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Dell PowerEdge FX vs IBM Power Systems comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

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
Ranking in Rack Servers
9th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
8.1
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
IBM Power Systems
Ranking in Rack Servers
4th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
3.9
Number of Reviews
71
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Rack Servers category, the mindshare of Dell PowerEdge FX is 1.4%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Power Systems is 9.0%, up from 8.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rack Servers
 

Featured Reviews

MarcGaethofs - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Rohintan-Karanjia - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers security features, including HIPs, Postgres, intrusion prevention systems, and AI for specific tasks
We've found that sometimes, certain setups require better servers. Ideally, the next level of model that IBM offers would be perfect for those situations. Sometimes, the availability of additional services can be a challenge for some software. Certain IBM software takes time to deliver to the client. It can be slow. So deployment is an area for improvement.

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 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."
"We like PowerEdge for its high-performance computing architecture."
"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 most valuable feature is its stability."
"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 has extremely high performance, and it is easy to manage."
"The best feature is PowerEdge's ability to stack up eight blade servers in one 2U chassis."
"The remote management is great."
"It is a very scalable solution."
"The virtualization and the quality you get from it is one reason we like the solution."
"Additionally, the processing power is far superior, especially with the RSA feature for reliability, serviceability, and availability."
"Active Memory Expansion allows you to compress your memory on the run time to allow you to have less physical memory available, but provision more memory to your partitions, as everything will be compressed on the fly."
"The technical support that clients get from IBM is excellent."
"From a software developer standpoint, virtualization is really the key, as we can more easily spin up a new partition, virtual instance of IBM i."
"Power VM gives us the flexibility to increase or decrease machine resources when required."
"We value the stability and technology capability of this solution the most. It is very stable, and the processor technology of IBM is very good. When you have a CIO and you are dealing with C-level every day, you can, without any doubt, support the core banking or critical applications with this solution."
 

Cons

"There are certain shortcomings with Dell PowerEdge FX's integration capabilities with different operating systems, where improvements are needed."
"I would prefer the next releases of Dell PowerEdge FX to be easier to use and flexible to upgrade. Sometimes, we have to do the tasks manually, but automation would be very helpful."
"I don't have any technical issues, but I would like to see the commercial side improve as compared to all other OEMs."
"The system is good, but compared to open-source and assembled servers, it is somewhat costly."
"When it comes to Dell PowerEdge FX, the area of concern revolves around the delivery time where improvements are required."
"There are times when a part might break down and we need to have Dell replace it."
"They could improve from a manufacturing perspective."
"I rate Dell support six out of 10. It varies. Sometimes it's good. Sometimes it's bad. The response time could be better."
"The pricing of the product could always be lowered."
"IBM should provide a platform where users can learn about the storage and security of IBM Power Systems."
"The price has room for improvement."
"In my country, there are power supply interruptions. IBM could find ways to make the product stable through these interruptions."
"It would be ideal if the solution was more simple to work with."
"It does not offer the ability to run any X86 or X64 Intel architecture-based application on Power Systems. There are a lot of applications, lots of business use cases that do not support this architecture as of now. If somehow application tasks can be ported on to IBM Power Systems, that would be a big improvement."
"Better manage heterogeneous footprints of all the different operating systems that are out there across one common interface."
"I would like to see IBM Power Systems integrate with all cloud types."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"Compared to other brands, this solution is the cheapest. I would rate the pricing as a five out of five."
"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."
"The price of the license is expensive."
"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."
"Payments are generally made towards the perpetual-based licensing costs attached to the solution, but people can also opt for subscription-based licenses."
"The price of the solution depends upon the configuration part of it. Based on what configuration you want to go for it, there is a range like IBM Power Systems POWER9 and IBM Power Systems Power10."
"IBM Power is more expensive than other rack-mount servers, and you have to have a license for everything, including cores and memory."
"The additional software costs are high."
"The licensing costs are okay. With IBM Power Systems, it's inclusive, so you can differentiate the price of the hardware from the software itself."
"Price-wise, I rate the solution a five out of ten."
"The price of IBM Power Systems is expensive and could improve."
"Why should I be charged for that use rather than a single CPU, a single socket?"
"The price of the solution could be somewhat better and this is what lowers my rating of it to a seven or eight out of ten."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
18%
Computer Software Company
11%
Media Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Dell PowerEdge FX?
The product's initial setup phase was simple and easy.
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.
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...
What do you like most about IBM Power Systems?
IBM Power Systems provides very good performance and stability compared to other brands or processors.
What needs improvement with IBM Power Systems?
There are definitely areas for improvement, but that's not really from the technological side of things. I rarely find any people with Power skills on the market. When I get young people from unive...
What is your primary use case for IBM Power Systems?
I use IBM Power Systems for online transactional processing, and in parts, also for online analytical processing. We mainly use IBM Power Systems' IBMI, which is an operating system with an integra...
 

Also Known As

PowerEdge FX
IBM OpenPOWER LC
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Tracewell, Govers, AXA ASSISTANCE ITALIA
Cipher
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell PowerEdge FX vs. IBM Power Systems and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
865,384 professionals have used our research since 2012.