IBM Power Systems vs Intel Server System comparison

IBM and Intel are both solutions in the Rack Servers category. IBM is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.8, while Intel is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.0. IBM holds a 9.1% mindshare in Rack Servers, compared to Intel’s 5.4% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 66% of Intel users who would recommend it.

IBM Power Systems

Read 69 IBM Power Systems reviews

5,130 Views
3,640 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Intel Server System

Read 3 Intel Server System reviews

2,433 Views
2,238 Comparison Views

66% willing to recommend

IBM Power Systems

Intel Server System

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 22, 2024

Intel Server System and IBM Power Systems compete in the enterprise server market. While Intel Server System is noted for its cost-effectiveness and user-friendly support, IBM Power Systems is perceived as superior due to advanced features and robust performance, justifying its higher price.

Features: Intel Server System offers flexibility, scalability, and a wide variety of configurations to meet diverse business needs. It integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure, providing high reliability. IBM Power Systems provide exceptional processing power, enhanced security, and are suitable for large enterprise applications and demanding workloads.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Intel Server System is straightforward to deploy with intuitive tools and robust customer support. IBM Power Systems, while slightly more complex, offer comprehensive guidance and support, making the learning curve manageable. Intel prioritizes ease and flexibility, whereas IBM focuses on depth in service support post-deployment.

Pricing and ROI: Intel Server System is cost-effective with a strong ROI, targeting budget-conscious businesses seeking immediate value. IBM Power Systems require higher initial investment but deliver significant long-term ROI through high performance and reliability. Intel's pricing strategy emphasizes initial cost savings and quick returns, while IBM focuses on sustainable long-term gains.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Power Systems vs. Intel Server System Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Power Systems vs. Intel Server System

March 2025

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Helped 841,431 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

IBM Power Systems

Ranking in Rack Servers

4th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

8.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Intel Server System

Ranking in Rack Servers

7th

Average Rating

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Rack Servers category, the mindshare of IBM Power Systems is 9.1%, up from 8.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Intel Server System is 5.4%, down from 5.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Rack Servers

Featured Reviews

Omobolaji Olaloku

Senior Enterprise System Engineer at Zenith-bank

Extremely stable, good ROI, and scalable

The most valuable feature of our machines is their ability to replace faulty parts without causing any downtime. Our servers are equipped with advanced technology, making it possible to replace defective parts without having to bring down the servers. This is crucial, as any disruption to our services would result in inconvenience to our customers. Therefore, being able to service the machines and replace parts without causing any downtime is highly beneficial.

Read full review

Sami Abughosh

Servers Senior Network Administrator at Dukat d.d.

A stable product that constantly enhances its functionalities like multithreading and caching

The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it is more stable than AMD for VMware. Intel Server System has a good track record for the last 20 years. Multithreading and caching are areas where improvements keep increasing. If you look at the last four years, you will see a big difference when it comes to the area concerning processors.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The solution does not require any maintenance."

"The initial setup is simple and straightforward."

"The performance is the solution's most valuable asset. It has one of the highest levels of performance I have ever seen. It's quite remarkable, in that sense."

"The backups work great, data recovery works great."

"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten...Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten."

"Active Memory Expansion allows you to compress your memory on the run time to allow you to have less physical memory available, but provision more memory to your partitions, as everything will be compressed on the fly."

"Power Systems is like a dream solution for every IT person because it has redundancy, and it doesn't stop. It doesn't get affected easily. I don't see any weaknesses in this solution. At the moment, we have Power8. It is stable and runs smoothly. We have a big load, and it is working very well. It can be customized based on our needs. Flash copy is helping us amazingly. We have virtualization for vDisks, which is again very helpful. We are working on this virtualization technology, and we have a team that is working on redundancy and architecture."

"The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that the hardware is really good and reliable."

More IBM Power Systems pros

"It uses well known architecture and it's easy to develop for."

"The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it is more stable than AMD for VMware."

"It is stable and easy to manage."

Cons

"I think the cost should be cheaper."

"The solution is quite expensive."

"Software testing and the compatibility of software products that are available in the market should be addressed."

"The scalability process should be simplified."

"I would like to see firmware available to all of the systems."

"The number of times IBM refreshes its operating system appears to be very slow."

"IBM should provide a platform where users can learn about the storage and security of IBM Power Systems."

"Power Systems' price could always be lower."

More IBM Power Systems cons

"When you have an Intel Server System, the prices may be much higher since it is a different processor, making the solution's pricing part one of its shortcomings where improvements are required."

"The shipment time can be improved. When we order Intel products, we have to wait for a long time. They can increase the local services and engineers in China. Local engineers will be able to know and understand customer problems much better."

"We have to scale it ourselves but it scales. It depends on the software because it's mostly the hardware platform that Intel is managing."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The cost model is great. There is so much built in to the technology, that if you know how to use it you can save yourself a lot of money."

"It is designed for a large workload, as opposed to a small workload. For our circumstances, and even as an independent, I can't buy a Power system to experiment on. It can't happen. You cannot buy them."

"The solution's pricing is very, very high compared to other platforms."

"Its price depends on the sizing."

"The machine is good and has a comparatively good price."

"IBM Power is more expensive than other rack-mount servers, and you have to have a license for everything, including cores and memory."

"There is a yearly licensing cost, and it's an expensive solution."

"It's more about the value you get for the price. Considering its stability and performance, the pricing is good."

More IBM Power Systems pricing and cost advice

"It is not expensive."

"The price is competitive."

"I rate the pricing a ten on a scale from one to ten, where one is inexpensive, and ten is very expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

18%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

17%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Power Systems?

IBM Power Systems provides very good performance and stability compared to other brands or processors.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Power Systems?

IBM should provide a platform where users can learn about the storage and security of IBM Power Systems.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for IBM Power Systems?

In my company, we use the system for the data center and our IBM Cloud Pak System.

See all answers

What do you like most about Intel Server System?

The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it is more stable than AMD for VMware.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Intel Server System?

I rate the pricing a ten on a scale from one to ten, where one is inexpensive, and ten is very expensive.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Intel Server System?

When you have an Intel Server System, the prices may be much higher since it is a different processor, making the solution's pricing part one of its shortcomings where improvements are required.

See all answers

Comparisons

Oracle SPARC Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 17% of the time

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 17% of the time

HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 13% of the time

Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 5% of the time

HPE Apollo Systems vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 2% of the time

More IBM Power Systems Competitors

Oracle SPARC Servers vs Intel Server System

Compared 19% of the time

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers vs Intel Server System

Compared 4% of the time

More Intel Server System Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM Power Systems

March 2025

Download IBM Power Systems product report

Buyer's Guide

Rack Servers

February 2025

Download Intel Server System product report

Also Known As

IBM OpenPOWER LC

No data available

Overview

IBM Power Systems are built to crush the most advanced data applications - from the mission-critical workloads you run today to the next generation of AI.

IBM

Storage is simple with the Intel Storage System JBOD2000 family, a 2U form factor system with support for twelve 3.5" LFF or twenty-four 2.5" SFF drives with a single or multi-cable connectivity. The JBOD2000 family includes redundant, hot-swap fans and the option for redundant, hot-swap power supplies. The JBOD2000S2 products support 6Gb/s SAS/SATA connectivity via industry-standard SFF-8088 connectors with the latest JBOD2000S3 version supports up to 12 Gb/s SAS connectivity via industry standard SFF-8644 connectors. All these JBOD offerings are designed to provide highly available and easily expandable storage for Intel servers at an affordable price point.

Intel

Sample Customers

Cipher

Emerson, Baosight, Pentamaster

Buyer's Guide

IBM Power Systems vs. Intel Server System

March 2025

Free Report: IBM Power Systems vs. Intel Server System

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