Dell PowerEdge R-Series Reviews

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

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.

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 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.

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

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.

Positive

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.

Our use case for Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is data storage and computing for satellite images and AR picture generation.

It's required for our business. Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers benefit our organization as we build satellites and use images from Earth to check the planet's health and constellation for telecommunication purposes. Our company is very young, with eight satellites in space, and we are still building the company.

Being in Belgium, which is a small country, we might be considered too small for Dell since we only have 40 Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. This sometimes affects our ability to receive deployment support.

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

We've 300 people in our organization. I believe Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers can grow with our business. Our company has a megafactory for satellites, making us the biggest company in Europe for satellites and the third in the world. Dell can support us in growing the company and developing our IT infrastructure.

The customer service is excellent, but we don't always get deployment support.

Positive

I have used HPE servers previously.

It's very easy to deploy Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers.

I did not evaluate other solutions besides Dell when we were looking because our IT manager had previous experience with Dell, and we continued with that decision.

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

On-premises