Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL] vs Dell PowerEdge R-Series comparison

Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL] and Dell PowerEdge R-Series are both solutions in the Rack Servers category. Additionally, 92% of Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL] users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 98% of Dell PowerEdge R-Series users who would recommend it.

Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL]

Read 13 Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL] reviews

92% willing to recommend

Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Read 228 Dell PowerEdge R-Series reviews

13,105 Views
12,843 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL]

Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 26, 2025

Dell PowerEdge R-Series and Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL] servers compete in the enterprise server market. Dell PowerEdge R-Series currently holds an advantage due to its focus on energy efficiency, remote management, and superior customer support.

Features: Dell PowerEdge R-Series servers offer easy remote management, flexible installation, and advanced security features such as BIOS recovery. iDRAC and OpenManage Console support evolving workloads with robust performance. Their high energy efficiency cuts down power consumption compared to multi-server setups. Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL] stood out for its modular design and customizable performance but did not focus on energy efficiency and compatibility as strengths.

Room for Improvement: Dell PowerEdge R-Series could enhance energy efficiency, firmware support, and NVMe storage options. Improvements in OpenManage Console and additional training resources are also favored by users who report longer hardware delivery times. Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL] models needed better energy consumption capabilities for larger environments, enhanced storage, broader integration features, more competitive pricing, and improved delivery timelines.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Dell PowerEdge R-Series servers are recognized for easy deployment and excellent customer service, with ProSupport praised for responsiveness despite critiques of initial support tiers. Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL] also had positive deployment feedback, though it lacked the same level of support feedback as the R-Series, likely due to its end-of-life status.

Pricing and ROI: Dell PowerEdge R-Series is competitively priced, with emphasis on features and support justifying the cost. Users see it as a worthwhile investment due to its reliability and long service life. Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL] was priced affordably, especially against brands like HPE and Lenovo, though seen as higher-priced when factoring in features and services. Both series provided reasonable ROI from longevity and reduced operating costs, though specific metrics were not frequently noted.

To learn more, read our detailed Rack Servers Report (Updated: October 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Rack Servers

October 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 869,785 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL]

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

8.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

228

Ranking in other categories

Converged Infrastructure (4th), Data Center Networking (2nd), Blade Servers (5th), Rack Servers (1st)

Featured Reviews

MarcGaethofs

ICT manager at Thys Bouwprojecten

A highly stable product that seamlessly integrates with the storage portfolio and provides excellent technical support

We have a lot of questions during the order process. They get answered well. The machines are ready to go when we switch on the power. It will depend on our configuration. If we don't make an order with all the configuration specs in it, we’ll get nothing. We will have to do it all by ourselves. Which isn't a problem, but it will take longer. The solution is deployed on-premise, but we're transitioning to more hybrid solutions. We have a team for storage and connectivity. We also have a team for switching and networking. We need three to five enterprise system engineers to build a normal-sized cluster with 500 users. We also need a project manager.

Read full review

Ravi Ramananda

Assistant VP, Information Technology at a insurance company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Offers unmatched security, stability, and uptime

Based on my experience, one area where Dell could improve the PowerEdge R-Series servers is in the disk bus controllers. There is a need for advancements in this area from a hardware perspective. While PowerEdge has several AI-enabled models and is making strides in technology, I believe that the hard disk controllers need to be more effective compared to competitors like Lenovo and HPE. Currently, even when using SSDs or SaaS disk models in my Dell PowerEdge R-Series servers, the throughput is roughly 10%-15% lower compared to similar offerings from HPE and Lenovo. While this doesn't have a major impact on my business, it is worth noting since Dell has a strong position in Gartner ratings. Overall, the hardware quality is good, but I frequently encounter errors that are not hardware-related; they're mainly cyclic errors where the server struggles to process data as quickly as other manufacturers' controllers. Despite this, I am completely satisfied with the functionality of the Dell PowerEdge R-Series. Flexibility is a debatable topic, and I would rate it about a six out of ten. When it comes to flexibility, we do need to account for downtime if we want to extend or make changes. There are very few hot-pluggable devices in Dell servers compared to others, making online plug-and-play opportunities limited. So, I would rate flexibility as a six rather than a five.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The most valuable feature is its stability."

"The best feature is PowerEdge's ability to stack up eight blade servers in one 2U chassis."

"My advice to new users evaluating Dell PowerEdge FX is that it is definitely value for money, and you should consider it for purchase."

"It is a scalable solution. My company hasn't faced any difficulties related to the product's performance and scalability since Dell ensures to provide a high-performance service."

"The product seamlessly integrates with the storage portfolio."

"The most valuable feature of Dell PowerEdge FX is you can customize the solution to your specifications, such as speed. Additionally, part orders are shipped and received quickly when a part needs to be replaced."

"The console and user-friendly UI of Dell PowerEdge FX are the most valuable features. Its interface is easy to understand even for non-technical users."

"The remote management is great."

More Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL] pros

"I have realized a return on my investment with Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers in terms of cost savings."

"My company has seen a return on investment from using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, as the builds that the build team runs are going approximately 30% faster on the newer PowerEdge than what we were using previously."

"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."

"The GUI is accessible and everything is pretty much upfront. You don't get lost in navigating between the tabs."

"The feature I like the most about Dell PowerEdge R-Series is its reliability."

"It's a very user-friendly solution."

"Their support is very good and very effective."

"The solution is easy to use and has good performance."

More Dell PowerEdge R-Series pros

Cons

"I don't have any technical issues, but I would like to see the commercial side improve as compared to all other OEMs."

"When it comes to Dell PowerEdge FX, the area of concern revolves around the delivery time where improvements are required."

"The positioning of the power supply is not ideal. Both of them are on the same side, so you need to untie the cabling when you're installing the server. Another thing is storage separation. The storage can only be used by a particular server blade. I want the ability to use a storage unit for more than one server."

"There are certain shortcomings with Dell PowerEdge FX's integration capabilities with different operating systems, where improvements are needed."

"There are times when a part might break down and we need to have Dell replace it."

"It should have more simplified management. It is a common problem where vendors think that they have simplified a solution, but the users don't look at it in the same way. A vendor thinks that there are only ten steps for a task, but we consider them as many steps. It should also have more support for NVMe. For high performance and speed, there should also be more network cards for the fiber channel and ethernet."

"They could improve from a manufacturing perspective."

"The system is good, but compared to open-source and assembled servers, it is somewhat costly."

More Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL] cons

"I would like for PowerEdge Rack Servers could be a bit more compact."

"The ways Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers could improve relate more to the educational aspects of how customers can continue to leverage technology, which presents challenges."

"The price is the only thing that can be improved."

"The price is very high."

"When trying to quote devices and servers for our Mexico City offices directly with Dell instead of through a partner, we encountered some challenges. It took several months to negotiate appropriate pricing, requiring escalation to the director of Dell Mexico and communication with Dell US."

"I would like them to add more NVMe slots. That would be good. That way, it would have better performance, e.g., enough storage for better performance than a spinning disk."

"If I could improve the Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers in any way, I would say that buying the components separately at a lower cost is the only thing."

"I would improve Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers by making their firmware upgrades easier. They do have Dell OpenManage Enterprise, which is easy, but when I am at remote sites, I have to download it locally to apply updates."

More Dell PowerEdge R-Series cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Payments are generally made towards the perpetual-based licensing costs attached to the solution, but people can also opt for subscription-based licenses."

"The cost of Dell PowerEdge FX depends on the configuration we are using. We usually pay $5,000 to $10,000 based on the configuration, including RAM and storage."

"Compared to other brands, this solution is the cheapest. I would rate the pricing as a five out of five."

"The price of Dell PowerEdge FX is affordable, and when compared to other solutions, such as Lenovo and HPE it is less expensive. There are any extra costs other than the standard solution."

"The price of the license is expensive."

"I rate the product price a four on a scale of one to ten, where one is a high price, and ten is a low price."

"They are fairly priced."

"You can't have computed performance without using more power. That said, when I consider the power consumption and performance of the MX740c, depending on how much memory you install on each blade, you get the best bang for your buck."

"We would prefer it if the pricing were for half the cost. We have been expanding our company, and my boss stated that we must save money."

"We weren't paying very much, but it was at the end of the lifecycle. We are now using the VxRail hyper-converged infrastructure, and the pricing was very similar for the same amount of power but with easier automation."

"The pricing is very competitive."

"We have a contract with the OEM of the equipment for licenses, so we possess all OEM licenses for the Dell software. We have licenses for Linux and VMware software, with a special price and an annual contract for updates of Linux and VMware. Additionally, we have an Oracle database on the Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers."

"The pricing is very good because there are a lot of types of PowerEdge Rack Servers. You have the R540, R640, and R740. The prices are very scalable through the specific server, e.g., small businesses can take the R640 while large businesses can take the R740 or R840. Thus, Dell technologies touch on every organization."

"The cost structure associated with Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers presents itself as a potential point of contention for budget-conscious consumers, as it could be more strategically positioned to compete within the broader marketplace."

More Dell PowerEdge R-Series pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Rack Servers solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

869,785 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

15%

Computer Software Company

13%

Non Profit

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

21%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	2

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	79
Midsize Enterprise	52
Large Enterprise	95

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Dell PowerEdge FX?

The product's initial setup phase was simple and easy.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell PowerEdge FX?

The cost of Dell PowerEdge FX depends on the configuration we are using. We usually pay $5,000 to $10,000 based on the configuration, including RAM and storage.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Dell PowerEdge FX?

The system is good, but compared to open-source and assembled servers, it is somewhat costly. If it were cheaper, it would be even better. I would prefer the next releases of Dell PowerEdge FX to b...

See all answers

When shopping for a rack server, would you go with Dell EMC Poweredge or Lenovo Thinksystem?

Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether the Dell EMC Poweredge or Lenovo Thinksystem rack servers were the better fit for us. We ultimately decided to go with Dell EMC Poweredge....

See all answers

What do you like most about Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers?

It has helped us reduce unplanned downtime by 20% to 30%.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers?

For the most part, there’s no need for improvement in areas like manageability and security; they’ve covered those quite well. The storage controllers are also very well designed, and the support f...

See all answers

Comparisons

HPE Apollo Systems vs Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL]

Compared 37% of the time

Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers vs Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL]

Compared 27% of the time

Lenovo Edge Servers vs Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL]

Compared 22% of the time

HPE Moonshot vs Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL]

Compared 13% of the time

More Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL] Competitors

HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Compared 40% of the time

Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers vs Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Compared 27% of the time

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Compared 10% of the time

IBM Power Systems vs Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Compared 6% of the time

Huawei FusionServer RH Series Rack Servers vs Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Compared 5% of the time

More Dell PowerEdge R-Series Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL]

October 2025

Download Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL] product report

Buyer's Guide

Dell PowerEdge R-Series

October 2025

Download Dell PowerEdge R-Series product report

Also Known As

PowerEdge FX

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers

Overview

Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL] offers a blend of high performance, power efficiency, and scalability, featuring robust servers and seamless integration for virtualization, enterprise applications, and cloud hosting.

Dell PowerEdge FX [EOL] provides a reliable platform for Hyper-V workloads, web servers, virtual desktops, and database installations, meeting diverse sector requirements such as finance, manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals. It integrates seamlessly with storage solutions, enables quick part replacements, and supports virtualization and server consolidation, enhancing data analytics and enterprise applications. However, users seek improvements in documentation, NVMe support, network card availability, and operating system integration, while addressing concerns about power supply positioning and cost. Automation enhancements and a prolonged lifecycle are also sought-after updates.

What are the most important features of Dell PowerEdge FX?

Stability: Known for dependable operation with minimal failures, ensuring continuous uptime.
High Performance: Delivers impressive processing speeds catering to extensive workloads.
Easy Management: Features an intuitive management interface for streamlined operations.
Robust Servers: Enables stacking of blade servers within one chassis for efficient resource use.
Power Efficiency: Optimized for energy use, reducing operational costs.
High Scalability: Accommodates growing IT needs with flexible expansion options.

What benefits should users consider in reviews?

Ease of Customization: Adaptable to specific business needs and easy integration with existing infrastructure.
Reliable Remote Management: iDRAC interface provides dependable remote control capabilities.
Minimal Failures: Demonstrates consistent stability and reliability for critical operations.
Seamless Integration: Works well with storage solutions and enterprise applications enhancing usability.
Quick Replacement Parts: Facilitates swift maintenance and part replacement to minimize downtime.

In industries like finance, manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals, PowerEdge FX is implemented to support data analytics, enterprise applications, and server consolidation. Leveraged for hosting and virtualization, companies use it for vital applications such as SAP S/4HANA, Microsoft Exchange, and backend systems, ensuring reliable and powerful performance.

Dell Technologies

PowerEdge R-Series delivers high performance, flexibility, and scalability for data centers. It supports demanding tasks with robust management tools and advanced cooling, providing reliability and efficiency across various workloads.

Engineered for large deployments, PowerEdge R-Series supports extensive configurations optimizing performance in data centers. With features like advanced cooling and energy-efficient architecture, it empowers organizations to manage heavy workloads while facilitating seamless scalability. It offers remote management, robust security, and integration with VMware ensuring operational excellence and high availability for business-critical applications.

What are the key features of Dell PowerEdge R-Series?

Scalability: Supports flexible configurations for diverse workloads.
Remote Management: iDRAC and OpenManage facilitate easy oversight.
Energy Efficiency: Architecture helps reduce energy consumption.
Security: Robust features ensure protected performance.
VMware Integration: Enhances manageability and productivity.

What benefits and ROI should you look for?

Performance: Handles high-performance and demanding tasks.
Flexibility: Offers easily upgradable configurations.
Reliability: Provides consistent performance with long-term support.
Efficiency: Reduces energy use and operational costs.
Ease of Use: Simplifies management and maintenance.

PowerEdge R-Series is deployed across industries for virtualization, database hosting, and application servers. It supports environments like VMware and Hyper-V for AI, cloud infrastructure, and computing tasks. Widely used by finance, healthcare, and academia, it enhances reliability and efficiency of IT infrastructure.

Dell Technologies

Sample Customers

Tracewell, Govers, AXA ASSISTANCE ITALIA

NxtGen Datacenter, Medien-Service Untermain (MSU), Exasol, IndigoVision, Dayco

Find out what your peers are saying about Dell Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Lenovo and others in Rack Servers. Updated: October 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

869,785 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our list of best Rack Servers vendors.

We monitor all Rack Servers reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.