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Lead Engineer with 1,001-5,000 employees
User
Top 20
It's very easy to get new systems in the data center and to get them ready for production
Pros and Cons
  • "It's very easy to get new systems in the data center and to get them ready for production."
  • "I would like more resilience because, for all companies, cybersecurity is important."

What is our primary use case?

We use multiple models of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. We're currently using the more hypervisor-focused models with AMD CPUs but from different generations.

We use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers mostly for hypervisors and also for single application usage.

We've had some supply and support challenges with other manufacturers, and Dell could deliver for us, and the cooperation with the Dell team works really well for us. The accounting team knows a lot. They can help us out with our challenges. They can help us fill our needs.

How has it helped my organization?

Through Dell's OpenManage software, we can track our power usage, but we can also track what components use how much power in the system. It helps us at least get the intelligence we need to get the reports out to the business and to our partners.

In regards to energy consumption for the whole company, it's only a small percentage. But if we look at just IT, then the surface does consume a sizable amount. And whether that's renewable or fossil energy, it's still impacting.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are able to handle high performance well. We're using high-performance systems and they fill our needs. 

We are able to save days' worth of time depending on the number of services we are deploying.

The flexibility of the Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is good because they come in smaller spec sizes to larger spec sizes. If we need it for a stand-alone system, we can get a really small system. For our Hypervisor, we can get the larger spec systems to carry a higher workload.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the ease of use. It's very easy to get new systems in the data center and to get them ready for production.

What needs improvement?

I'm currently not running into specific cases that I'd say we could improve. Of course, the most important features are security and sustainability. Those are subjects that Dell does a lot of work on. The whole industry works a lot on it, but everyone also sets goals of being sustainable. Working together on those subjects, I'd say could help us achieve those goals together. Sustainability and the data center is a hot topic. I work for the airport and we want to be the most sustainable airport in the world. So starting with our IT stack could benefit.

The most important for us is once someone gets access to a system that we don't want them to have access to, it probably won't be physical access. What will a system do to detect besides all the software we have in place? And right now, I'm not really aware of what the PowerEdge stack does for us in those scenarios, but that's an interesting use case. I would like more resilience because, for all companies, cybersecurity is important. Once something goes wrong, then we'll see the whole business go along. Within the IT department, we have to be ahead of that.

Buyer's Guide
Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers
June 2025
Learn what your peers think about Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.

For how long have I used the solution?

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

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In terms of a real IT company, we're small. So for us, our needs can be easily filled with the current scalability that Dell can deliver to us.

How are customer service and support?

We've had some small communication errors with support agents going on holiday and not doing a good handover of a case, but that's just one thing. The rest of our experiences with technical support are great.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We used exclusively Lenovo and IBM in the past. For some reason, we switched to Dell. It may have been pricing, but also support. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial installation is easy. Through Dell software, we can create baselines. And with those baselines, we can automate the first steps of deployment. Stuff we would normally have to go into the data center, physically connect to a server, and do by hand, can now just be done after two simple steps.

Normally, deploying new hardware would sometimes take a couple of days, including getting it already for the business. Now especially on the tedious first steps of installation, we save time.

What was our ROI?

We have had good life cycles. While they may not directly generate a return on investment, they fulfill their intended purpose and have demonstrated long-term viability.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?


What other advice do I have?

I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack ten out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Ovadya Rachamim - PeerSpot reviewer
Ovadya RachamimStorage & Data Protection Team Leader at TeraSky
Top 5Real User

easy to install and manage , deploy, updates , user freindly

Product Manager - Cyber app Security at Amdocs
Real User
Easy to manage, maintain, and install
Pros and Cons
  • "It is very easy and seamless to use the OpenManage console for lifecycle management or PowerEdge Rack Servers. It is one of the best solutions in the market today to manage the lifecycle of services."
  • "It is not good in terms of its energy consumption for a large-scale deployment. I probably would go for something more dense, like blades or any type of small scale hardware service solutions, to lower the heat and power consumption. However, for small environments, this solution is okay and easy to maintain."

What is our primary use case?

It is used for data center service.

PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel are good for handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads with classical use cases.

My company has thousands of customers. We are resellers as well as implement Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers in our organization.

How has it helped my organization?

My organization provides software or application stacks for many organizations. So, Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers add a lot of benefits for integration and testing purposes. It is also a solution for small-scale deployment at remote locations.

PowerEdge Rack Servers have affected the overall flexibility of our operations or business.

For labs, when you don't need a high SLA, HA, or other expensive support and maintenance fees, then it is very easy to deploy these servers. You pay CapEx but the usage for day two is easier.

What is most valuable?

It is easy to manage, maintain, and install.

The new stuff with AI, Hyperscale, and HPC for all sorts of general compute purposes makes it the best solution that you can have today.

PowerEdge Rack Servers’ approach to security with its signed firmware, drift detection, and BIOS recovery is very good. This is the natural behavior today in the market. All vendors provide it, including Dell.

It is very easy and seamless to use the Dell OpenManage console for the lifecycle management of PowerEdge Rack Servers. It is one of the best solutions in the market today to manage the lifecycle of services.

What needs improvement?

It is not good in terms of its energy consumption for a large-scale deployment. I probably would go for something more dense, like blades or any type of small scale hardware service solutions, to lower the heat and power consumption. However, for small environments, this solution is okay and easy to maintain.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel for 25 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel are easier to handle in regards to upgrade and maintenance than any other solutions. It saves us over 50% of our time.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Usually, it is a very good solution for small-scale environments and environments that have difficulty providing services since the maintenance of PowerEdgeRack Servers is easier relative to any other solutions. Therefore, if you go for small-scale deployments, then PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel are very simple and cost-effective.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support from Dell is good. If you have an issue, the tech support is better than Lenovo and about the same as HPE. 

I would rate Dell's technical support as 8.5 out of 10, which is very good. While the technical support is very good, they are not perfect. You need to wait, and sometimes you need to escalate, which is a process. At the end of the day, it is economies of scale.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The rack and stack takes a couple of hours, maybe less. The overall installation depends on the use case. In general, it takes about two to three days to have a full working solution.

What was our ROI?

Intel's Optane memory has helped save money when adding memory capacity, compared to adding the same amount of DRAM.

The use of Dell's OpenManage console has decreased the time it takes to deploy new data centers.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The overall pricing and licensing are fair according to the market.

Because it is pay-per-use, there is a large offering from the application and software. This is what the customer requires, and I need to provide whatever they want. If they want to use the cloud, i.e., hyperscales as a solution, then I need to provide an application that will run on top. For me, it is a no-brainer. It is whatever the customer wants. 

In general, going to the public cloud has its benefits since the CAPEX is low and the OPEX is pay-per-use. However, you need to arrange your application and software in a way that will modernize and utilize the cloud economically. This is the downside of things.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We are a big company, so we are always evaluating everything.

For general purpose small-scale deployments, it has easy rack and stack and maintenance. For edge locations, this is the best solution that the market currently has to offer. 

Today, we are looking at other solutions other than Intel, such as AMD, because of the cost as well as the quantity of the cores that you can get for the same amount of use or footprint. 

There are also other solutions that are more cost-effective, but you can currently only get them on the cloud, like AWS Graviton, which is based off of ARM processing units. Currently, ARM is being provided only on cloud services. I haven't seen anyone provide ARM on-prem. However, if somebody provides a cost-effective, on-prem ARM, then we will consider going for ARM processing units.

I always prefer Dell because it is easier to maintain.

What other advice do I have?

It used to have a very good effect on IT staff's productivity. However, the problem has now moved from the infrastructure to the upper layer.

I like the R640 model the best. 

I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers as nine out of 10.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers
June 2025
Learn what your peers think about Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer2339154 - PeerSpot reviewer
Responsable de sistemas at a transportation company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
Highly reliable, good support, and significant reduction in downtime
Pros and Cons
  • "The reliability of its hardware and the support they provide are valuable."
  • "We have a cloud-first strategy, and hardware is starting to become more and more secondary, so we are not betting on it."

What is our primary use case?

We mainly use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for virtualization and for Windows-based file servers and domain controllers.

By implementing Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, we mainly wanted to achieve good support from the manufacturer.

How has it helped my organization?

The department that maintains the data center has considerably fewer worries than before.

I cannot assess Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers in terms of energy consumption because we have them hosted in a data center, and the consumption does not depend on us. Similarly, I cannot assess Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads because we do not have high-performance environments. Our environment is pretty basic.

In terms of the impact of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers on our organization’s sustainability goals, I am not aware of the company's sustainability goals, but I believe that Dell has a sustainable development policy. At a booth at this convention, they show how they handle the entire issue of recycled packaging and equipment.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have clearly reduced unplanned production downtime, but I cannot exactly say how much.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have not affected the overall flexibility of our operations or business but virtualization did.

What is most valuable?

The reliability of its hardware and the support they provide are valuable.

What needs improvement?

At the moment, I do not have an area for improvement. We have a cloud-first strategy, and hardware is starting to become more and more secondary, so we are not betting on it.

My expectations for it are that it will work while we migrate to the cloud, and it will remain as reliable as it is now so that in the future, we continue using it for the uploads that we need to have locally.

For how long have I used the solution?

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

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is extraordinary.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It depends on what you buy, but in principle, if you work with rack servers, the scaling is horizontal, so you just have to keep adding to it.

We do not have any difficulty in scaling. In the end, virtualization systems allow you to scale very easily. Above all, the software is the one that provides scalability here.

How are customer service and support?

Their support is very good.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have used HPE ProLiant and Cisco UCS. We do not only work with Dell. We also work with other manufacturers. The main difference between the server solutions would be the price.

How was the initial setup?

I am a part of the decision-making core team and the approval core team, so I am ultimately the one who opts for one technology or another, one manufacturer or another, as long as the purchasing department finds the price fair.

The installation was very simple in the end. The strategy was to virtualize. Once you are already involved in virtualization, things are very easy.

We have a hybrid cloud. We work mainly with ANALEC, but the entire management part of the cloud migration is carried out from the headquarters in Mexico. We only participate. We do not make any decisions for the cloud strategy. We, of course, need to have visibility over the strategy from Mexico, and we use that when making decisions about the software solutions that run on top of the hardware. In this case, we will bet on VMware instead of IPV.

These servers are located in our main data center. We have some PowerEdge servers left. We opted for FX chassis a few years ago too, and we have some PowerEdge servers left.

What about the implementation team?

In this case, we counted on ANALEC TECHNOLOGY for help, who also has a booth here at the convention.

What was our ROI?

The return on investment is mainly in terms of availability. Downtime has significantly reduced, which often is a hidden cost or not taken into account. That is a great ROI.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing policies of the manufacturers vary based on the company, but generally, they are quite correct. What happens is that the purchasing departments of companies like ours do a lot for the price, and sometimes, you find yourself forced to work with another manufacturer. We have two main vendors that we work with to have aligned prices, and Dell is one of them.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did not evaluate other solutions.

What other advice do I have?

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

Foreign Language:(Spanish)

Altamente confiable, buen soporte y reducción significativa del tiempo de inactividad

¿Durante cuánto tiempo utiliza los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge?

He estado usando servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge durante más de diez años.

¿Cuál es su principal caso de uso de esta solución? (Incluya detalles sobre su entorno).

Utilizamos principalmente servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge para virtualización y para servidores de archivos y controladores de dominio basados en Windows.

Al implementar los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge, principalmente queríamos lograr un buen soporte por parte del fabricante.

Comparta cómo los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge han mejorado su infraestructura de TI? Si no fue así, explique por qué.

El departamento que mantiene el centro de datos tiene muchas menos preocupaciones que antes.

No puedo valorar los Servidores Dell PowerEdge Rack en términos de consumo energético porque los tenemos alojados en un centro de datos y el consumo no depende de nosotros. De manera similar, no puedo evaluar los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge para manejar las necesidades cambiantes de las cargas de trabajo de alto rendimiento porque no tenemos entornos de alto rendimiento. Nuestro entorno es bastante básico.

En términos del impacto de los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge en los objetivos de sostenibilidad de nuestra organización, no conozco los objetivos de sostenibilidad de la empresa, pero creo que Dell tiene una política de desarrollo sostenible. En un stand de esta convención muestran cómo manejan todo el tema de los embalajes y equipos reciclados.

Los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge han reducido claramente el tiempo de inactividad de producción no planificado, pero no puedo decir exactamente cuánto.

Los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge no han afectado la flexibilidad general de nuestras operaciones o negocios, pero la virtualización sí.

¿Qué características le han parecido más valiosas y por qué?

La confiabilidad de su hardware y el soporte que brindan son valiosos.

¿En qué áreas se podrían mejorar los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge?

Por el momento no tenemos ningún área de mejora. Tenemos una estrategia que da prioridad a la nube y el hardware empieza a ser cada vez más secundario, por lo que no apostamos por ello.

Mis expectativas son que funcione mientras migramos a la nube y que siga siendo tan confiable como lo es ahora para que en el futuro sigamos usándolo para las cargas que necesitamos tener localmente.

¿Utilizó anteriormente una solución diferente? De ser así, ¿por qué la cambió?

Hemos utilizado HPE ProLiant y Cisco UCS. No solo trabajamos con Dell. También trabajamos con otros fabricantes. La principal diferencia entre las soluciones de servidor sería el precio.

Antes de elegir, ¿evaluaste otras opciones? ¿De ser asi, cuales?

No evaluamos otras soluciones.

¿Qué aconseja a otros sobre el costo de instalación, el precio y/o la licencia?

Las políticas de precios de los fabricantes varían según la empresa, pero en general son bastante correctas. Lo que pasa es que los departamentos de compras de empresas como la nuestra hacen mucho por el precio y en ocasiones, te ves obligado a trabajar con otro fabricante. Tenemos dos proveedores principales con los que trabajamos para tener precios alineados, y Dell es uno de ellos.

¿Cuáles son sus impresiones sobre la escalabilidad de esta solución?

Depende de lo que compres, pero en principio, si trabajas con servidores en rack, el escalado es horizontal, por lo que sólo tienes que seguir añadiendo.

No tenemos ninguna dificultad para escalar. Al final, los sistemas de virtualización te permiten escalar muy fácilmente. Sobre todo, el software es el que proporciona escalabilidad aquí.

¿Cuáles son sus impresiones sobre la estabilidad de esta solución?

La estabilidad de los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge es extraordinaria.

¿Has visto el ROI (Retorno de la Inversión)? En caso afirmativo, ¿de qué manera (es decir, métricas/puntos de datos)?

El retorno de la inversión se produce principalmente en términos de disponibilidad. El tiempo de inactividad se ha reducido significativamente, lo que a menudo supone un coste oculto o que no se tiene en cuenta. Ese es un gran retorno de la inversión.

¿La configuración inicial fue sencilla o compleja y de qué manera?

Formo parte del equipo central de toma de decisiones y del equipo central de aprobación, por lo que en última instancia soy yo quien decide el uso de una tecnología u otra, un fabricante u otro, claro, siempre teniendo en mente que el departamento de compras encuentre justo el precio.

La instalación al final fue muy sencilla. La estrategia fue virtualizar. Una vez que ya estás involucrado en la virtualización, las cosas son muy fáciles.

Tenemos una nube híbrida. Trabajamos principalmente con ANALEC, pero toda la parte de gestión de la migración a la nube se realiza desde la oficina principal en México. Sólo participamos. No tomamos ninguna decisión para la estrategia en la nube. Claro que necesitamos tener visibilidad sobre la estrategia de México y la usamos al tomar decisiones sobre las soluciones de software que se ejecutan sobre el hardware. En este caso optamos por VMware en lugar de IPV.

Estos servidores están ubicados en nuestro centro de datos principal. Nos quedan algunos servidores PowerEdge. También optamos por el chasis FX hace unos años.

¿Lo implementó a través de un equipo de proveedores o uno interno? Si se trata de un equipo de proveedores, ¿cómo calificaría su nivel de experiencia?

En este caso contamos con la ayuda de ANALEC TECHNOLOGY, quien también tiene un stand aquí en la convención.

Cuéntanos tu experiencia con el servicio y soporte al cliente.

Su soporte es muy bueno.

¿Cómo calificaría esta solución en una escala del 1 al 10 en cuanto a servicio y soporte?

9

En una escala del 1 al 10 (1=peor, 10=mejor), ¿cómo calificaría los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge? Por favor explique por qué.

Calificaría los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge con un nueve de diez.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1437618 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at a engineering company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Top 20
A simple and scalable solution that is easy to use and enables users to pull out elements and change them easily
Pros and Cons
  • "We can pull out elements and change them ourselves."
  • "The product must provide more options to add GPUs to the machines."

What is our primary use case?

My organization uses the product as a simple server.

How has it helped my organization?

We implemented the product for its simplicity and scalability. We wanted a simple system that we could scale up if needed. Currently, we only have a few servers. It's easy to change them. The components can be changed around.

What is most valuable?

The simplicity of the bars is valuable. We can pull out elements and change them ourselves. It saves us time. We do not open the machine much. It leads to less maintenance efforts. We can also use components of other brands. It is easy to use.

What needs improvement?

The product must provide more options to add GPUs to the machines. It's always a challenge. If we don't think about it when buying the machine, we cannot do it afterward.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for 20 years. We use R730 and R630.

How are customer service and support?

The support is good. The support was better ten years ago. Now, we have to do more things ourselves. Ten years ago, the team focused on solving the issues first instead of finding who was to blame.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We used HPE some time ago. The machines are the same, but the support provided by Dell is better.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was easy.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The product's pricing is not good. It's always a winning factor for other solutions. It is not the most affordable tool.

What other advice do I have?

I hope PowerEdge's Cyber Resilient Architecture approach is sufficient. Once, we had a problem because the rack was not updated. It's annoying that I didn't get informed by Dell that we had to update it. Communication should be better for security reasons.

I never thought about energy consumption, but we all must decrease our power consumption. It was never an issue for us, though. The tool is efficient for what we use it for. It is scalable till the end. The product lasts for seven years. We can use the machine for a long time.

The solution has helped reduce unplanned production downtime. We have a cluster. If one fails, the other one takes over. The OpenManage console has affected our IT staff’s productivity. We use it a lot. It's a good tool to access our service. The tool saves 25% of our time.

Overall, I rate the product an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer2289357 - PeerSpot reviewer
Technology & Digital Product Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Top 20
Fairly priced, stable, and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
  • "The ease of setting them up is valuable. It is easy to set them up."
  • "Their support can be better. Getting to the right person for support is a challenge."

What is our primary use case?

We use them to host a car parking system. 

How has it helped my organization?

We use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers with pre-installed Microsoft Windows Server. It is just easier when they come already loaded. There is less for us to do.

We host our application on them. They are great for running our applications. We recently had to upgrade the specs of some of the servers due to the demands on the system. For example, where it used to be Dell R350 with hard drives, we are now expected to go with SSDs, but it deals with our applications very well.

We do not necessarily use a lot of its security and other features. We take it out of the box, put our application on it, and then just run it or install it on a device if needed.

With Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, we now have more resilience. Previously, we used a PowerPC as a server. By using a dedicated PowerEdge Rack Server, there is resilience when using, for example, a RAID array.

Our in-house application runs directly on it. That is a big critical element, but the impact of these servers on our IT infrastructure is no different from another server.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have helped to reduce unplanned production downtime by about 20%.

What is most valuable?

The ease of setting them up is valuable. It is easy to set them up. 

What needs improvement?

Training needs to be improved. I feel we are not getting the best benefit out of the PowerEdge servers at the moment because we do not have in-depth knowledge on how to fully configure them. The PowerEdge servers are fine. It is our training that needs to be improved.

Their support can be better. Getting to the right person for support is a challenge.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for eight or nine years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have never seen any major issues with stability. They are stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Once we have deployed a server, we do not increase any specs on it, so we do not have too much experience with scalability. If we do need an improved or enhanced server, we will get that straight from Dell. We would not enhance RAM, SSD, or anything else on our own.

There are about eight people who may configure them. Once these servers go to the site, there are more people using them, but I do not know how many.

How are customer service and support?

Their support is usually very good, but getting to the right person is a challenge. They are good once we get to the right person or once somebody is dedicated to helping us, but getting to that point in the first place is a bit annoying. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

My predecessor was already using them, so I carried on ordering them. We do not have any experience with anything similar. We just stick with what we know. The only alternative that we use is a tower PC as a server. It is just a standard PC.

We did not consider public cloud servers before choosing PowerEdge servers. Our platform at the moment is not native to the cloud. It has a heavy data demand and bandwidth requirement, so the cloud was not necessarily within the scope of our product at the time. However, we are developing a cloud-native solution. That might be something we can consider moving forward.

We went for PowerEdge servers because of the price and specs. It is something that has been used by our team before I even joined it, so we continue to use it. The support from Dell is usually very good as well. So, it is a combination of price, specs, and support that makes us keep using Dell.

How was the initial setup?

It is easy to set them up. We could realize their benefits within a few months of deployment.

I am involved in their deployment as an assistant and not as the main person. Most times, it is straightforward, but it also depends on the spec that we get with different solid-state drives or hard drives. Sometimes, the RAID sets can be a bit more complex.

With regards to getting the server into a state where we can deploy our application, it takes a few hours. In a few hours, we can deploy the Windows operating system, do the RAID setup, and then it is ready for our in-house solution.

What about the implementation team?

It is usually a one-man job. I might provide some assistance, but typically, it is a one-man job.

What was our ROI?

We have potentially seen an ROI, but I would not be able to give a figure. We deploy our solutions onto those servers, and effectively, that is no longer our equipment, so we do not necessarily see what is going on with them. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

They are fairly priced.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. I would advise having a good relationship with Dell, and they will support you above and beyond.

Overall, I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
IT Manager at One Answer Insurance
Real User
Enables us to keep recorded calls onsite longer and reduced our server room footprint
Pros and Cons
  • "When it comes to handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads, the PowerEdge Rack Servers are fit for purpose. They do what they need to do."

    What is our primary use case?

    We have one PowerEdge Rack Server that we got a little while ago that is running Hyper-V and some Windows VMs and we just got a new one, which will be running SQL. We use them for Windows networking tasks. One is a file store server and the other is an application server.

    How has it helped my organization?

    These servers have expanded our storage for our call recording. We no longer have to offsite our calls prior to needing them, within the lifecycle of the call requirements. Before, we'd have to ship off some call recordings after two years, but we can now keep them onsite longer. 

    They have also optimized some of the infrastructure and allowed us to reduce our footprint in the server room. We were able to upgrade two servers into one and virtualize them when we got the PowerEdge.

    Some of the apps that are critical to our business are Office 365, Sage, which is a finance payment company in the UK, and AWS for some of our hosted solutions that are public-facing, because we don't want them coming in directly to our data center. The integration of these apps' workloads with our PowerEdge Rack Servers is of high importance. We're able to put our applications on them that integrate these services and have them automated and run without worry.

    Moving on to the new PowerEdge Rack Server that we have just purchased will definitely reduce downtime and allow more flexibility in our workloads, going forward.

    What is most valuable?

    While it's not specific to the PowerEdge side of it, I do like the new feature in the Dell servers, the BOSS system [Boot Optimized Storage Solution]. That is really nice. I don't know if it's unique to Dell, but I like it.

    And when it comes to handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads, the PowerEdge Rack Servers are fit for purpose. They do what they need to do. 

    I am also grateful for the security features, including the signed firmware, drift detection, and BIOS recovery.

    I haven't done any energy monitoring of our servers because I don't have a big enough server farm to need to monitor our power consumption at that level. It's not like I need to turn off half of our fleet to save costs during downtime hours. We have a very small footprint as far as service systems go. Having said that, the PowerEdge servers are probably more energy efficient than the older ones we have because the older ones are a lot bigger. They have a lot more active hard drives and spinning disks. These new servers are nice, clean SSDs. Overall, power consumption will have gone down.

    I use the Dell OpenManage console on occasion when I'm investigating an issue with the server, but thankfully, that doesn't happen very often. Using the console is pretty straightforward. I don't have any complaints about it. 

    What needs improvement?

    What annoys me about every server is just how loud they are when they're turned on, but that's just a function of the server. It's protecting itself. I can't complain that it's noisy when I turn it on, because it's not in its rack yet. It's sitting on a desk near me. That's just how servers work.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We've been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for a couple of years and we've had at least one Dell in our system for going on 12 years now.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The servers that I have, have been humming away without me having to deal with them in any way, outside of Windows issues. Those issues have nothing to do with PowerEdge. They are the standard Windows issues. Overall, they've been working the way they're supposed to, so I have nothing bad to say about them.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    I would imagine they scale very well. Our IT infrastructure has not been overly affected by having these servers. They are easily scaling to our needs and the equipment we have purchased far outpowers our business requirements, but they will be there when we need them.

    How are customer service and support?

    I haven't had to contact Dell's technical support for the server side. The only technical support from Dell we've had so far was for laptops.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We had HPE ProLiants, but I haven't bought any of those since the last one several years ago. We've gone to Dell since then.

    What was our ROI?

    They have good longevity and good warranties. If there were an issue (and we haven't had any) they are covered.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    I'd like them to be cheaper, but that's not the world we live in and that's not where the pound is at. 

    The price was acceptable for what the product is. If I tried to build my own server, the cost difference would be negligible. And the brand support that Dell provides and the functionality that comes with the PowerEdge Servers made up the difference. So it makes sense. I don't have a problem with the cost. It is in line with what I'd expect.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    I considered public cloud servers before choosing PowerEdge Rack Servers, but that solution wasn't fit for purpose in this case. We have some public cloud stuff that is useful in some cases, but we wanted hardware onsite for this specific device.

    What other advice do I have?

    In terms of native OS security features, we use Active Directory and we have BitLocker and some other things enabled. We mostly use them for compliance and because we have them. Nothing has forced me to look outside of the native-provided solutions.

    To protect ourselves from malware and other firmware attacks, we have Mimecast for email endpoints and we have ESET Endpoint Security for all of our clients and servers.

    The PowerEdge Rack Servers do what they say on the tin. I like them. And our latest one was delivered really fast. We ordered it on the 7th and it came on the 18th, which was unexpected and nice. That's a good turnaround time.

    Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
    PeerSpot user
    Director at mindIT
    Real User
    Provides centralized management capabilities for large environments, reduces data processing times, and supports full automation
    Pros and Cons
    • "We haven't faced any problems with the power supplies. The consumption of power is robust. We still have slots for the new hard discs for availability and upgrading RAM, but the machine itself has been working nonstop for ten years."
    • "Different types of applications that are now trendy in the market, like AI, are still big topics that are not mapped correctly in the server and storage environment. Knowing those kinds of activities and definitions will help us more to position these kinds of servers for the client."

    What is our primary use case?

    We have implemented the PowerEdge servers in data centers for intelligence, governments, banks, hospitals, and for different use cases. It's a very robust product. 

    We're a Dell Gold partner, and we sell services for our clients. We've been working in this domain for a long time.

    We're using the seven series and the six series, and we previously used the eight series.

    Most of our implementations are completed on-premises.

    How has it helped my organization?

    PowerEdge's system management capabilities help increase staff productivity.

    It provides centralized management capabilities for large environments. In data centers, implementing multi-servers and managing different kinds of resources from a single portal definitely helps us a lot.

    PowerEdge reduces data processing times. The server must be set up well to do this. Knowing your application and how to set up a real configuration that will map your request, helps a lot in the PowerEdge environment.

    The enabling of full automation has affected the operations of our company.
    This is the target of every client and organization. The servers fully support automation. A combination of a company's strategy when implementing solutions and having applications that are synchronized with the hardware requirement will lead to a very good result. The hardware is the best part of it because it's so easy. The hardware supports big implementations. If the structure is right, the results will be very good.

    PowerEdge hasn't let us down in any situation. It's a very robust system.

    We haven't faced any kind of downtime with applications, especially in analytics, because we implement a PowerEdge cluster and support it with storage. The infrastructure is highly available based on the Dell server.

    From our implementations over the years and the new demand in technology, we haven't faced any kind of problems related to hardware based on PowerEdge. Everything is based on the application itself and the algorithm that the client uses through the servers. The problem isn't with the servers. The problem is with development.

    It's all about processing. If you use a different kind of application that needs a lot of resources, that is a key factor, especially in data collection, open-source data, and applying different analytics over that. That will need a lot of processing, and the hardware is a key factor in that part.

    Full automation is fully supported with PowerEdge. From the server perspective, it is fully compliant.

    What is most valuable?

    We haven't faced any problems with the power supplies. The consumption of power is robust. We still have slots for the new hard discs for availability and upgrading RAM, but the machine itself has been working nonstop for ten years.

    We haven't faced any problems with new demands for digital transformation and infrastructure development.

    The system is very updated. The machine itself is secure, but it depends on the client's environment and security strategy.

    PowerEdge has good value for energy consumption. We know this from other vendors that have the same data centers that we used to work with. It provides better performance in terms of power consumption. More power is saved with the use of a full cabinet of PowerEdge servers versus other solutions with multi-servers.

    We work in environments with systems in analytics, AI, Hadoop infrastructure, open source, and data gathering. We have those kinds of servers in our setups, and we never face problems when running the latest high-demand applications. We have an advantage in getting those results on PowerEdge servers rather than other servers.

    We had some applications in artificial intelligence. Some of the clients are starting to adopt those use cases. We didn't face any problems adopting those kinds of solutions, although it's still an open discussion.

    We are very familiar with the Dell portal, updates, supports, and assessments.

    The integrated Dell Remote Access Controller telemetry for monitoring the PowerEdge system data and providing analytics is very simple and accessible. For centralized management, it's a good value. These kinds of implementations in a big data center make a difference.

    We have CloudIQ in the machine learning systems that we are implementing for some of our clients, and those are based on Dell PowerEdge. We have those kinds of predictive analytics, and the hardware is doing great so far.

    Dell EMC is a combination of processing, storage, and power. We're in a really good position in terms of technology, trends, and the leaders in the market. 

    Dell has different types of servers that can fit different types of businesses.

    What needs improvement?

    Different types of applications that are now trendy in the market, like AI, are still big topics that are not mapped correctly in the server and storage environment. Knowing those kinds of activities and definitions will help us more to position these kinds of servers for the client.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have used this solution since 2005.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It's very stable. We have been using it for ten years.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It's easy to scale.

    How are customer service and support?

    I would rate technical support an eight out of ten. We have never had a problem with technical support. There are a lot of different layers of support, and they're all very responsive. Dell is a very good company.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We used to work with HP most of the time, and we worked with servers from Cisco for a short time.

    Dell used to have different categories of servers that can fit different types of businesses. Sometimes we find that small servers have good specs over other competition, which is key for some new clients. For some new businesses, small servers can help achieve different targets for SMEs.

    How was the initial setup?

    The setup is very simple. When deploying PowerEdge, we used the automated server and OS deployment features. Our clients are very familiar with the setup. It's straightforward and very fast. If someone is knowledgeable in IT, they are familiar with PowerEdge.

    What about the implementation team?

    As a partner, most of the time we help clients. However, most of the clients are knowledgeable enough to implement the servers in a very simple way.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    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.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    We cannot compare public cloud solutions with PowerEdge. This decision is related to the availability of features over the internet versus something that you own in your data center, your servers, and your manageability and power. Implementing those kinds of servers on-premises will cost more, but having a cloud solution with on-premises storage is more feasible and economically better.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.

    I cannot recommend a solution other than PowerEdge. I'm very happy with it and proud that we have it implemented.

    I would definitely recommend this solution to those who are interested in using it. It's a robust, solid solution, and the hardware is designed carefully. The features and capabilities are built-in and it's a very supportive, long-term company. There are continuous efforts for development.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer2004255 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Infrastructure and Operations Manager at a manufacturing company with 201-500 employees
    Real User
    Its reliability has made a big impact on our business, and it is very easy to install and manage
    Pros and Cons
    • "The ease of installation is valuable. The physical side of installation is quite intuitive and has got better by leaps and bounds. The hardware has always been fantastic, and it has always been reliable."
    • "Its pricing could be better."

    What is our primary use case?

    It's a standard server that we've got. It's a site server, so it'll hold up to a manufacturing server and a normal Active Directory server.

    We have Dell PowerEdge servers with pre-installed Microsoft Windows Server OS. For security, we mainly have antivirus. We've got web security monitoring tools. In addition, we've got firewalls. So, we've got a number of technologies that will hopefully protect us from ransomware.

    How has it helped my organization?

    Reliability is its main benefit. It works. I have not had many servers go down with hardware failure.

    Email and ERP systems are critical to our business. We've also got manufacturing applications running on it as well. Those are one of the biggest key areas for our business. For the manufacturing and everything else, it's highly integrated. We need a server that's always on.

    It has been good in terms of the impact on our IT infrastructure and the ability to handle the demand. It does what it says on the tin. We haven't had any issues with it. It's a server. It's one of those things that once it's in, it's in. We don't want it to do anything special because it's there for our infrastructure. It looks after our infrastructure, and it has been doing its job, and it has been working. Because we've not had any issues, its reliability has made a big impact on our business.

    What is most valuable?

    The ease of installation is valuable. The physical side of installation is quite intuitive and has got better by leaps and bounds. The hardware has always been fantastic, and it has always been reliable.

    The iDRAC is one of my favorite features of this solution. From an IT or management perspective, we are able to easily control the servers with it. It has been the biggest help.

    What needs improvement?

    Its pricing could be better. In terms of features, I've got nothing to improve.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have about 25 years of experience with the product.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Its stability is very good. Its performance has always gone up in leaps and bounds. They've always been ahead of the curve, and we've always got the best technology from Dell.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Its scalability is very good.

    How are customer service and support?

    Their support is good. I would rate them a 10 out of 10.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I previously used an HP solution. I switched because of my experience with peer reviews for Dell products. Ever since we made the change to Dell servers, we've not gone back. There is the ease of use of racking and the ease of use of remote management. There is reliability and simplification of the server as well. They've not overcomplicated it. Those are the main selling points for Dell servers in comparison to HP.

    How was the initial setup?

    Its initial setup was very straightforward. It took a day. We have a certain process that we follow. We've had a server setup from a couple of years ago, and we follow that process. It's just making sure that all the relevant information is in.

    What was our ROI?

    It's very difficult to measure, but it should be good. We've made an initial investment in the capital costs for the server purchase, and if we get good five years of use out of it, then we've got good returns for it.

    We could realize its benefits straightaway after the deployment.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    They seem to have become more expensive. I've not done a comparison with other vendors recently. If the price increases more, we would need to do a comparison next year just to make sure that we are benchmarking our server purchases correctly.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    We did consider public cloud servers before choosing PowerEdge Rack Servers, but it wasn't a choice. We are in a hybrid environment. We do have a number of servers internally, but then we have public cloud servers as well. Overall, the public cloud is cheaper because I don't require internal expertise and internal maintenance for the physical environment, which is cost-saving. The only reason for getting PowerEdge internally was to meet the demand for great speed for our manufacturing services. Therefore, we have to have something internal.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would definitely recommend it. You just have to install it, and that's it. It works.

    I would rate it a 10 out of 10.

    Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor. The reviewer's company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
    Updated: June 2025
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.