person is a challenge. They are good once we get to the right person or once somebody is dedicated to helping us, but getting to that point in the first place is a bit annoying. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

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

My predecessor was already using them, so I carried on ordering them. We do not have any experience with anything similar. We just stick with what we know. The only alternative that we use is a tower PC as a server. It is just a standard PC.

We did not consider public cloud servers before choosing PowerEdge servers. Our platform at the moment is not native to the cloud. It has a heavy data demand and bandwidth requirement, so the cloud was not necessarily within the scope of our product at the time. However, we are developing a cloud-native solution. That might be something we can consider moving forward.

We went for PowerEdge servers because of the price and specs. It is something that has been used by our team before I even joined it, so we continue to use it. The support from Dell is usually very good as well. So, it is a combination of price, specs, and support that makes us keep using Dell.

How was the initial setup?

It is easy to set them up. We could realize their benefits within a few months of deployment.

I am involved in their deployment as an assistant and not as the main person. Most times, it is straightforward, but it also depends on the spec that we get with different solid-state drives or hard drives. Sometimes, the RAID sets can be a bit more complex.

With regards to getting the server into a state where we can deploy our application, it takes a few hours. In a few hours, we can deploy the Windows operating system, do the RAID setup, and then it is ready for our in-house solution.

What about the implementation team?

It is usually a one-man job. I might provide some assistance, but typically, it is a one-man job.

What was our ROI?

We have potentially seen an ROI, but I would not be able to give a figure. We deploy our solutions onto those servers, and effectively, that is no longer our equipment, so we do not necessarily see what is going on with them. 

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

They are fairly priced.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. I would advise having a good relationship with Dell, and they will support you above and beyond.

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

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Dell PowerEdge R-Series
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about Dell PowerEdge R-Series. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
885,376 professionals have used our research since 2012.
IT Manager at One Answer Insurance
Real User
Dec 8, 2022
Enables us to keep recorded calls onsite longer and reduced our server room footprint
Pros and Cons
  • "When it comes to handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads, the PowerEdge Rack Servers are fit for purpose. They do what they need to do."

    What is our primary use case?

    We have one PowerEdge Rack Server that we got a little while ago that is running Hyper-V and some Windows VMs and we just got a new one, which will be running SQL. We use them for Windows networking tasks. One is a file store server and the other is an application server.

    How has it helped my organization?

    These servers have expanded our storage for our call recording. We no longer have to offsite our calls prior to needing them, within the lifecycle of the call requirements. Before, we'd have to ship off some call recordings after two years, but we can now keep them onsite longer. 

    They have also optimized some of the infrastructure and allowed us to reduce our footprint in the server room. We were able to upgrade two servers into one and virtualize them when we got the PowerEdge.

    Some of the apps that are critical to our business are Office 365, Sage, which is a finance payment company in the UK, and AWS for some of our hosted solutions that are public-facing, because we don't want them coming in directly to our data center. The integration of these apps' workloads with our PowerEdge Rack Servers is of high importance. We're able to put our applications on them that integrate these services and have them automated and run without worry.

    Moving on to the new PowerEdge Rack Server that we have just purchased will definitely reduce downtime and allow more flexibility in our workloads, going forward.

    What is most valuable?

    While it's not specific to the PowerEdge side of it, I do like the new feature in the Dell servers, the BOSS system [Boot Optimized Storage Solution]. That is really nice. I don't know if it's unique to Dell, but I like it.

    And when it comes to handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads, the PowerEdge Rack Servers are fit for purpose. They do what they need to do. 

    I am also grateful for the security features, including the signed firmware, drift detection, and BIOS recovery.

    I haven't done any energy monitoring of our servers because I don't have a big enough server farm to need to monitor our power consumption at that level. It's not like I need to turn off half of our fleet to save costs during downtime hours. We have a very small footprint as far as service systems go. Having said that, the PowerEdge servers are probably more energy efficient than the older ones we have because the older ones are a lot bigger. They have a lot more active hard drives and spinning disks. These new servers are nice, clean SSDs. Overall, power consumption will have gone down.

    I use the Dell OpenManage console on occasion when I'm investigating an issue with the server, but thankfully, that doesn't happen very often. Using the console is pretty straightforward. I don't have any complaints about it. 

    What needs improvement?

    What annoys me about every server is just how loud they are when they're turned on, but that's just a function of the server. It's protecting itself. I can't complain that it's noisy when I turn it on, because it's not in its rack yet. It's sitting on a desk near me. That's just how servers work.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We've been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for a couple of years and we've had at least one Dell in our system for going on 12 years now.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The servers that I have, have been humming away without me having to deal with them in any way, outside of Windows issues. Those issues have nothing to do with PowerEdge. They are the standard Windows issues. Overall, they've been working the way they're supposed to, so I have nothing bad to say about them.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    I would imagine they scale very well. Our IT infrastructure has not been overly affected by having these servers. They are easily scaling to our needs and the equipment we have purchased far outpowers our business requirements, but they will be there when we need them.

    How are customer service and support?

    I haven't had to contact Dell's technical support for the server side. The only technical support from Dell we've had so far was for laptops.

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

    We had HPE ProLiants, but I haven't bought any of those since the last one several years ago. We've gone to Dell since then.

    What was our ROI?

    They have good longevity and good warranties. If there were an issue (and we haven't had any) they are covered.

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

    I'd like them to be cheaper, but that's not the world we live in and that's not where the pound is at. 

    The price was acceptable for what the product is. If I tried to build my own server, the cost difference would be negligible. And the brand support that Dell provides and the functionality that comes with the PowerEdge Servers made up the difference. So it makes sense. I don't have a problem with the cost. It is in line with what I'd expect.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    I considered public cloud servers before choosing PowerEdge Rack Servers, but that solution wasn't fit for purpose in this case. We have some public cloud stuff that is useful in some cases, but we wanted hardware onsite for this specific device.

    What other advice do I have?

    In terms of native OS security features, we use Active Directory and we have BitLocker and some other things enabled. We mostly use them for compliance and because we have them. Nothing has forced me to look outside of the native-provided solutions.

    To protect ourselves from malware and other firmware attacks, we have Mimecast for email endpoints and we have ESET Endpoint Security for all of our clients and servers.

    The PowerEdge Rack Servers do what they say on the tin. I like them. And our latest one was delivered really fast. We ordered it on the 7th and it came on the 18th, which was unexpected and nice. That's a good turnaround time.

    Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
    PeerSpot user
    Director at mindIT
    Real User
    Nov 16, 2022
    Provides centralized management capabilities for large environments, reduces data processing times, and supports full automation
    Pros and Cons
    • "We haven't faced any problems with the power supplies. The consumption of power is robust. We still have slots for the new hard discs for availability and upgrading RAM, but the machine itself has been working nonstop for ten years."
    • "PowerEdge hasn't let us down in any situation."
    • "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."
    • "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."

    What is our primary use case?

    We have implemented the PowerEdge servers in data centers for intelligence, governments, banks, hospitals, and for different use cases. It's a very robust product. 

    We're a Dell Gold partner, and we sell services for our clients. We've been working in this domain for a long time.

    We're using the seven series and the six series, and we previously used the eight series.

    Most of our implementations are completed on-premises.

    How has it helped my organization?

    PowerEdge's system management capabilities help increase staff productivity.

    It provides centralized management capabilities for large environments. In data centers, implementing multi-servers and managing different kinds of resources from a single portal definitely helps us a lot.

    PowerEdge reduces data processing times. The server must be set up well to do this. Knowing your application and how to set up a real configuration that will map your request, helps a lot in the PowerEdge environment.

    The enabling of full automation has affected the operations of our company.
    This is the target of every client and organization. The servers fully support automation. A combination of a company's strategy when implementing solutions and having applications that are synchronized with the hardware requirement will lead to a very good result. The hardware is the best part of it because it's so easy. The hardware supports big implementations. If the structure is right, the results will be very good.

    PowerEdge hasn't let us down in any situation. It's a very robust system.

    We haven't faced any kind of downtime with applications, especially in analytics, because we implement a PowerEdge cluster and support it with storage. The infrastructure is highly available based on the Dell server.

    From our implementations over the years and the new demand in technology, we haven't faced any kind of problems related to hardware based on PowerEdge. Everything is based on the application itself and the algorithm that the client uses through the servers. The problem isn't with the servers. The problem is with development.

    It's all about processing. If you use a different kind of application that needs a lot of resources, that is a key factor, especially in data collection, open-source data, and applying different analytics over that. That will need a lot of processing, and the hardware is a key factor in that part.

    Full automation is fully supported with PowerEdge. From the server perspective, it is fully compliant.

    What is most valuable?

    We haven't faced any problems with the power supplies. The consumption of power is robust. We still have slots for the new hard discs for availability and upgrading RAM, but the machine itself has been working nonstop for ten years.

    We haven't faced any problems with new demands for digital transformation and infrastructure development.

    The system is very updated. The machine itself is secure, but it depends on the client's environment and security strategy.

    PowerEdge has good value for energy consumption. We know this from other vendors that have the same data centers that we used to work with. It provides better performance in terms of power consumption. More power is saved with the use of a full cabinet of PowerEdge servers versus other solutions with multi-servers.

    We work in environments with systems in analytics, AI, Hadoop infrastructure, open source, and data gathering. We have those kinds of servers in our setups, and we never face problems when running the latest high-demand applications. We have an advantage in getting those results on PowerEdge servers rather than other servers.

    We had some applications in artificial intelligence. Some of the clients are starting to adopt those use cases. We didn't face any problems adopting those kinds of solutions, although it's still an open discussion.

    We are very familiar with the Dell portal, updates, supports, and assessments.

    The integrated Dell Remote Access Controller telemetry for monitoring the PowerEdge system data and providing analytics is very simple and accessible. For centralized management, it's a good value. These kinds of implementations in a big data center make a difference.

    We have CloudIQ in the machine learning systems that we are implementing for some of our clients, and those are based on Dell PowerEdge. We have those kinds of predictive analytics, and the hardware is doing great so far.

    Dell EMC is a combination of processing, storage, and power. We're in a really good position in terms of technology, trends, and the leaders in the market. 

    Dell has different types of servers that can fit different types of businesses.

    What needs improvement?

    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.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have used this solution since 2005.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It's very stable. We have been using it for ten years.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It's easy to scale.

    How are customer service and support?

    I would rate technical support an eight out of ten. We have never had a problem with technical support. There are a lot of different layers of support, and they're all very responsive. Dell is a very good company.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

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

    We used to work with HP most of the time, and we worked with servers from Cisco for a short time.

    Dell used to have different categories of servers that can fit different types of businesses. Sometimes we find that small servers have good specs over other competition, which is key for some new clients. For some new businesses, small servers can help achieve different targets for SMEs.

    How was the initial setup?

    The setup is very simple. When deploying PowerEdge, we used the automated server and OS deployment features. Our clients are very familiar with the setup. It's straightforward and very fast. If someone is knowledgeable in IT, they are familiar with PowerEdge.

    What about the implementation team?

    As a partner, most of the time we help clients. However, most of the clients are knowledgeable enough to implement the servers in a very simple way.

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

    PowerEdge is not a cheap product. It's a quality product, but there is always competition.

    If you want to buy a server, you need an operating system, and most of it is Microsoft. A bundled solution costs less than a separate operating system and hardware.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    We cannot compare public cloud solutions with PowerEdge. This decision is related to the availability of features over the internet versus something that you own in your data center, your servers, and your manageability and power. Implementing those kinds of servers on-premises will cost more, but having a cloud solution with on-premises storage is more feasible and economically better.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.

    I cannot recommend a solution other than PowerEdge. I'm very happy with it and proud that we have it implemented.

    I would definitely recommend this solution to those who are interested in using it. It's a robust, solid solution, and the hardware is designed carefully. The features and capabilities are built-in and it's a very supportive, long-term company. There are continuous efforts for development.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer2004255 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Infrastructure and Operations Manager at a manufacturing company with 201-500 employees
    Real User
    Oct 31, 2022
    Its reliability has made a big impact on our business, and it is very easy to install and manage
    Pros and Cons
    • "The ease of installation is valuable. The physical side of installation is quite intuitive and has got better by leaps and bounds. The hardware has always been fantastic, and it has always been reliable."
    • "Because we've not had any issues, its reliability has made a big impact on our business."
    • "Its pricing could be better."
    • "Its pricing could be better."

    What is our primary use case?

    It's a standard server that we've got. It's a site server, so it'll hold up to a manufacturing server and a normal Active Directory server.

    We have Dell PowerEdge servers with pre-installed Microsoft Windows Server OS. For security, we mainly have antivirus. We've got web security monitoring tools. In addition, we've got firewalls. So, we've got a number of technologies that will hopefully protect us from ransomware.

    How has it helped my organization?

    Reliability is its main benefit. It works. I have not had many servers go down with hardware failure.

    Email and ERP systems are critical to our business. We've also got manufacturing applications running on it as well. Those are one of the biggest key areas for our business. For the manufacturing and everything else, it's highly integrated. We need a server that's always on.

    It has been good in terms of the impact on our IT infrastructure and the ability to handle the demand. It does what it says on the tin. We haven't had any issues with it. It's a server. It's one of those things that once it's in, it's in. We don't want it to do anything special because it's there for our infrastructure. It looks after our infrastructure, and it has been doing its job, and it has been working. Because we've not had any issues, its reliability has made a big impact on our business.

    What is most valuable?

    The ease of installation is valuable. The physical side of installation is quite intuitive and has got better by leaps and bounds. The hardware has always been fantastic, and it has always been reliable.

    The iDRAC is one of my favorite features of this solution. From an IT or management perspective, we are able to easily control the servers with it. It has been the biggest help.

    What needs improvement?

    Its pricing could be better. In terms of features, I've got nothing to improve.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have about 25 years of experience with the product.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Its stability is very good. Its performance has always gone up in leaps and bounds. They've always been ahead of the curve, and we've always got the best technology from Dell.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Its scalability is very good.

    How are customer service and support?

    Their support is good. I would rate them a 10 out of 10.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

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

    I previously used an HP solution. I switched because of my experience with peer reviews for Dell products. Ever since we made the change to Dell servers, we've not gone back. There is the ease of use of racking and the ease of use of remote management. There is reliability and simplification of the server as well. They've not overcomplicated it. Those are the main selling points for Dell servers in comparison to HP.

    How was the initial setup?

    Its initial setup was very straightforward. It took a day. We have a certain process that we follow. We've had a server setup from a couple of years ago, and we follow that process. It's just making sure that all the relevant information is in.

    What was our ROI?

    It's very difficult to measure, but it should be good. We've made an initial investment in the capital costs for the server purchase, and if we get good five years of use out of it, then we've got good returns for it.

    We could realize its benefits straightaway after the deployment.

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

    They seem to have become more expensive. I've not done a comparison with other vendors recently. If the price increases more, we would need to do a comparison next year just to make sure that we are benchmarking our server purchases correctly.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    We did consider public cloud servers before choosing PowerEdge Rack Servers, but it wasn't a choice. We are in a hybrid environment. We do have a number of servers internally, but then we have public cloud servers as well. Overall, the public cloud is cheaper because I don't require internal expertise and internal maintenance for the physical environment, which is cost-saving. The only reason for getting PowerEdge internally was to meet the demand for great speed for our manufacturing services. Therefore, we have to have something internal.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would definitely recommend it. You just have to install it, and that's it. It works.

    I would rate it a 10 out of 10.

    Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor. The reviewer's company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer2007348 - PeerSpot reviewer
    IT Manager at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees
    Real User
    Oct 31, 2022
    We have seen a very positive performance increase
    Pros and Cons
    • "The fact that they came pre-installed was quite good. We didn't have to worry too much about that process... Also, the maintenance part makes it very easy to raise queries and get repairs done."
    • "In comparison to what we had before, which was some older Dell equipment, the performance of the PowerEdge Rack Servers is stunning."
    • "The rate controller interface is difficult to get to without installing additional software. It would be helpful if they had preinstalled software to make that easily accessible."
    • "The rate controller interface is difficult to get to without installing additional software."

    What is our primary use case?

    We have two that we use as domain controllers and power servers. We're running an ERP system that is critical to the business, but the majority of our other stuff is cloud-based.

    How has it helped my organization?

    In comparison to what we had before, which was some older Dell equipment, the performance of the PowerEdge Rack Servers is stunning. They have improved the performance of our systems. We've been a Dell house for years and years, and replacing the older Dell equipment with these machines has given us a very positive performance increase.

    We're quite a small company, so anything we can throw at any of these servers— they will just eat it for breakfast. We've had no problems with them.

    We haven't had any unplanned production downtime. That is down to the quality of the Dell servers.

    What is most valuable?

    The fact that they came pre-installed was quite good. We didn't have to worry too much about that process. 

    In terms of the usage of the machines themselves, one of the most valuable features is the Hyper-V element, although that's an application on the servers. 

    Also, the maintenance part makes it very easy to raise queries and get repairs done.

    In terms of handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads, while I don't have anything to compare these servers against, I have no issues with the performance of our systems. They work as well as I could expect them to. They will be perfectly fine for our workloads.

    What needs improvement?

    The rate controller interface is difficult to get to without installing additional software. It would be helpful if they had preinstalled software to make that easily accessible.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    The company I'm with at the moment purchased Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers back in 2018 or 2019.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    We've never had any outages, so the stability is perfect, or as close to perfect as you can get.

    We've had the UPS kick in a couple of times and they've stayed up; they haven't died instantly. They are perfectly acceptable and I can't see any issues with them at all.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    We haven't really had to upscale anything on the servers, other than a bit of memory. The particular modules we have are about as high as we can go, but that's fine because we purchased them to be "high-spec'd."

    How are customer service and support?

    The technical support is very good. We have access to our own account manager and he will pass queries on. And on occasion, I've spoken directly to their support teams. We have been very pleased with the account management from Dell. It's been good.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

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

    We previously used Dell, but older machines. We made the switch because the old kit was getting too old. It was getting to end-of-life, and we needed some performance improvements. The PowerEdge definitely gave us that.

    How was the initial setup?

    It did the initial setup, more or less, by itself. I did a little bit of fine-tuning here and there, but nothing drastic. It was very easy. 

    I was the only person involved. I was responsible for everything from physically getting the stuff in the rack to configuring it and making it live, and everything in between.

    What was our ROI?

    We have seen a return on investment because of the performance improvements and the fact that we have had no downtime. That's enough for us.

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

    It's a bit of a shock when you have to find the money, but the pricing is very competitive, so I'm happy with that.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    I've been working with Dell for a number of years and never had any issues, so Dell was the go-to solution for me. We had a quick look at other machines in terms of pricing, and there wasn't any particular benefit in terms of pricing by going with someone else. With the history and trust I had in Dell, I went with Dell.

    What other advice do I have?

    One native OS security feature we use in our environment is Windows Defender, but at the same time, we are running a third-party endpoint protection solution. The native OS security features have had no negative impact. The endpoint protection is on both the clients and servers. We run vulnerability scanning regularly, and we do penetration testing, internal and external, on a regular basis.

    As for public cloud servers, we did not consider them before choosing PowerEdge because we use them for internal management. We are looking at cloud solutions, but not for the core, critical servers.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer1369371 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Professor at a university with 1-10 employees
    Real User
    Jul 15, 2022
    Processes massive data sets and improves the performance of our targeted workloads
    Pros and Cons
    • "We were running out of memory, and that was the first time we heard of a solution that supports a terabyte of core memory. That was the primary reason we got the first box. We've stayed with it since then because we have so many Dell workstations."
    • "PowerEdge servers powered by Intel are highly stable; some of them have stayed on for two years without ever rebooting."
    • "Capacity and performance could always be improved."
    • "Capacity and performance can always be improved."

    What is our primary use case?

    I work at a university in a research environment. We use PowerEdge powered by Intel servers to run geophysics simulations that stay in the system for a long time. The servers are used to image and process massive data sets. We develop code that requires a moderate amount of power, so that's why we use the racks. 

    We currently have between five to ten units, but some of them are down. It's mostly graduate students and a few faculty using them, and we primarily run Linux. The built-in security features aren't really an issue because everything is behind the university's firewalls. We don't have to worry about it because they have a dedicated IT security department. We can dial in from the outside, and we have all kinds of VPN solutions.

    The university provides us with batteries and power supplies. They often run for more than a year without any failures, so power isn't a problem. 

    We are working with Intel's Xeon scalable processor, but I'm not sure which models we are using. We typically buy the most advanced processor available when we purchase the racks. 

    At this time, we have no plans to switch to cloud servers because it's not as comfortable as having an on-premises rack. Also, there are some security restrictions associated with some of our applications, so we can't transfer the data to the cloud. We work with a lot of data, so we prefer local resources because of the security and the speed. 

    It does the job for us. We know it's not a high-end product, but it's good enough. We are looking at getting another box. The next series should be 940. The step is not as big as we expected after having the 930 for several years now. We're thinking about getting another one from Dell, but I'm waiting to see what will be available. We are looking for a 4U rack, fully loaded with CPUs and disks. And we have a disk farm outside that we connect to the server, so we can store a lot of data locally. 

    How has it helped my organization?

    We've had no problems with high-performance workloads on our Dell racks. We use the standard software like Intel compilers plus our in-house code, OpenMP, Pilot Processing, and MPI. Intel's Xeon processors improve the performance of our targeted workloads, which is crucial for us. 

    We buy the strongest CPUs and run the Intel compiler. We usually run heavy code, so we're working on traditional software languages like Fortran and C. These are heavy applications that run on this cluster.

    What is most valuable?

    We started working on Dell servers more than a decade ago. I think it was the 910 version, and its main advantage was the ability to load a lot of in-core memory into the box. It's irrelevant today because everybody can provide as much as they want, but we had memory issues in the beginning. 

    We were running out of memory, and that was the first time we heard of a solution that supports a terabyte of core memory. That was the primary reason we got the first box. We've stayed with it since then because we have so many Dell workstations.

    Dell servers are easy to use. We've never had a problem. We do more hardware work with workstations, including adding and replacing cards. It's easy compared to what we used to do with screwdrivers years ago. 

    What needs improvement?

    Capacity and performance can always be improved. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Dell servers for nearly 15 years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    PowerEdge servers powered by Intel are highly stable. Some of them have stayed on for two years without ever rebooting. Usually, they only reboot for maintenance or something happening in the building, but it is not due to a failure of the machine. Stability is essential because we have jobs that sit on the system for a couple of days.

    How are customer service and support?

    I haven't used Dell's technical support much. Usually, when I have a problem, we search online for a solution. Sometimes we use the Dell knowledge base or community groups, but we rarely need to contact someone.

    How was the initial setup?

    Deploying the PowerEdge Rack Servers wasn't a problem. We just plug it into the rack with help from the university computer center. They let us know where to put it and connect it to the required network.

    We take care of all the software, like the operating system, permissions, local security, data access, etc. This is all Linux-based, and we have experience, so it's straightforward. For maintenance, we use Dell's OpenManage console a little to tweak the configuration for performance, but we generally set up the system and let it go. We only update the operating system once a year and upgrade the environment.

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

    The price is reasonable. You have to pay if you want quality. When we purchase something, we have to do some market analysis, and I haven't seen a significant difference compared to other solutions.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    I'm used to Dell equipment, and the local network is mainly based on Dell workstations connected to the servers. The other servers are usually IBM and HP. I haven't seen any major difference that would justify switching to other vendors.

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers nine out of ten. 

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Jan Gilevich - PeerSpot reviewer
    System Administrator at Sapir College
    Real User
    Jul 13, 2022
    With Intel’s Xeon scalable processors in our PowerEdge Rack Servers, we have been able to reduce the number of servers we need
    Pros and Cons
    • "Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel are easy to use, are easy to manage with OpenManage, and have extended support for five years."
    • "Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel are easy to use, are easy to manage with Dell's OpenManage Console, and have extended support for five years."
    • "Dell's PowerEdge Rack Server is the best solution that I've seen, compared to other vendors."

      What is our primary use case?

      We use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel for Windows Servers and VMware Servers.

      How has it helped my organization?

      With Intel’s Xeon scalable processors in our PowerEdge Rack Servers, we have been able to reduce the number of servers we need when we change our workloads to the new generation, once every five years or so. I can feel a big improvement in terms of workload.

      What is most valuable?

      Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel

      • are easy to use 
      • are easy to manage with Dell's OpenManage Console
      • have extended support for five years.

      When it comes to handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads, they're good. They deliver like they're supposed to.

      And while I haven't had to use the BIOS recovery, it's a nice feature in case there is a problem.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I've been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for 15 years.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel are reliable, so I can say that they have reduced unplanned production downtime.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      We use PowerEdge in a VM environment, so it is scalable.

      How are customer service and support?

      We haven't used Dell's tech support.

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

      We are also using HPE and Lenovo servers right now.

      How was the initial setup?

      Deploying PowerEdge is straightforward. To get it up and running takes about an hour.

      What about the implementation team?

      We always implement with in-house team.

      What was our ROI?

      We've been using the Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for a long time and have found them to be very reliable. With the extended support, we can use them for five years, so it's a good investment.

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

      The pricing could always be better.

      Which other solutions did I evaluate?

      When I compare PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel to the other vendors like HPE or Lenovo, I can say that it's a bit better than them. It delivers good value. Dell provides longer support for operating systems when compared to HPE. We also considered all the public cloud servers, but they were not a cost-effective solution for our college. When we buy the on-prem service, we can use it for five years, and with a physical solution, we see a return on investment after about two years. If we were to use public cloud, we would lose after two years. This solution saves us about 1 million shekels (about $289,000 at the time of the review).

      What other advice do I have?

      Dell's PowerEdge Rack Server is the best solution that I've seen, compared to other vendors.

      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.
      PeerSpot user
      Buyer's Guide
      Download our free Dell PowerEdge R-Series Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
      Updated: March 2026
      Buyer's Guide
      Download our free Dell PowerEdge R-Series Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.