Dell PowerEdge R-Series vs Dell PowerEdge XE-Series comparison

Dell PowerEdge R-Series and Dell PowerEdge XE-Series are both solutions in the Rack Servers category. Dell PowerEdge R-Series is ranked #1 with an average rating of 9.0, while Dell PowerEdge XE-Series is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.5. Dell PowerEdge R-Series holds a 27.5% mindshare in Rack Servers, compared to Dell PowerEdge XE-Series’s 1.1% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of Dell PowerEdge R-Series users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Dell PowerEdge XE-Series users who would recommend it.

Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Read 211 Dell PowerEdge R-Series reviews

13,941 Views
13,802 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

Dell PowerEdge XE-Series

Read 11 Dell PowerEdge XE-Series reviews

655 Views
655 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Dell PowerEdge XE-Series

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 26, 2025

Dell PowerEdge R-Series and XE-Series compete in the server market, with the R-Series having an edge in flexibility and remote management capabilities, while the XE-Series excels in big data and analytics applications.

Features: The Dell PowerEdge R-Series is notable for its scalability, ease of upgrades, and robust remote management tools like iDRAC and DRAC Enterprise. It performs exceptionally well in decentralized environments. In contrast, the Dell PowerEdge XE-Series is recognized for its compatibility with data center ecosystems and big data analytics, making it ideal for high-demand, data-centric tasks.

Room for Improvement: Dell PowerEdge R-Series could improve on memory speed, IOPS, and streamlined management interfaces. Parts availability and technical documentation also need enhancement. Dell PowerEdge XE-Series would benefit from better extensibility, improved stability, and enhanced market presence. Improved API support and additional scalability features are also noted as potential improvements.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both Dell PowerEdge R-Series and XE-Series are praised for dependable on-premises deployment capabilities. The R-Series supports hybrid and private cloud environments with comprehensive support. Both series are commended for excellent customer service, with the R-Series having quick issue resolution, despite some delays post-COVID, and the XE-Series noted for its prompt technical support and responsiveness.

Pricing and ROI: The Dell PowerEdge R-Series, though seen as more expensive than some competitors, provides strong value with transparent and reasonable licensing. It's cost-effective due to varied pricing strategies catering to different organizational needs. Conversely, the XE-Series is seen as competitively priced with a low cost of implementation. Users appreciate its ROI through operational efficiencies and reliability, but R-Series stands out for abundant pricing options catering to diverse requirements.

To learn more, read our detailed Dell PowerEdge R-Series vs. Dell PowerEdge XE-Series Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Dell PowerEdge R-Series vs. Dell PowerEdge XE-Series

July 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 865,829 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 R-Series

Ranking in Rack Servers

1st

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

211

Ranking in other categories

Converged Infrastructure (3rd), Data Center Networking (4th), Blade Servers (5th)

Dell PowerEdge XE-Series

Ranking in Rack Servers

10th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.0

Number of Reviews

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 R-Series is 27.5%, down from 28.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerEdge XE-Series is 1.1%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Rack Servers

Featured Reviews

Syed Masuood

Country manager at Asta Innosys

Handles workloads and diverse applications efficiently

We have a lot of VMs on Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. On a single server, we have probably hosted 14 or 15 VMs. Out of these, 8 to 10 are continuously running, and four of them are backup VMs, so it can handle a good workload. For cybersecurity, it is only accessible on the intranet; it is not accessible through the web. We use it for local development purposes, and it is behind our firewall. Its security is strong. We handle a lot of test data for government and confidential customers. It is safe and strong locally. We have not experienced any security issues. Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have helped to reduce unplanned production downtime if we need to replace a hard disk, instead of completely shutting a server, there is a hot swap feature. It is quite good in that aspect. Usually, for any activity, there is a downtime of about 30 minutes. It has saved a lot of time. We have tried AI workloads for a development environment for a government customer in Singapore. The servers are hosted in Singapore. It is an ML-based engine with AI. It is a government project where data is processed, and we run it on Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. The benefit of running AI workloads on PowerEdge Servers is that it is easy to allocate memory. The application we are running is memory intensive. It is pretty easy to scale memory and storage.

Read full review

Muzammil Nasim

Software Architect at a manufacturing company with 501-1,000 employees

We're hardly using 15 percent of their computing power, so there's a lot left over that we could utilize

It should be easier to extend PowerEdge XE servers. We haven't architected them with an eye toward scalability. They have a fixed number of slots for hard drives, which is enough for our present use case, However, we would have more options if we could extend that. We could deploy the servers in a broader range of use cases with different requirements. It's fine for our current deployment with only a few thousand users. We're exploring other solutions like such as VxRail or PowerFlex for larger public-facing use cases.

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

"I have very good experience with their technical support."

"The hardware itself is pleasant to work with. The management ability, particularly the out-of-band management, seems quite nice. The ecosystem tooling is also pleasant to work with. Additionally, Dell offers good support, and the servers are reliable."

"We are able to do remote monitoring and installation of hardware and software, and that tends to be very popular with customers."

"Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers scale really well with the growing needs of my company."

"These web servers were easily manageable from as early as 2003. We have a very large building, and it was possible to manage them remotely in a simple way from as early as 2003."

"The feature I appreciate the most about Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is the reliability."

"The solution is very strong and reliable."

"The main benefits we receive from Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are stability and reliability."

More Dell PowerEdge R-Series pros

"The most valuable feature of these servers is the ability to store a lot—the capacity and the number of hard disk drives."

"The resource management features are valuable."

"The most valuable feature is the trusted platform module."

"The solution is flexible in my experience."

"Its reliability and consistency are most valuable."

"The strong point of this solution is its compatibility with VMware and its resilience."

"PowerEdge XE servers are high-performing. We're hardly using 15 percent of their computing power, so there's a lot left over that we could utilize."

"In general, it works well. We haven't had issues."

More Dell PowerEdge XE-Series pros

Cons

"The management of the security architecture could be improved. It takes some time and can be challenging."

"Currently, the solution does not have the in-process memory encryption technology."

"In terms of the iDRAC software, when selecting systems, especially multiple systems to upgrade, there's really no way to confirm that specific systems are selected."

"All of the marketing terminologies from Dell are very complicated as they have names that sometimes involve the same technology."

"Speaking on the XE series specifically, the internal service to the system, if you need to get to a DIMM or anything similar, requires that you remove all three risers and the storage controller. It's not very internally service friendly."

"I would like to see the pricing improved."

"The pricing for Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers would be absolutely better."

"We wanted to have two storage cards during the onboarding process of the solution, which were available only on the more expensive version of the boxes that we usually use for work in our company."

More Dell PowerEdge R-Series cons

"Dell PowerEdge XE Servers can improve by adapting HCI technology."

"It should be easier to extend PowerEdge XE servers. We haven't architected them with an eye toward scalability. They have a fixed number of slots for hard drives, which is enough for our present use case, However, we would have more options if we could extend that. We could deploy the servers in a broader range of use cases with different requirements. It's fine for our current deployment with only a few thousand users. We're exploring other solutions like such as VxRail or PowerFlex for larger public-facing use cases."

"It is mostly stable, but the usual problem would be, for example, upgrading to a newer version of VMware or dealing with compatibility issues during the process."

"The quality and reliability could be improved."

"Upgrading can be a bit difficult."

"The support team must improve the speed of response."

"We use OpenManager a lot, and that can be a bit clunky at times. They can make that better."

"In future releases, there should be more support options for the latest processor."

More Dell PowerEdge XE-Series cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"PowerEdge is not a cheap product. It's a quality product, but there is always competition. If you want to buy a server, you need an operating system, and most of it is Microsoft. A bundled solution costs less than a separate operating system and hardware."

"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."

"The more complex the server requirements, the more expensive it gets."

"It is very competitive. I have not been too involved in the licensing, but from a hardware perspective, I always find them to be competitive."

"The pricing for this solution is competitive compared to others on the market."

"It's not a very expensive solution."

"I don't know about the product's licensing part. Price-wise, it is an okay product. I believe that the cheaper the better, but I think that the product's price is okay."

"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."

More Dell PowerEdge R-Series pricing and cost advice

"There are different types of licensing available, that works well for customers. The product is not very much to purchase."

"This solution is priced very reasonably."

"The pricing model is quite competitive."

"You always want slightly cheaper, but overall, they are quite comparable and quite neutral."

"If you want an SLA for parts and equipment then you need to purchase a support agreement."

"Dell has competitive pricing."

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

865,829 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

21%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Educational Organization

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Retailer

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

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?

Mainly, I would like to improve the speed of storage response. We would like to improve our performance by using disks without rotation. The price is better now, and I think it will be better in th...

See all answers

What do you like most about Dell PowerEdge XE Servers?

The resource management features are valuable.

See all answers

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

Dell has competitive pricing.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Dell PowerEdge XE Servers?

The support team must improve the speed of response. The product should be promoted more in the market.

See all answers

Comparisons

HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Compared 40% of the time

Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers vs Dell PowerEdge R-Series

Compared 29% 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

HPE Apollo Systems vs Dell PowerEdge XE-Series

Compared 35% of the time

Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers vs Dell PowerEdge XE-Series

Compared 26% of the time

Dell XR2 Rugged Server vs Dell PowerEdge XE-Series

Compared 16% of the time

IBM Power Systems vs Dell PowerEdge XE-Series

Compared 13% of the time

More Dell PowerEdge XE-Series Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Dell PowerEdge R-Series

August 2025

Download Dell PowerEdge R-Series product report

Buyer's Guide

Rack Servers

August 2025

Download Dell PowerEdge XE-Series product report

Also Known As

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers

PowerEdge XE Servers

Overview

Dell PowerEdge R-Series rack servers offer enterprise-class performance and scalable efficiency for modern workloads across virtualization, mission-critical applications, AI, and hybrid cloud.

Delivering robust performance, Dell PowerEdge R-Series supports a wide range of configurations, making them suitable for diverse tasks like virtualization and data management. With advanced cooling, iDRAC, OpenManage, and comprehensive security features, they ensure high uptime and streamlined operations. Known for intuitive GUI and seamless VMware integration, these servers provide scalability and energy efficiency. However, they could benefit from enhancements in processing power, interface optimization, scalability, and installation speed, along with more responsive support.

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

Remote Management: Facilitated by iDRAC for efficient server handling.
Scalability: Supports expansive virtualization capabilities.
Security: Integrated with strong security measures.
Energy Efficiency: Designed for lower power consumption.
Integration: Compatible with VMware for streamlined operations.

What benefits and ROI should you expect?

Improved Uptime: Reliable performance for continuous operation.
Operational Simplicity: Simplified management with OpenManage Suite.
Cost Efficiency: Competitively priced with flexibility in configurations.
Enhanced Diagnostics: Extensive tools for easier troubleshooting.

In industries like finance and healthcare, Dell PowerEdge R-Series finds use in database hosting, application processing, virtualization with VMware and Hyper-V, AI workloads, and software-defined networking. Organizations deploy these servers to tackle compute-intensive tasks and manage data storage efficiently.

Dell Technologies

Dell PowerEdge XE-Series servers deliver extreme performance for demanding AI and high-performance workloads, supporting hyperscalers, AI leaders, and enterprises.

The Dell PowerEdge XE-Series is purpose-built for high-density computing, with capacity for up to 32 drives, and enhances data-intensive analytics. Its compatibility with VMware and trusted security integrations, such as CloudStrike and McAfee, make it highly scalable and secure. While excelling in big data and analytics, room for improvement includes enhanced processor support and pricing adjustments. It's versatile for businesses needing scalability with its focus on AI/ML and data warehousing.

What are the standout features of Dell PowerEdge XE-Series?

High Storage Capacity: Supports up to 32 drives for data-intensive operations.
Compatibility: Seamless integration with VMware ensures stability and scalability.
Security Integration: Incorporates CloudStrike and McAfee for robust security measures.
Resource Management: Offers excellent documentation for troubleshooting and resource use.
Data Deduplication: Efficient with Data Domain to enhance data storage.

What benefits should users consider in their reviews?

Performance Efficiency: High-powered capabilities for AI and high-performance computing.
Ease of Management: Simplified issue resolution and maintainability.
Scalability: Supports growing workloads and offers strong integration.
Data Security: Enhanced with trusted platform module and security integrations.

In industries like data warehousing, AI, and enterprise applications, Dell PowerEdge XE-Series is implemented for high-performance computing, general-purpose servers, and software hosting. Serving transactional systems, email, ERP, and more, it assists companies in handling workload and storage demands, beneficial particularly for big data and analytics tasks.

Dell Technologies

Sample Customers

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

Epsilon, ROZETTA CORP, JIGUANG, RACKSPACE, NEW BELGIUM BREWING

Buyer's Guide

Dell PowerEdge R-Series vs. Dell PowerEdge XE-Series

July 2025

Free Report: Dell PowerEdge R-Series vs. Dell PowerEdge XE-Series

Find out what your peers are saying about Dell PowerEdge R-Series vs. Dell PowerEdge XE-Series and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

865,829 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Dell PowerEdge R-Series vs. Dell PowerEdge XE-Series report.

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.