Dell PowerEdge R-Series Reviews

My company's use case for Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is that we use it internally for our office purpose and also we resell it to our customers.

The features of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have benefited our organization as they simplify the IT manager's job. It gives them entire visibility of the device which enables them to keep growing their applications or data, and it basically simplifies the IT manager's jobs. 

The feature of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers that I value the best is the iDRAC, as it is extremely good and simplifies tasks. It is very rigid and very durable, which is why most people continue buying these servers on a regular basis.

Dell has supported growth and operational success within those companies we resell to through the backend support, which is extremely good. Dell is the only organization now that has products from clients to storage, networking, and all data center devices. There is no other organization in the market which has all these products.

Dell makes it extremely easy for customers to buy. They get one-on-one support for all products. The support has been extremely good compared to other brands. AI is something very new, and Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are currently coming up with integrated GPUs for AI, which are getting implemented now. There is a lot of demand in the market, and customers keep asking for it.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are already the best, and there is nothing new that I would suggest to improve. The only aspect that could be improved is the price. The product is extremely good, so it is always priced high. To improve product sales, reducing the price would help.

I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for the past 10 years. I have been a Dell employee, so I have been using it for more than 15 years.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers scale with the growing needs of organizations as the solution is built with scalability options. As long as your data or application requires scalability, the PowerEdge already has the feature which helps to scale.

The customer service and technical support from Dell is extremely good. That has been the biggest plus point of Dell and one of the biggest reasons for it to have a good market share.

It's extremely easy to deploy Dell. The products have been made in such a way that it's user-friendly, and it's extremely easy to implement.

In terms of pricing and licensing for Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, what can be done is stocking the servers with distributors as much as possible to bring down the price, similar to what other OEMs do. 

Dell is more expensive since it has more B2B orders compared to HP or Lenovo who focus on stock and sell business. This helps them to bring down the price. 

Additionally, the sourcing of spare parts could be streamlined better to reduce the price.

I do sell other solutions, such as HP and Lenovo, and Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have been far better compared to the others in durability and support, except for the price.

Overall, I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers eight out of ten. It is a bit expensive compared to others.

I use Dell PowerEdge R-Series for normal computing and everyday tasks. Mostly I use it for browsing, and for example, if I have to work on local Kubernetes, then I install it on a virtual WSL and on Docker Desktop as well.

Earlier, the laptop I had experienced performance issues while running Docker locally or running Kubernetes locally, but after using this, there is no issue. The performance is overall very good.

This is the main use case actually because earlier, I had to use another laptop or a different kind of machine for specific use cases, but now I can complete all of my use cases in this single machine.

I think the best feature Dell PowerEdge R-Series offers in my experience is performance.

The performance stands out for me because of both speed and reliability.

Dell PowerEdge R-Series is the closest portable equivalent to a server. The features that I am using include this hardware, actually including the NVIDIA graphics card, and I can use it for AI. These are the most impressive features for me.

Dell PowerEdge R-Series has positively impacted my organization because everyone is moving towards AI, which requires high-performing laptops. That is the reason we are using this R-Series laptop, and this is increasing overall productivity.

I don't think there are many needed improvements, but I think the display quality may be something we can improve.

I have been using Dell PowerEdge R-Series for only the last six months.

Dell PowerEdge R-Series is stable so far.

The scalability of Dell PowerEdge R-Series is good and meets my expectations.

The customer support is average; I would rate it seven out of ten.

We were not using any different solution before.

I actually cannot share this financial information with you, but you can assume that it has provided a good ROI for us.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing has been fine; the pricing was good and within our budget.

I evaluated ThinkCentre before choosing Dell PowerEdge R-Series.

Regarding Dell PowerEdge R-Series's AI capabilities, I think it has very good governance and security; I can use this kind of generation two laptop, where I already have the option to enable the secure boot option as a security protocol.

The accuracy and reliability of output in Dell PowerEdge R-Series are more reliable compared to other machines.

Overall, operations flexibility has increased, and the performance has been increased.

I would advise others looking into using Dell PowerEdge R-Series to use this next-generation kind of machine, which has good reliability and sustainability. I am providing this review with an overall rating of nine out of ten.

On-premises

Other

Dell PowerEdge R-Series serves as the main solution for compute and storage servers.

I appreciate many features of Dell PowerEdge R-Series, and the drag feature is mentioned most frequently as a favorite among users.

Using the service has improved our storage capabilities, as storage expansions are easier to implement, making it user-friendly and simpler to onboard new team members.

Before transitioning to Dell, we were using ScaleIO before Dell PowerFlex, which was a Dell product that originated from EMC, so we migrated from ScaleIO to PowerFlex.

I have been with the company for four years, and we have been using Dell PowerEdge R-Series for the same duration.

Using servers has helped reduce unplanned production downtime, though I cannot specify the exact reduction amount.

Using the servers has not significantly affected the overall flexibility of our operations.

I would rate the customer service and tech support as great.

My experience with pricing, setup costs, and licensing is not positive, especially with recent AI developments. Hardware prices have increased substantially, and a forty thousand dollar server now costs one hundred thousand dollars, which is a significant pain point for many organizations.

I have realized ROI through accelerated development, accelerated troubleshooting, and our customer success teams using the environment.

Regarding reducing total cost of ownership, it is probably not a significant reduction. The product is somewhat more expensive than alternatives like Super Micro, but the integration of the product base makes it worthwhile in the end. We are fully invested as we use PowerFlex Manager, PowerFlex for storage, and PowerFlex for compute.

There is no impact on our organizational sustainability goals. I have not observed any benefits from using AI workloads yet. I would advise organizations considering Dell PowerEdge R-Series to pursue it with confidence. I give this product a rating of 9.

We primarily use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for VMware and Hyper-V environments. We deploy them in financial and manufacturing industries, focusing more on small businesses. While most of our servers are diskless, we do employ disked options for small businesses, mainly in a tower configuration.

Cooling has decreased because we have fewer servers. Everything's been a plus. We don't have to attend to them as much. We have iDRAC Enterprise on them, so we can have quick access if needed.

The quality of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is excellent; they never experience downtime. They are highly effective as VMware and Hyper-V servers. They have helped reduce unplanned production downtime considerably. There is a model for anything we need, and we have the flexibility to match servers to client needs, which can vary from diskless servers to setups involving disks. Another advantage is that they are not made in China, unlike some HP servers.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have pretty much progressed a lot if we look at what features are on them now. I don't know what more could be asked for, perhaps just faster performance. Every product release seems to be an improvement over the previous one, so it's hard to point out specific areas for improvement.

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

The Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are very stable. They run like a truck, with hardly any issues.

Customer service and support are excellent. Although we are self-sufficient and rarely need assistance, when we do use Dell's support, they have never ignored an issue. They address problems promptly.

Positive

We previously used Lenovo servers and switched because Lenovo's support was inadequate. The Lenovo SANs were not as robust as Dell's offerings.

We are totally self-sufficient and generally don't need external implementation support.

We find the server pricing fair and reasonable.

Buy Dell. Dell is an American company, and their headquarters are here, which makes them a reliable choice over companies with products made in China. Tariffs on Chinese products could make Dell more advantageous. I would rate the overall solution a 9 out of 10.

As part of my role at BSG, I deploy or sell Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers to customers who need anything from just a single server to hundreds of servers. Our customers run all kinds of workloads such as virtual SQL, AI, and more on these servers. Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers support a wide range of solutions, helping to ensure flexibility to cater to various customer needs.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are valuable because many users utilize iDRAC for management, and appreciate the consistency offered by Dell's server line. They offer a variety of features such as the availability of AMD and Intel options, and Dell is starting to get into direct and indirect water-cooled servers for larger customers. This suits those who need specific power consumption capabilities for their GPUs, CPUs, and RAM. Dell servers are supported by many partners when it comes to different software packages and solutions like OpenShift. Additionally, they offer a range of models to fit different customer needs.

The price of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is competitive. There's always room for support improvements, and the AI features could continue to be enhanced as the relationship with Nvidia grows.

Most of the time, deploying Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is straightforward. It’s crucial to have everything organized upfront, such as defining workloads and management responsibilities. Once these aspects are clear, the solution can be priced and installed efficiently, sometimes with Dell or Connection handling the installation.

Customers looking for higher densities are starting to lean towards AMD to achieve more cores, higher density, lower wattage, and ultimately a smaller footprint with fewer servers. The flexibility provided by Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers in terms of model variations supports scalability.

While I do not work directly with Dell for support, customer feedback suggests Dell’s technical support is rated between eight and nine. It is decent, though there is always room for improvement.

Positive

Clients may switch to Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for several reasons, such as better support, new IT leadership preferences, cost considerations, or successful engagement by sales and engineering teams.

The initial setup of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers requires having all the necessary information organized beforehand. Factors to consider include workload management, customer responsibilities, and pricing details. Smooth installation is achievable when these considerations are adequately addressed.

Deployment might require different resources depending on the solution. For example, VDI, virtualization, and SQL databases would need different expertise. Additionally, tasks such as rack and stack, power management, and water cooling could require specialized personnel, sometimes involving up to seven or eight people on deployment calls.

Customers are exploring models like Apex, similar to GreenLake, for consumption-based models that feel like cloud services but keep hardware on-premises, making them feel safer and potentially reducing costs. Some customers find familiarity with Dell servers aids in the process.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are often compared against other solutions like UCS, Lenovo, and Cisco. Customers may switch to Dell for its solid R&D, broad support, and solution flexibility though performance between similar CPUs across different brands tends to be consistent.

PowerEdge is a solid product, continuing to evolve with Intel and AMD changes and partnerships like Nvidia for AI. Overall, I rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers nine to ten as the product has maintained a strong reputation over time.

On-premises

I am an IT infrastructure guy, and I use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for a variety of workloads, including data imported from machines, file shares, and many other applications.

Using Dell PowerEdge Servers has helped us reduce planned production downtime by approximately 15 percent. PowerEdge has improved the overall flexibility of our business operations. 

I'm still working on reducing power consumption. I'm working with one of Dell's partners to get some power consumption certificates. I need to submit some certificates of sustainability showing how we are working on that. I'm still working on it. That is something entirely new for me. I don't know how to drive that, but I'm getting help from the Dell coordinator on how to do that.

We have only begun our AI journey. We want to use AI to analyze our data, and we're also trying to coordinate. We don't have any AI workloads on our servers yet. We're only capturing data. Currently, our data is being washed, and our data scientists are enriching it to prepare it for the next level. After that, we'll bring AI in to build reports and things like that. It's a work in progress.

I find Dell PowerEdge Servers to handle diverse applications and evolving needs effectively, but we have to upgrade the hardware periodically. PowerEdge's cyber resilience architecture approach to security is good. I don't have any concerns on that part.

Dell has already started working with NPUs and AI, which is a good thing. Right now, data is everyone's primary concern. Every company wants to evaluate data to advance technology and improve its business. The server should work better on the data side. Data is a priority around the world. 

There are a lot of data platforms around, but it would be helpful if we could perform some basic data operations on the server so we don't need an extra vendor. Azure is their Microsoft Cloud solution, and they collaborate with data companies like Databricks. We are also on the cloud and work with Databricks, but they could add some basic features so an enterprise doesn't need to go for extra Databricks to do their data things. 

If data could be handled within the Dell server, we can achieve a milestone on all the low-level sites. Our company is global, with many sites in Sweden and small sites in other countries. We don't need a complete Databricks solution for them. We need Dell servers to handle basic data and talk to our application. We have to configure a bridge between Dell servers and use Databricks for analysis. We could save a lot of money if the fundamental data functions can be done within the server.

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

The stability is excellent. Our only problems are software issues that our technical team can manage. 

I rate PowerEdge six out of 10 for scalability. As our needs have grown, we've faced some challenges. 

I rate Dell's support five out of 10. Sometimes, the technical skills are lacking. I'm not an expert, but I have worked with Dell solutions for 10 years.  Not everyone is an expert, so sometimes I have to help them with the troubleshooting part. Sometimes, someone is having a bad day, or you get the wrong person. 

They improved communications by adding a point person in Sweden. That person is more of a salesperson but has helped in many ways. That was missing for a long time, but they implemented it in the last few years.

They needed someone who could connect with the customer. Dell is a massive global company, but we are a big customer, and sometimes I feel they forget about us. They should treat every customer as if they're your biggest. Biggest. I felt a few times like we weren't prioritized.

Neutral

Dell has been our traditional server, and we have not evaluated other brands because we've worked with Dell for a long time. It's significantly better than other server brands on the market based on key metrics, so we haven't looked at other ones. 

The initial setup has always been smooth because we take our time and have never rushed the deployment.

We did the implementation in-house. We used autopilot integration, but nothing beyond that.

I rate PowerEdge Rack Servers eight out of 10.

On-premises

We have been using Dell PowerEdge R-Series server as a central server for accounting and some operational administrative records for the schools. The application is hosted on Dell PowerEdge R-Series server, and all the machines that we provide are the ones that communicate with the central server in order to record the company's accounting and administrative processes.

It has directly impacted employee productivity in my organization. It has directly impacted the speed of their tasks and the execution of their processes faster, since previously, we had a processor that did not process the information correctly or quickly enough. With the new change, the processes were streamlined and the operations area currently has less working time.

The improvements that have been seen with Dell PowerEdge R-Series are in productivity. By having better productivity and not having the operations staff so frequently stopped due to processing tasks, it has helped a lot with employee productivity. It saves time when they are processing any task they are doing.

Data processing is one of the best features that Dell PowerEdge R-Series offers, as well as being able to define which processors or which brand would handle the data processing.

Previously, before implementing Dell PowerEdge R-Series server, we had another server from another brand, and we had some latency when closing processes or creating a new process that was being carried out at the time. When we implemented the new server, it sped up both the data entry processes and the information processing itself.

Several applications were integrated into Dell PowerEdge R-Series server, for example, Aspel, so that the operational staff could have better stability in their operating platform.

So far, it has not posed any limitation within the processes we run in the organization.

We have been using the server for about a year, or it was implemented about a year ago.

Dell PowerEdge R-Series has not presented any issue with the operations area's tasks so far.

Dell PowerEdge R-Series adapts perfectly to the organization's growth.

We have not made any inquiries with Dell support regarding Dell PowerEdge R-Series so far.

Previously, we used a solution called Lenovo, and it was decided to change because more resources were required to support the activity being carried out.

Dell PowerEdge R-Series is totally on-premise, and from there it is distributed locally to the different offices. It goes to the switch and from there it is distributed to the different offices.

I think the costs of Dell PowerEdge R-Series are a bit high, but the cost-benefit is very good.

We evaluated staying with the same brand we had been using, but we considered that for the processing we currently need, it was necessary to change brands, and we decided on Dell.

We are still really in the evaluation phase of Dell PowerEdge R-Series device. Although it has solved the issues we previously had, we have only had a year of experience with its performance. For now, and considering the way it has solved our problems, I believe a rating of nine is very good.

I have not taken the time to question energy consumption of the new PowerEdge servers. I have not implemented any AI agent or AI processes on Dell PowerEdge R-Series server. It has not affected the flexibility of the business; I think it has implemented or driven that flexibility. Dell PowerEdge R-Series solution has helped me a lot to support the company's operations, and I think it is a good option for heavy workloads.

Our primary use case for Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is to deliver robust, scalable infrastructure solutions tailored for virtualization, private cloud and AI-driven workloads.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have been a cornerstone of our infrastructure portfolio, allowing us to enhance service quality, increase business agility and expand our enterprise client base with confidence.

The most valuable features of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, from our perspective as an enterprise solution provider, include:

iDRAC (Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller)

Scalability & Modular Design

OpenManage Enterprise Suite

Security Features

High Efficiency Power & Thermal Design

ProSupport & Deployment Services

These features collectively enable us to deliver high-availability, cost-efficient and secure solutions that meet diverse customer demands, from SMBs to large enterprises.

While Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are among the most reliable and versatile in the market, there are a few areas where improvements and feature additions could further enhance their value:

Areas for Improvement
Firmware Update Coordination
Enhanced GPU & AI Workload Support in Mid-range Models
Noise Levels in Smaller Environments
Greater Native Support for Open-Source Tools

Suggested Features for Future Releases
AI-Powered Predictive Maintenance
Edge-Optimized Models with Compact Form Factor
Improved Integration with Multi-Cloud Platforms

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are enterprise-grade and trusted, but continued focus on edge workloads, open-source compatibility and smarter automation features will help Dell stay ahead in a rapidly evolving infrastructure landscape.

As a Dell Technologies Partner and Enterprise Solution Provider, we have been working with Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for over a decade. Throughout this period, we’ve deployed, configured and supported PowerEdge solutions across a wide range of industry verticals including government, finance, healthcare, education, and manufacturing.

On-premises

We are running VMware vSphere and regular Windows servers. We use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for server implementation, virtualization, storage, so basically virtualization and server support.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have helped to reduce unplanned production downtime. They have also helped to reduce the consumption of energy. We have seen decreased consumption levels through our monitoring systems. The cooling system has been significantly improved in the newer versions and models of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers.

The optimization of hardware and the ability to extend the hardware are valued features.

Pricing might be an area for improvement. There is competition, and lowering prices could be beneficial.

We have been using it for at least ten years.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have managed to reduce the consumption of energy. We have seen that in the levels of our monitoring systems, which definitely show a decrease in consumption.

I've contacted them many times. The overall support is very good with first-class service.

Positive

We are using Pure Storage—the flash drives from Pure Storage.

It was easy. 

At the end, the cost benefit will be greater than the original investments. We just implemented the solution in our Mexico City offices. This is the first month for the actual payment. The benefit in the long run financially is structured so the company does not decapitalize. In the three or five years, we will have the newer equipment once the leasing is over or is renewed.

We are at the initial stage in our AI journey as a multinational level company. We are still working on testing, but it hasn't been totally implemented yet. We have done some automation with Python and are trying to use CoPilot for small tasks, but it hasn't been developed to a large scale. We are still in progress at this point.

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

We are using the Dell PowerEdge Rack Server for core banking applications. It is working fine and we are happy with it.

Dell PowerEdge Servers have had an impact on our organization’s sustainability goals. Their power consumption seems to be fine. We have not seen any issues.

We have not experienced any security incidents or vulnerabilities with our PowerEdge Servers.

We do not have much workload right now. We are happy with whatever we have tested.

Currently, we are facing issues with updates, particularly on the driver side. We did not receive proper communication about upcoming driver upgrades and other aspects. We are lagging in that area. We need to know about any upcoming updates so that we can plan accordingly. It could be that our emails are not registered properly.

It is a new company, and we started using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers only six months ago.

Until now, it has been working fine. It is stable.

Dell PowerEdge Servers have not helped to reduce unplanned production downtime. We are a start-up company, so we do not have much downtime. We have a downtime of five minutes or ten minutes over here and there.

I have not had the need to scale yet. Currently, we have only 50 users. We are planning to grow next year and have about 25 more users.

When it comes to hardware replacement and other issues I faced previously, the response has been good. I would rate them a nine out of ten.

Positive

I used HPE in my previous organization. We are an entity within a group, and we were asked to go for Dell servers.

All the backend work is supported by a company in India.

We started only six months ago, so I cannot measure the ROI.

We are a new company, and we are at the initial stage of our AI journey. We need proper engineers for our AI journey.

I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers an eight out of ten. We do not have much load at the moment. We are at the beginning stage, but so far, we are happy with it.