Dell PowerMax Reviews

Name: Dell PowerMax
Brand: Dell Technologies
Rating: 4.4 (78 reviews)

4.4 out of 5

78 reviews
97% willing to recommend

366 followers

What is Dell PowerMax?

Dell PowerMax offers robust performance, reliability, and efficient data handling. It is recognized for its compression, deduplication, and NVMe technology, significantly benefiting data centers with its advanced replication and uptime.

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Dell PowerMax is the #3 ranked solution in best NVMe All-Flash Arrays and #7 ranked solution in best All-Flash Storage Arrays. PeerSpot users give Dell PowerMax an average rating of 8.8 out of 10. Dell PowerMax is most commonly compared to Dell PowerStore: Dell PowerMax vs Dell PowerStore. Dell PowerMax is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 65% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a financial services firm, accounting for 17% of all views.

Helped 851,471 peers since 2012

Featured Dell PowerMax reviews

Moin-Shah

System and Storage Admin at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

The most useful feature of Dell PowerMax NVMe for me right now is its ease of management with the API functionality, which allows for automatic provisioning from anywhere, even without using the storage itself. It can be API integrated to any system. Its performance offers the highest capability. They have very, very, very good performance. Application users can also take snapshots for provisioning, and it can be integrated with any system. Another important aspect is its performance and IOPS capability, which is very good concerning reads, writes, and IOPS. Dell PowerMax NVMe is very supportive of our operational growth since we require daily performance from our core banking systems and need to facilitate data movement efficiently.

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Kazi Amranul Houqe

First Assistant Vice President (FAVP) & Unit Head of Server & Storage Management Unit at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

We are using Dell EMC PowerScale for the data and Dell PowerMax NVMe for the production database and production guardian database. Dell PowerMax NVMe provides enterprise solutions for banks and other companies that have to implement their online database and data transactional database…

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Haseeb Khalid Sheikh

Senior Manager Enterprise Solutions at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees

The solution's most valuable feature is the data reduction ratio. You can store a 5:1 ratio of your data in Dell PowerMax NVMe. For example, if you have 200 terabytes of usable capacity, you can save up to five times of data on that capacity. That means you can save one petabyte of data on just 200 terabytes of usable capacity. The solution's end-to-end NVMe capabilities have improved our operations. Everything is fast, and you don't have to map your storage to old hybrid storage technologies. Our organization has experienced positive change, and the solution has improved our uptime, availability, performance, and capacity.

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Dell PowerMax mindshare

Product category:

As of May 2025, the mindshare of Dell PowerMax in the NVMe All-Flash Storage Arrays category stands at 8.5%, down from 12.9% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

NVMe All-Flash Storage Arrays

PeerResearch reports based on Dell PowerMax reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	NVMe All-Flash Storage Arrays	May 18, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	May 18, 2025	Download
Comparison	Dell PowerMax vs Dell PowerStore	May 18, 2025	Download
Comparison	Dell PowerMax vs NetApp AFF	May 18, 2025	Download
Comparison	Dell PowerMax vs Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS)	May 18, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Dell PowerStore	4.3	23.7%	96%	85 interviews Add to research
Pure Storage FlashArray	4.6	N/A	99%	199 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

Dell PowerMax users highlight its performance, reliability, and efficiency. Key features include NVMe technology, data reduction through compression and deduplication, and robust replication capabilities like SRDF. Its integration with CloudIQ and REST API enhances management and predictive analytics. PowerMax is praised for its compact size, scalability, and strong performance in handling diverse workloads, offering high availability and fast response times, which contribute to significant cost savings and operational improvements.

"Dell PowerMax NVMe is very supportive of our operational growth since we require daily performance from our core banking systems and need to facilitate data movement efficiently."
"Technical support for Dell PowerMax NVMe is good, and I am satisfied with the assistance provided."
"The solution is stable. I would rate it ten out of ten."

Room for Improvement

Dell PowerMax users seek better deduplication and compression, improved GUI, and enhanced NVMe capabilities. Stability and installation issues persist, while automation and storage provisioning need refinement. Cost concerns are prevalent among users who desire more accessible integration, simpler management, and better documentation. Challenges exist with CloudIQ features and integration with public cloud services. Pricing adjustments, enhanced AI, and increased scalability are also important for Dell PowerMax users.

"One area for improvement is its user-friendliness, as it's a bit engineer-oriented. Specific knowledge and expertise are required to manage it properly, which some users might find a bit challenging."
"Specific knowledge and expertise are required to manage it properly, which some users might find a bit challenging."
"While Dell PowerMax NVMe is very reliable storage and cannot experience downtime, we sometimes face challenges in our territories regarding the availability of critical parts."

ROI

Many experienced a reduction in cost per gigabyte and seamless migration from older systems to Dell PowerMax. Users consistently noted significant improvements in performance and cost efficiency, with some seeing ROI in as little as two years through workload consolidation and reduced maintenance. The enhanced latency, increased uptime, and data center footprint reduction were frequently highlighted. PowerMax's impact on performance metrics, labor savings, and platform consolidation has rendered it a valuable investment.

Pricing

Dell PowerMax pricing is perceived as high, with many users noting it's more expensive than competitors. Costs can vary based on project size, capacity, and software features required. While licensing is generally considered reasonable, support contracts can be costly. Enterprise buyers often negotiate significant discounts, and Dell offers different pricing models, including pay-as-you-go, to manage expenses. Despite being a premium solution, many users believe the features and performance justify the higher price point.

"Dell offers various pricing models, including a pay-as-you-go option where storage is provided without upfront charges, billing only for used capacity. As a 360° partner, significant discounts are available."
"The price is starting from $500,000."
"The tool is very expensive."

Popular Use Cases

Dell PowerMax is primarily utilized for mission-critical applications, database and transactional storage, virtualization, and analytics. It supports diverse environments like VMware, Oracle, SQL, and SAP. Users deploy it for redundancy, performance, and high availability, leveraging NVMe technology for low latency and high throughput. It caters to industries such as healthcare, finance, and telecom for tasks such as core banking, ERP, disaster recovery, and high-performance workloads. PowerMax's scalability and reliability are pivotal features for large-scale data handling.

Service and Support

Dell PowerMax customer service and support generally receive high praise for responsiveness, knowledge, and strong assistance. Users note that while support is mostly efficient, improvements are needed in first-level issue resolution and SLA compliance. Some users report excellent support experiences, with proactive solutions, while others mention challenges such as language barriers or extended resolution times. Users value real-time monitoring tools and emphasize the need for support to be more accessible and quicker in certain regions.

Deployment

Initial setup experiences with Dell PowerMax varied. Some found it straightforward and easy, emphasizing quick deployment and minimal issues. Others highlighted complexity, especially in migration and integration, requiring experienced personnel and assistance from Dell. Despite occasional challenges, many appreciated support and seamless transitions from older systems. Factors like previous experience and specific configurations influenced ease of installation, although once established, users faced few operational difficulties with ongoing management.

Scalability

Users find Dell PowerMax highly scalable, ideal for enterprise environments. Many praise its capacity to expand without performance loss and appreciate the ease of adding components. However, some note limitations compared to other providers. NVMe capabilities are highlighted positively, facilitating seamless growth and efficient management. While a few mention controller issues at high load, the general sentiment leans towards commendable scalability ratings, making it suitable for diverse storage needs.

Stability

Dell PowerMax exhibits outstanding stability, often described as rock-solid, reliable, and exceptionally stable. Users frequently report five or six nines uptime, with minimal to no downtime experienced. Occasional bugs are swiftly addressed by Dell EMC. Many have used the system for years without significant faults, praising its redundancy and ability to handle mission-critical tasks smoothly. Despite minor hardware concerns, Dell PowerMax remains a highly dependable and trustworthy choice.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our Dell PowerMax Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

17%

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Retailer

Healthcare Company

University

Comms Service Provider

Energy/Utilities Company

Educational Organization

Real Estate/Law Firm

Wholesaler/Distributor

Non Profit

Outsourcing Company

Hospitality Company

Media Company

Construction Company

Consumer Goods Company

Insurance Company

Legal Firm

Performing Arts

Transportation Company

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Logistics Company

Aerospace/Defense Firm

Engineering Company

Compare Dell PowerMax with alternative products

Learn more about Dell PowerMax

PowerMax is equipped to handle mission-critical applications, providing impressive performance metrics with low latency and high IOPS capacity. Its CloudIQ and Unisphere interfaces enhance manageability, while REST API support simplifies storage management. Users in sectors like healthcare, finance, and telecommunications leverage its capabilities for database management, high-transaction block storage, and disaster recovery. However, opportunities for improving deduplication efficiency, interface complexity, and automation remain.

What are the key features of Dell PowerMax?

Data Reduction: Combines compression and deduplication for efficient storage use.
NVMe Technology: Enables swift data handling with high throughput.
CloudIQ and Unisphere: Streamlines manageability and control.
REST API Support: Simplifies integration with management tools.
High Availability: Ensures consistent uptime across platforms.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Performance Metrics: Look for low latency and high IOPS as indicators.
Reliability: Consistent operations with minimal interruptions.
Manageability: Efficient control over storage environments.
Cost Efficiency: Note any potential savings in data processing and storage.

Industries utilize Dell PowerMax to support diverse environments like VMware, Oracle, and PostgreSQL. It serves multiple sectors such as healthcare, finance, and government, aiding in data storage consolidation, disaster recovery, and high-availability hosting for critical systems and applications.

Dell PowerMax was previously known as Dell PowerMax NVMe, Dell EMC PowerMax, PowerMax.