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Stefan Ackelman - PeerSpot reviewer
Infrastructure manager at a government with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
Reduces energy consumption by achieving the same results with fewer servers and more virtualization
Pros and Cons
  • "We constantly upgrade to newer hardware, and everything stays the same but with updated architecture. This consistency is good for our technicians on the data center side. We also appreciate the integration with VMware. It keeps things simple for us."
  • "We use PowerEdge servers in conjunction with VMware, a VCF Rack, and VxRail. That has worked out well. We are using it for firmware upgrades and other similar tasks. It's a one-stop shop, but it could be better when the servers aren't on a VCF stack. Profile handling and upgrading standalone servers could improve, but they have gotten better over the years."

What is our primary use case?

We use Dell PowerEdge for databases, file servers, and virtualization.

How has it helped my organization?

PowerEdge reduces energy consumption by achieving the same results with fewer servers and more virtualization. We're starting our AI journey with some AI workloads running on R750 servers. I don't have much insight into the applications, but I recommend Dell servers to colleagues who want to run AI workloads. In the end, the benefit outweighs the cost. 

What is most valuable?

We constantly upgrade to newer hardware, and everything stays the same but with updated architecture. This consistency is good for our technicians on the data center side. We also appreciate the integration with VMware. It keeps things simple for us. 

What needs improvement?

We use PowerEdge servers in conjunction with VMware, a VCF Rack, and VxRail. That has worked out well. We are using it for firmware upgrades and other similar tasks. It's a one-stop shop, but it could be better when the servers aren't on a VCF stack. Profile handling and upgrading standalone servers could improve, but they have gotten better over the years.

Buyer's Guide
Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers
May 2025
Learn what your peers think about Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
851,823 professionals have used our research since 2012.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used Dell servers for 20 years. I've used Dell PowerEdge servers at my current company for six years, but I used them at other jobs. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We don't have issues with PowerEdge except for occasional hardware problems. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We can easily scale PowerEdge. We have a good platform on the software side, so we just scale out with more servers. We have had some issues scaling up more ports, but that's hardware. Nothing scales to infinity. We've had no problem handling high-performance workloads. We upgrade every few years to the latest and fastest hardware when necessary. 

How are customer service and support?

I rate Dell support nine out of 10. They've helped us get the platform running and perform remote upgrades. They've been a good intermediary contact point for discussions with VMware and Broadcom. I talk with the support engineer, who talks with the networking team or someone else.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

We have used HP and IBM Servers. Initially, we decided to adopt Dell because they offered a better price point. We are satisfied with the solution and will continue to use it. 

How was the initial setup?

I rate PowerEdge eight out of 10 for ease of deployment. 

What about the implementation team?

We deployed the servers using consultants this time, but we've used Dell professional services before. Our experience with consultants was good. 

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


What other advice do I have?

I rate PowerEdge Rack Servers eight out of 10. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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PeerSpot user
Architecte Cloud/Storage at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
User
Resilient, cost-effective, and does what we need
Pros and Cons
  • "The server itself is valuable. It does what we ask it to do."
  • "It is hard to make a comparison without any technical factsheets for the other servers to compare with but like everyone else, it is about the pricing."

What is our primary use case?

We use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers in a hyperconverged environment for object storage and some VMs, just like a classic server.

How has it helped my organization?

By implementing Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, we were looking for good performance and cost-effectiveness. We wanted the best cost-performance ratio in relation to our use cases. For example, if we want to increase our object clusters, we would look for servers with a high disk density and not necessarily with a huge amount of CPUs and RAM. In other cases, we would be looking for a better CPU and RAM performance but with a lesser number of disks. It depends on the use cases.

We have been working with Dell servers for many years. Like everyone, there is more and more RAM, and there are better-performing CPUs. Storage is more and more condensed and powerful, so the applications are becoming faster, and we can respond better. The only downside is that we are not coding as well as before because the hardware compensates for the customization of the code.

I have spoken to the data center regarding the energy consumption, and we are average in terms of energy consumption. If I compare it with other companies, we have the same average. For example, I made a study of an installation of a power supply at 1100 watts and between 750 and 1100 watts, and it is the same as what we can find elsewhere. Having said that, if tomorrow we could achieve the same performance with only 400 watts, then there would be a gap. It depends on the usage or the disks that we would have, but it is not disproportionate to what we need it for.

We require these servers to complete a job, and they complete the job. When we reach a limit, we increase it, and we scale it again and again. There could always be a better product that could meet the requirements even better, but as usual, each to their own specialty. If tomorrow, we could put 75 tera disks on the servers, we would be even happier. That would mean smaller and less energy-consuming servers.

They are overall within the global average in comparison to others. We recently had an RSE implementation and we are looking to reduce energy consumption. When we talk about energy consumption, we also talk about cooling because it is generally linked together. Anything that heats up more will consume more, so we would need more. There is also the issue of space in the data center. If a 2U server can potentially do the same work as a 4U server, it will be an area for improvement for implementation.

For years now, we have had these servers with a supply and components that are resilient. and that functions well. So, instead of just the servers, it is the applications, the development, and the storage that help us to reduce any unplanned production downtime.

The overall development of technology has affected our operations. Along with many other components, the servers have contributed to making everything more flexible for our operations.

What is most valuable?

The server itself is valuable. It does what we ask it to do.

What needs improvement?

It is hard to make a comparison without any technical factsheets for the other servers to compare with but like everyone else, it is about the pricing. They already upgrade regularly, so I do not have any improvement areas. We rely on the required standalone configuration.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers with my client for a very long time.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

They are easy to build, and we have no particular restrictions.

How are customer service and support?

I have not interacted with their support for the PowerEdge servers. It is the administrator who deals with the support.

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

We use Dell PowerEdge servers, and we also use HPE servers. We have a wide range. We also have servers from other brands.

The main difference is the pricing. At some point, we receive a call for tenders, and we increase the number of our servers. Generally, it is more or less the same in terms of the range, but in the end, the one that offers the best deal wins. It is always the same thing.

We have a wide range of servers and a wide range of disks, and there are times when our needs evolve. So, it is according to those moments, and there are times when Dell offers some great promotions that are potentially better than those from other manufacturers, and sometimes, it is the other way around. It depends on how we want to implement them, and it also depends on the price.

How was the initial setup?

There are no problems to report related to their implementation.

What about the implementation team?

We do it all in-house. Because we order quite a substantial amount, we have playbooks and many other things to do it. We have reached a certain level of maturity to implement rapidly. When there are new models, we make modifications with the playbooks, and that is it. We can do it. The base is essentially the same. There are no revolutionary changes between the new models.


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

With regards to the licenses, I do not have a definite idea about all the licenses available out there, but I do know that there are more and more manufacturers who offer licenses.

We take a package. We do not take a license for the software and then everything that comes on top and one for the base. The thing that is becoming more and more important for us, which is better with Dell than with other manufacturers, is the administration. We are now being asked to separate the administration networks as much as possible, whereas, for a while, there was a trend for virtualizing the administration and production ports. That is becoming a stumbling block now. The new regulations require us to separate the administration from the production.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers a nine out of ten. There are not any issues that we are seeing, but the price can always be improved. It is always the same thing. 

Foreign Language:(French)

Résilient, coût-performance et fait ce dont on a besoin

Depuis combien de temps utilisez-vous les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack?

    J’utilise les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack chez mon client depuis très longtemps.

    Quel est votre cas principal d’utilisation de cette solution? (Décrivez votre environnement).

      On utilise les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack dans un environnement hyper convergé, du stockage d’objets et des VMs, tout comme un serveur classique.

      Veuillez nous décrire comment les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack ont amélioré votre organisation. Si ce ne fut pas le cas, veuillez expliquer pourquoi.

        En implémentant les serveurs Dell PowerEdge, on cherche en principe une bonne performance et le coût-performance. On voulait le meilleur ratio coût-performance par rapport à nos cas d’utilisation. Par exemple, si nous voulons augmenter nos clusters d’objet, nous allons chercher des serveurs avec une haute densité de disques et pas forcément avec une grosse quantité de CPUs et de RAM. Et dans d’autres cas, nous allons avoir besoin de plus de performance en CPU et RAM mais moins de disques. Ça dépend de chaque cas d’utilisation.

        On travaille avec les serveurs Dell depuis de nombreuses années. Comme tout le monde. Il y a de plus en plus de RAM et les CPUs sont de plus en plus performants. Le stockage est de plus en plus condensé et puissant, ça rend les applications de plus en plus rapides et on répond mieux. Le seul défaut, c’est qu’on code de moins en moins bien parce que le hardware compense la customisation des codes.

        J’ai discuté avec le data center sur les consommations d'énergie et on est dans une moyenne. Si je compare avec d'autres sociétés, on a la même moyenne. Par exemple, j’ai fait une étude sur une installation de 1100 watts ainsi qu’entre 750 et 1100 watts et c’est ce que l’on va trouver ailleurs aussi. Maintenant, si demain on arrive à obtenir la même performance avec seulement 400 watts, là il y aura un fossé. Ça dépend de l’utilisation ou des disques qu’on va avoir mais dans l'ensemble, ce n’est pas démesuré par rapport à ce dont on a besoin.

        On demande aux serveurs de faire leur travail et ils le font. Dès qu’on arrive à une limite, on fait grandir, on scale encore et encore. On pourrait toujours trouver un produit qui nous convient encore plus mais chacun sa spécialité. Si demain on pouvait mettre des disques de 75 tera dans les serveurs, on serait encore plus contents. Ça fera des serveurs encore plus petits et qui consomment moins.

        Ils sont dans une moyenne globale par rapport à d'autres. On a récemment eu une implémentation RSE et on cherche à diminuer la consommation énergétique. Qui dit consommation énergétique, dit aussi refroidissement parce que c’est généralement lié ensemble. Tout ce qui consomme plus, chauffe plus généralement et donc, il en faut plus. Il y a également le problème de place dans le data center. Si un serveur 2U fait potentiellement le même travail qu’un serveur 4U, ce sera un axe d'amélioration pour l'implémentation.

        Cela fait des années que nous avons des serveurs avec des alimentations et des composants qui sont résilients et qui fonctionnent bien. Ce sont donc plus les applications, les évolutions et le stockage qui vont nous permettre de réduire les temps d'arrêt de production imprévus.

        L'évolution de la technologie globale a affecté la flexibilité de nos opérations. Ainsi qu’avec d’autres composants, entre autres, les serveurs ont contribué à rendre tout plus flexible pour nos opérations.

        Quelles fonctionnalités avez-vous trouvé les plus utiles et pourquoi?

          Le serveur en lui-même est utile. Il fait ce qu’on lui demande de faire.

          Dans quels domaines les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack pourraient-ils être améliorés?

            C’est dur de faire une comparaison sans la fiche technique pour comparer les autres serveurs mais typiquement, je dirai, comme tout le monde, que ce serait au niveau du prix. Ils évoluent déjà régulièrement donc, je n’ai pas de points d'amélioration. On se base sur la configuration demandée en autonomie.

            Avez-vous auparavant utilisé une solution différente et, le cas échéant, pourquoi avez-vous changé?

              On utilise des serveurs Dell PowerEdge mais également des serveurs HPE. On a une gamme variée. On a aussi des serveurs d’autres marques.

              La principale différence est au niveau du prix. A un moment donné, on reçoit un appel d’offres et on doit augmenter le nombre de nos serveurs. Généralement, c’est à peu près la même chose en termes de gamme mais à la fin, c’est celui qui fait la plus belle offre qui gagne. C’est toujours pareil.

              Nous avons différentes gammes de serveurs ainsi que de disques et nous avons des besoins qui évoluent à certains moments. C’est donc en fonction du moment et il y a des périodes ou Dell fait des promotions qui sont potentiellement plus importantes que d’autres constructeurs et parfois, c’est l’inverse. Cela dépend de comment on veut implémenter et ça dépend aussi du prix.

              Que conseillez-vous à d'autres sur les coûts d’installation, les tarifs et/ou les licences?

                En ce qui concerne les licences, je n’ai pas de conseils définis sur toutes les licences qui sont disponibles mais je sais qu’il y a de plus en plus de constructeurs qui offrent des licences.

                Nous prenons l’ensemble. Nous ne prenons pas les licences pour les logiciels avec tout ce qui peut s’ajouter par-dessus mais plutôt ce qui va aller sur la base. La chose qui devient de plus en plus importante pour nous et qui est meilleure chez Dell que chez d’autres constructeurs, c’est l’administration. On nous demande maintenant de séparer les domaines d’administration au maximum alors que pendant un certain temps, la grande mode était de virtualiser les ports d’administration dans les ports de production. Cela devient un point bloquant maintenant. Les nouvelles régulations nous demandent de séparer les niveaux d’administration des flux de production.

                Quelles sont vos impressions sur la scalabilité de cette solution?

                  Ils sont faciles à monter et on n’a pas de contraintes particulières.

                  Le déploiement initial était-il simple ou complexe et de quelle manière?

                    Nous n’avons aucun problème en ce qui concerne leur implémentation.

                    Vous faites l'implémentation avec une équipe d’un revendeur ou de chez vous? Si vous utilisez une équipe d’un revendeur, comment évalueriez-vous leur niveau d’expertise?

                      On le fait chez nous. Du fait qu’on en ait commandé un certain nombre, on a plein de playbooks et plein de choses pour le faire. On est arrivé à un certain degré de maturité pour implémenter rapidement. Quand il y a des nouveaux modèles, on fait des modifications de playbooks et après, c’est parti. On peut le faire. La base est essentiellement la même. Il n’y a pas de changements révolutionnaires entre les nouveaux modèles.

                      Décrivez-nous votre expérience avec le service client et le support.

                        Je ne discute pas avec leur service support pour les serveurs PowerEdge. Ce sont les administrateurs qui font le support.

                        Sur une échelle de 1 à 10 (1=le pire, 10=le meilleur), comment évalueriez-vous les serveurs Dell PowerEdge Rack? Veuillez expliquer pourquoi.

                          Je donnerais aux serveurs Dell PowerEdge un neuf sur dix. Nous n’avons pas de problème particulier mais le prix peut toujours être amélioré. C’est toujours pareil.

                          Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
                          PeerSpot user
                          Buyer's Guide
                          Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers
                          May 2025
                          Learn what your peers think about Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
                          851,823 professionals have used our research since 2012.
                          Coordinador de IT at Varian Medical Systems, Inc.
                          Real User
                          Top 20
                          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.

                          Foreign Language:(Spanish)

                          Servidores confiables para una infraestructura segura y escalable

                          ¿Durante cuánto tiempo utiliza los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge?

                          He estado usando servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge durante 15 años.

                          ¿Cuál es su principal caso de uso de esta solución? (Incluya detalles sobre su entorno.

                          Los casos de uso están relacionados con Oncología Médica, todo lo que tiene que ver con radioterapia.

                          Al implementar los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge, quería una plataforma con buena confiabilidad, buen trabajo y buen servicio.

                          Comparta cómo los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge han mejorado su infraestructura de TI. Si no fue así, explique por qué.

                          Hay confiabilidad para nuestras aplicaciones. Nos ofrece una infraestructura segura y escalable, que se ha vuelto esencial para virtualizar nuestras cargas de trabajo.

                          El enfoque de seguridad de PowerEdge Cyber Resilient Architecture es muy bueno. Estoy viendo mucho más interés por parte de Dell en cuanto a la proporción de seguridad que refleja nuestros requisitos. Gracias a sus mejores capacidades de seguimiento, elimina la dependencia de autoridades de certificación de terceros.

                          En cuanto al consumo energético, le daría un ocho de diez. Continuamente añaden más y más funciones para mejorar el consumo de energía. En todos los años como usuario de Dell PowerEdge, he visto una mejora en su suministro y consumo de energía.

                          El impacto de los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge ha sido muy alto en los objetivos de sostenibilidad de nuestra organización. En nuestra empresa, necesitamos una plataforma con alta escalabilidad y capacidad para manejar una gran carga de trabajo. Con la confiabilidad de la plataforma, nos sentimos libres de poder abordar otros problemas.

                          Los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge han reducido claramente el tiempo de inactividad de producción no planificado, pero no sabría decir exactamente cuánto.

                          La consola OpenManage ha afectado el nivel de productividad del equipo de TI. En cuanto a la reparación del sistema, nuestro equipo recibe menos demandas, lo que les hace cumplir más objetivos que antes.

                          Los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge han afectado la flexibilidad general de nuestras operaciones o negocios. Cuanto mejor rendimiento tengan los servidores, mejor funcionarán las aplicaciones, lo que en consecuencia redunda en un mejor rendimiento tanto para Dell como para la empresa que utiliza sus servicios.

                          ¿Qué características le han parecido más valiosas y por qué?

                          La confiabilidad y la ejecución de las tareas necesarias son valiosas.

                          ¿En qué áreas se podrían mejorar los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge?

                          Me gustaría que fueran más flexibles a la hora de implementar más capacidades.

                          ¿Utilizó anteriormente una solución diferente? De ser así, ¿por qué la cambió?

                          Usamos HP hace 15 años. Cambiamos por una decisión de la dirección de la empresa.

                          ¿Antes de elegir, evaluaste otras opciones? ¿De ser asi, cuales?

                          En ese momento evaluamos a IBM y FUJITSU. En general los Servidores en Rack nos ofrecen mucha más confiabilidad.

                          ¿Qué aconseja a otros sobre el costo de instalación, el precio y/o la licencia?

                          Son buenos y reflejan los precios del mercado. Siempre deseamos que fueran más bajos, pero son buenos.

                          ¿Cuáles son sus impresiones sobre la escalabilidad de esta solución?

                          La escalabilidad de los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge es muy buena.

                          ¿Cuáles son sus impresiones sobre la estabilidad de esta solución?

                          La estabilidad de los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge es muy buena.

                          ¿Has visto el ROI (Retorno de la Inversión)? En caso afirmativo, ¿de qué manera (es decir, métricas/puntos de datos)?

                          El mayor retorno de la inversión es la confiabilidad. Estos servidores nunca fallan y el rendimiento de estos servidores es excelente. Son estables el 99% del tiempo y no muestran signos de fallo.

                          ¿La configuración inicial fue sencilla o compleja y de qué manera?

                          La implementación fue muy sencilla.

                          Actualmente se encuentran desplegados on-premise, con posibilidad de nube privada. Usamos Microsoft Azure. Se implementan en varios lugares. En la comunidad de Galicia también contamos con una implementación de PowerEdge con VxRail.

                          ¿Lo implementó a través de un equipo de proveedores o uno interno? Si se trata de un equipo de proveedores, ¿cómo calificaría su nivel de experiencia?

                          Tuvimos gerentes de proyecto de nuestra empresa y de Dell.

                          ¿Cómo calificaría esta solución en una escala del 1 al 10 en cuanto a servicio y soporte?

                          8

                          En una escala del 1 al 10 (1=peor, 10=mejor), ¿cómo calificaría los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge? Por favor explique por qué.

                          Calificaría los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge con un ocho de diez.



                          Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
                          PeerSpot user
                          Mickael Marimbert - PeerSpot reviewer
                          System Administrator at a outsourcing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
                          Real User
                          Top 10
                          The servers are user-friendly, efficient, and accommodate for centralized management
                          Pros and Cons
                          • "The OpenMange console is effective."
                          • "The scalability has room for improvement."

                          What is our primary use case?

                          We preinstalled Microsoft Windows Server on Dell PowerEdge servers due to its ease of installation and deployment within our data center.

                          We utilize Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for our file server, Windows server, and WTS server for services.

                          We use models, T350, T440, and T560.

                          How has it helped my organization?

                          The PowerEdge cyber-resilient architecture approach to security is excellent. We can close all the ports as we want and change the ports of the iDRAC. We can also separate the networks for the iDRAC. I love this functionality.

                          I am impressed with the efficiency of the PowerEdge Rack Servers. I compared their power consumption with that of APC/UPS units and found them to be highly efficient for utilization.

                          PowerEdge has enabled us to centralize the management of all servers and installations. We now have a single, easy-to-follow document for managing our entire infrastructure.

                          PowerEdge servers have helped reduce unplanned production downtime by 60 percent.

                          What is most valuable?

                          I find the support site where we collect drivers valuable. 

                          The OpenMange console is effective. 

                          The Life Cycle Manager is a valuable feature.

                          Overall Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are user-friendly.

                          What needs improvement?

                          The scalability has room for improvement.

                          For how long have I used the solution?

                          I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for almost three years.

                          What do I think about the stability of the solution?

                          Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are stable. I have never had an issue.

                          What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

                          Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are not highly scalable.

                          How are customer service and support?

                          The technical support is good and also effective. There was one time that I resolved an issue myself.

                          How would you rate customer service and support?

                          Positive

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

                          We previously used HPE, but its capabilities and capacities were not as good as those of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers.

                          How was the initial setup?

                          The initial deployment was straightforward and took me a few hours to complete.

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

                          The high cost of Dell PowerEdge Rack Server licenses is attributed to the pre-installed Windows Server operating system from Microsoft.

                          What other advice do I have?

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

                          Our critical workloads include the printer server, file server, HR server, and all other applications stored in our data center.

                          To protect from malware and firmware attacks, we have an EDR that we use to secure our active directory and a centralized password manager in the cloud.

                          We utilize public cloud servers concurrently with PowerEdge rack servers.

                          We have eight admins that work directly with our Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers.

                          I highly recommend Dell PowerEdge Rack 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
                          Ahmed Salah - PeerSpot reviewer
                          IT Manager at Misrconsult
                          Real User
                          Top 5Leaderboard
                          Utilize network management efficiently with comprehensive server features
                          Pros and Cons
                          • "The product is very stable."
                          • "I have not seen a return on investment."

                          What is our primary use case?

                          I use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers as the main server for my network. I install Windows Server and utilize all the features it offers for my network management.

                          What is most valuable?

                          I use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers as the main server for my network. I install Windows Server and utilize all the features it offers for my network management. One of the valuable features is Active Directory, which helps in managing the network. Additionally, it is used as the active server for my network.

                          What needs improvement?

                          I would like Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers to be faster and more secure. Improving these aspects would be beneficial. If possible, I would also appreciate a reduction in price.

                          For how long have I used the solution?

                          I have been working with Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for about sixteen years.

                          What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

                          The deployment of Windows Server on Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers was very easy. Implementing Windows Server is straightforward.

                          What do I think about the stability of the solution?

                          The product is very stable.

                          How are customer service and support?

                          I haven't faced any problems with the servers, so I haven't had any reason to contact customer service.

                          How would you rate customer service and support?

                          Positive

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

                          I previously used HP servers before switching to Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers.

                          How was the initial setup?

                          The initial setup was very easy with Windows Server.

                          What about the implementation team?

                          I used Windows Server for deployment and did not utilize any specific Dell deployment services or consultants.

                          What was our ROI?

                          I have not seen a return on investment.

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

                          The price of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is not cheap, especially considering the currency circumstances in Egypt. I purchased it for approximately 500,000 Egyptian pounds.

                          What other advice do I have?

                          I use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers as the main server for my network. I install Windows Server and utilize all the features it offers for my network management. One of the valuable features is Active Directory, which helps in managing the network. Additionally, it is used as the active server for my network. I would rate the overall solution as eight to nine out of ten.

                          Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

                          On-premises
                          Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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                          PeerSpot user
                          reviewer2380758 - PeerSpot reviewer
                          Head of Infrastructure at a cloud solution provider with 51-200 employees
                          Real User
                          Work 24/7 for years without any problems and are more resilient to temperature than others
                          Pros and Cons
                          • "They provide good support for part replacement, and when they cannot because the part is unavailable, they are pretty good at informing us and letting us know, but generally, these servers just sit in the data center and have been working 24/7 for years without any problems."
                          • "My biggest grievance is related to getting a caddy. We have decommissioned our old servers that we used for development or testing. You cannot buy hard drives for old servers from Dell. It is very annoying."

                          What is our primary use case?

                          We do web hosting. Our web hosting servers, database servers, corporate cluster, and backup cluster are on Dell servers.

                          How has it helped my organization?

                          Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are pretty good in terms of energy consumption. Ours are pretty power-hungry, but we load them up with hard drives and CPUs, and they drink power. It is not Dell's fault. The power efficiency or the power supply is excellent. They are on par or better than the rest we used.

                          Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are excellent for handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads. We have put in platinums and many CPUs in it, and being able to get those in one form or two form factors is incredibly useful. It allows us to deliver as much power as we want without having to get the massive four and six RUs.

                          Having four-hour support is very handy. Having someone out there within four hours if something dies has been very handy.

                          Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have affected the overall flexibility of our operations or business because we run very similar servers throughout our entire config so that we can be flexible. We do not have to go buy specific hardware. We can use one hardware to do all the jobs.

                          What is most valuable?

                          Consistency and reliability are valuable. They provide good support for part replacement, and when they cannot because the part is unavailable, they are pretty good at informing us and letting us know, but generally, these servers just sit in the data center and have been working 24/7 for years without any problems.

                          They are less temperamental with temperature. We have had some other providers whose servers would overheat even though they are in the same data center with the same specs as Dell, which did not overheat.

                          What needs improvement?

                          My biggest grievance is related to getting a caddy. We have decommissioned our old servers that we used for development or testing. You cannot buy hard drives for old servers from Dell. It is very annoying.

                          We tried the OpenManage console. We ran it up on a server with about 50 tracks going to it, and it kept crashing.

                          Another room for improvement is better OpenBMC implementation. I know Dell is getting into it now, but we do run multiple vendors for various reasons. Being able to have everyone in one would be great. Dell was the one who was missing from the party, and I do believe they have signed to implement it now. 

                          For how long have I used the solution?

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

                          What do I think about the stability of the solution?

                          They are very stable.

                          What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

                          They are not scalable, but they are not meant to be. They are perfect for their role. If you want scalability, you should be using blade servers.

                          We are mostly using Dell R730, R740, and R750 because we have some old ones.

                          How are customer service and support?

                          I would rate them a seven out of ten. I find that when I put in a ticket, they come back and ask me questions that I have already answered, or because I am dealing with level 1, they make suggestions that are absolutely irrelevant, and they waste my time dealing with it. 

                          I understand that they do have people who have no idea what they are doing call up, and they need to test these basic things, but it is very frustrating. There is no way to prove I am competent to skip level 1. 

                          How would you rate customer service and support?

                          Neutral

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

                          We are using HPE. We had Supermicro, but we were having issues, so we got rid of those. We looked at Gigabyte and SUSE, but they were a lot more expensive than Dell. We did not feel there was a lot of benefit. So, most of our fleet is HPE and Dell.

                          Dell servers are much better at temperature management than HPE. I do not have any problems with Dell servers, but the experience that I have been getting with sales at the moment has been very lackluster with Dell.

                          In terms of the physical hardware, both Dell and HPE are excellent. We run the same drives, CPUs, and memory. They both perform excellently. Dell servers are a bit more reliable and much more resilient to temperature.

                          How was the initial setup?

                          The rails are difficult. The way they clip in seems good on paper, but when you are doing it yourself at a data center with a 30, 40, or 50 KG server, it is very difficult to try and line them up, whereas, with some of the competitors, you just kind of push in. They are much easier to put in.

                          What was our ROI?

                          We have absolutely seen an ROI. These servers are absolutely worth the money. We have no regrets. We still would not be using them otherwise. 

                          They cost a lot of money, but they are worth every cent of it because they just work. You just put them in. We run our data center in Sydney, Australia, but my office is based in Melbourne. If anything breaks in the data center, we have to fly to Sydney to fix it. We do not take many flights because we use enterprise hardware.

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

                          Dell is pretty good. good. I had a conversation with Dell a while ago due to a vendor. We got much better pricing from a competitor. When I looked at another company, Dell called me and asked why am I looking at someone else when they have a distributor. I told them that their pricing was not good, so Dell went back to the distributor, and we got much better pricing. It is displeasing that I had to do that, but at the same time, I understand that the company is trying to make as much money as they can. I do not mean that in a bad way. That is the way all companies are. They were just trying to get what they could. Other than that, it has been pretty good.

                          What other advice do I have?

                          I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers a nine out of ten only because there is always room for improvement, but I would not put anyone above them. I cannot think of a vendor that is on par. After ten years, I am still buying them.

                          Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
                          PeerSpot user
                          reviewer2267052 - PeerSpot reviewer
                          Group IT Manager at a mining and metals company
                          Real User
                          Great console, helps meet evolving needs, and offers good firmware updates
                          Pros and Cons
                          • "It is quite flexible when you use it."
                          • "It would be nice if they could make the solution cheaper and faster."

                          What is our primary use case?

                          We primarily use the solution as servers for a range of tasks, including printer servers, internet servers, and a range of application servers. 

                          We have two and they are hosts. We run about 12 VMs on them that run different things on our site. We have a main site and two satellite sites that run. They run in a failover cluster using Hyper-V in an active-active configuration. If one goes down, the other will take over.

                          What is most valuable?

                          We chose to preinstall Microsoft Windows Server with the Dell PowerEdge servers based on the cost. The OEM licensing is cheaper than buying it any other way.

                          It is quite flexible when you use it.

                          The support is good.

                          I like how you can type in the asset tag and download all the drives.

                          Finding information about the server is simple.

                          It helps with the evolving needs of workloads. They've also been very quick with good value for the speed of the processor. They offer very good high-performance workloads.

                          The assigned firmware updates are very good. If you have an OS that doesn't work well or is suffering, we are able to fix the server much faster.

                          It has very good user management.

                          The energy consumption is good, although we haven't compared it to anything else. 

                          The OpenManage console is great. You can configure and gain visibility. When you are doing firmware upgrades, you can configure items. 

                          The user interface is very well designed. 

                          It's helped improve our productivity. It allows for pretty quick fault finding and when it takes less time to find the fault, you waste less of the technician's time.

                          Our OS is 2012 and we will be leveraging the latest cybersecurity systems when we update our OS.

                          The solution has improved our IT infrastructure. The removal of any single points of failure, allowed us to really reduce any hardware-related downtime. We realized improvements within three to six months. We don't get that kind of hardware downtime anymore using the active-active two-carriage servers. It's been a major improvement in downtime.

                          The PowerEdge service has positively impacted our IT infrastructure and its ability to handle the demands of the remote distributed workforce. We can easily deploy new VMs and have open storage. It's far better than the old approach. It allows you to be flexible and to be faster at fixing items and changing to different environments.

                          We use ERP, which is critical to our business. It's an SQL Server-based ERP system. The integration is very good. It helps the apps work very well. It is important to have the integration of the apps and workloads for our business demands. We use a variety of different approaches. We do have to make sure that we have our network configured correctly with VLANs. We have good user management. We have EDR software installed and run computers. We also have firewalls that proactively act as a strong Umbrella. 

                          PowerEdge has helped to reduce unplanned production downtime. For example, being able to upgrade the firmware through the IDAC when there's a problem with the server is very helpful. The redundancy built into the service is good, and the fact that there's no single point of failure between the servers and the SAN is also very good.

                          What needs improvement?

                          OEM licensing does not allow you to transfer from one server to another. You need to replace hardware and software together. 

                          It would be nice if they could make the solution cheaper and faster. 

                          At the moment, our SAN is very complicated to understand. I'd like there to be more simplicity around it. More integration between the SAN and the OS would be useful.

                          For how long have I used the solution?

                          I've been using Dell for 30 years.

                          What do I think about the stability of the solution?

                          The solution is highly stable. 

                          What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

                          The solution is scalable. 

                          How are customer service and support?

                          We had a set of faults when we went live with our last set of servers in the middle of the night, Dell assigned an Australian manager when our site stopped and Dell managed to get three new disks delivered at 6 AM on our side and managed to get them all working. They helped us turn a disaster around. When people came in the next morning, we had everything figured out. The majority of support interactions are very good.

                          How would you rate customer service and support?

                          Positive

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

                          I've used other servers, including HP and IBM. I tend to stick with Dell as I know it well. HP needs to be built yourself. Dell is pre-built and offers good value for money. The support is very good as well. 

                          How was the initial setup?

                          We are using the version we bought seven years ago and we'll be replacing it in the next month. 

                          I was involved in the initial deployment. It was more complicated as we went from actual service to VMs so there was a bit of complexity there. We ran the kit side by side and then migrated each server one at a time over the course of a month.  

                          What about the implementation team?

                          We hired Dell consultants to assist with the implementation work.

                          What was our ROI?

                          I have no specific ROI statistics to compare.

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

                          I have been quite impressed with the price. 

                          Which other solutions did I evaluate?

                          We did consider public cloud servers before choosing Dell. The cost was much more going that route. It would have been multiple times mroe than what we've spent on Dell servers. We also prefer the control of having servers on-site. We have more options that way.

                          We did compare latency and found that latency would be better using on-site servers. 

                          What other advice do I have?

                          We use a lot of Microsoft. It's 95% of what we use. That's who our ERP provider uses and where a lot of our apps are. 

                          I have not used much of the cyber security features of the servers. 

                          I have not done any integrations with third parties however that is a plan for the future.

                          I'd recommend the solution to others. I'd advise new users to get quotes from other providers as well, such as HP and IBM. However, Dell systems are built and support is good. 

                          Overall, I would rate the solution eight out of ten.

                          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
                          reviewer2260503 - PeerSpot reviewer
                          Senior Infrastructure Engineer at a retailer with 501-1,000 employees
                          Real User
                          Top 20
                          Is user-friendly, has valuable integration with ESXi, and has great performance
                          Pros and Cons
                          • "Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are user-friendly."
                          • "I would appreciate the capability to carry out live updates without the need to take the system offline."

                          What is our primary use case?

                          We use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for our storage.

                          How has it helped my organization?

                          Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are always ahead of the curve when it comes to speed and performance, and therefore, they are more than adequately positioned to deal with the demands of changing infrastructure and changing demands from the business.

                          The cyber-resilient architecture of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers allows us to customize the information for individual users rather than being limited to a single generic account.

                          Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are continually evolving to achieve optimal energy efficiency and performance, utilizing the latest processors from both AMD and Intel.

                          Dell's OpenManage Console for lifecycle management is user-friendly. We have utilized a centralized console for both overall management and individualized control. The process, from initial setup to complete patching of firmware and drivers, is remarkably straightforward. Furthermore, its integration with the cloud eliminates the need for manual driver downloads or ISO installations. Since it operates entirely through the cloud, the process is exceptionally uncomplicated.

                          OpenManage Console helps our IT staff to be more productive.

                          The OpenManage Console reduces the time required for us to deploy new data centers by 25 percent because we can perform all tasks from the central console on a subscription basis.

                          The native OS security features have helped protect our environment from attacks.

                          The Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers exhibit high uptime. Once they are up and running, they remain operational, making them easy to maintain and manage in terms of driver patching. We observed these advantages immediately.

                          The impact of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers on our IT infrastructure and its ability to handle the demands of a remote or distributed workforce is good. This is because we can manage all of them from a central source. The presence of iDRAC means that we don't have to visit sites unnecessarily; everything can be managed efficiently.

                          Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers help in reducing unplanned production downtime by 100 TB. The maintenance we perform is very efficient. We plan for it, and the average failure rate is quite low. Therefore, we don't experience too many failures.

                          What is most valuable?

                          Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are user-friendly. The setup is easy and the overall experience with Dell from sales to support is absolutely wonderful.

                          The most valuable feature is the integration with ESXi, where they provide their custom ISOs, ensuring that all the drivers are installed.

                          What needs improvement?

                          I would appreciate the capability to carry out live updates without the need to take the system offline.

                          For how long have I used the solution?

                          I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for 20 years.

                          What do I think about the stability of the solution?

                          Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have been stable, which is why I have been using them for 20 years.

                          What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

                          The Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are scalable across the entire product range, ranging from one U to multiple U configurations and from single sockets to multiple sockets to cater to various markets.

                          How are customer service and support?

                          The technical support is excellent, and they consistently possess extensive knowledge about the products.

                          How would you rate customer service and support?

                          Positive

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

                          We previously utilized Cisco Servers but transitioned to Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers due to their cost-effectiveness and reliability. These systems have slight differences; while one serves as Unified Communications, the other is stand-alone and is more manageable.

                          How was the initial setup?

                          The initial setup is straightforward. I created a document explaining how to perform the task, and it was quite straightforward for individuals who are not familiar with PowerEdge systems. There weren't any complexities in the setup process; it's essentially a repetitive procedure. Once we've configured one PowerEdge server, the process is the same for all of them, as the product line doesn't substantially differ from a setup standpoint when utilizing PowerEdge servers.

                          Starting from the moment when ESXi is installed, the deployment takes approximately half a day to finish.

                          What about the implementation team?

                          I have implemented the solution in-house and have also utilized Insight UK as our integrator at my previous job.

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

                          I am satisfied with the pricing of the Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers and would rate the cost as seven out of ten, with ten being the best.

                          Which other solutions did I evaluate?

                          We chose Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers and Microsoft due to their lower cost and user-friendly nature.

                          What other advice do I have?

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

                          The integration of the app workloads with PowerEdge Rack Servers depends on the key factor of the operating system.

                          Using a public cloud instead of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers can potentially be more costly. The latency of any on-premises device will always be greater than that of the cloud.

                          I highly recommend Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers as long as they meet the organization's requirements for their use case. Users should first figure out their use case and ensure that their goals align with the available options.

                          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
                          Download our free Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
                          Updated: May 2025
                          Buyer's Guide
                          Download our free Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.