Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers Reviews

I'm using the server for Exchange and it gives me good performance.

I like the iDRAC feature.

I have also seen long life from each part and haven't had to call support, as far as I remember. I use competitors like HPE and we need spare parts every year. I have been using this server for 10 years and haven't faced any problems with the hardware or performance.

The BIOS interface could be improved; it is very poor. PowerEdge is very good overall, but if you compare the BIOS interface with HPE, it is not very good. HPE's is very advanced but Dell's is very simple.

I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for about 10 years.

The stability is about a seven out of 10.

It is scalable, but we are not planning to get more PowerEdge servers. We are planning to go with hyper-converged. We are looking to extend our environment and deploy a new DR site.

We have multiple locations and about 400 users.

Their support is excellent, but here I'm referring to all our Dell products, because I haven't had to contact them about PowerEdge.

Positive

I didn't have a previous solution, but I work with HPE servers at the same time. There is no major difference between them in performance or specifications. I prefer Dell for its warranty, which is very good here in Egypt. I am able to extend my warranty for one or two years.

For me, the setup was easy.

The only maintenance is cleaning it and adding hard disks.

I did it, as a system admin, with my team of three people: technical support and our help desk team.

Dell is somewhat more expensive than HPE.

In terms of money, if I compare a cloud system and an on-premises server like PowerEdge, if I rent the same type of product in the cloud for 10 years, it will cost more than if I get a PowerEdge server for five years.

If you invest in your network, it will be advantageous. 

We use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel for research calculations. 

With Intel Xeon processors, the solution has helped improve our target workloads' performance by 50 percent at times, depending on the exact calculation we are doing.

It's great at handling high-performance workloads.

They have also done their job when it comes to security features. We haven't ever had a breach, although it is a closed network.

When it comes to energy consumption they're also very good. They don't use power because they're power-hungry, but because we use them very hard.

I don't know much about the new Intel CPUs, but they need to put more than two CPUs in the servers. It may be an Intel limitation, but I'm not sure.

I have used Dell solutions for six years.

We haven't had any downtime with them due to anything on Dell's side. So far, they haven't failed.

We have hundreds of them, and adding as many as we can is as easy as the first one.

The support has been great. We haven't needed it much because the servers just work. But when we had issues, I called Dell. If it was a malfunction of the hardware, we had a solution within a day, and that was usually because of my schedule, not Dell's schedule. I would tell them, "Okay, come tomorrow or the day after. That will be better for me."

Positive

We used to have HP servers but they were horrible. We maintained them for about three years, but by the end of the three years, we didn't get all the features of the BIOS. The Dells, from day one, worked like a charm, with no additional fees or hidden costs, like we had with the HPs.

It's easy to handle. You just put it in, connect it, and it works. The average time it takes me to set up a server and get it to work is about 15 minutes.

We have seen ROI compared to cloud solutions. Similarly, compared to the HPs that we didn't select, we don't need to handle and pet them all the time. We didn't need another system engineer to handle the computers. I was enough.

The pricing is great; very competitive. That's the reason we bought hundreds of them.

We mainly evaluated HPs and Lenovos. Dell was the most cost-effective, power-efficient, and the easiest to handle.

The solution is a great service. They do their job. It requires minimal effort from my side as a system engineer, with very few errors or malfunctions.

My advice is to buy them. They are really good servers. They're straightforward. You don't need to research hidden definitions in the BIOS. They're simple to handle.

We specifically used the VMware and ESX host.

The system integration details are our favourite feature and the fact that we can maintain and control the systems remotely.

The iDRAC Telemetry for monitoring the PowerEdge system is useful. Some of our servers are not in our data centers so we are able to manage them remotely, in case of an outage or any other problem.

This solution is really reliable. The storage functionality is our favourite feature. I would rate this solution a ten out of ten when it comes to running the latest high-demand applications. It is easy to work with, maintain and deploy. 

Lastly, this solution has helped decrease production down time by 25%. The system management capabilities of PowerEdge have helped increase staff productivity by 25% and helped to reduce data processing time in our organization by 10%. 

The data analytics for this solution could be improved. 

I have been using this solution for 15 years. 

This is a stable solution. It offers reliability and we have not had any outages. It improves with every generation. 

This is a scalable solution. We have 200 employees making use of a full stack of applications supported by this solution. 

I would rate the support for this solution a seven out of ten. This is due to the fact that there is sometimes a shortage of parts. 

Neutral

The initial setup is straightforward. Deployment took two days. We implemented new power servers in a cluster one by one. 

This solution is reasonably priced and licenses are easy to acquire. 

The PowerEdge system management frameworks have enabled our business to progress towards full automation. This has freed up time to focus on different parts of the business, rather than constantly monitoring issues.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten. 

I use a mixture of versions of this solution including R440 and R430.  I also use FX2S for the blade chassis and FC630 and 640 for the actual blade servers.

We use the blade solution as a host cluster environment for virtualization of multiple servers and the standalone R440 and 430 for best practice when we don't want to necessarily complete virtualization. We use physical servers in different locations in order to have different firewall contexts, so we can push data across. We use the physical servers as simulated distant ends in a test environment out at the actual sites.

This solution has helped us reduce our rack footprint. It reduced our power consumption including size and weight. For example, we could increase the number of systems we were deploying in Iraq if we needed to. 

The solution decreased the time it takes to deploy systems due to needing less hardware. When we started to manage all of our servers in a cluster, it increased our oversight management. Ease of management with a smaller hardware footprint has equaled faster deployment.

The most valuable feature of this solution is the fact that it is a reliable server and does the job we implemented it to do. 

We are leaning away from this particular product because Dell's VxRail solution makes us buy four nodes at a time which is not scalable. Other solutions such as Cisco offer more innovation on this front. 

The switching for this solution is lagging behind other products. Cisco has built the best iOS that other solutions need to match. Dell has recently done an overhaul to allow networking switches but it still can't scale the way we need it to. 

I have been using this solution for seven years. 

This is a stable solution. 

Blade servers are not scalable anymore.

The initial setup is not complex but it is counterintuitive, specifically the chassis. The FX2S chassis holds up to four half widths blades and has a pre-built two-module network card and eight ports that mirror each other.  

The PCIe slots on the back of the chassis are hardwired and challenging to set up.

We did not use the automated server of OS deployment features. We installed the hardware and then installed the software manually. We are a dark site. Dell could be a little bit more friendly to dark site management. There's a huge customer base out there that just cannot utilize a lot of their solutions in a classified environment.

The pricing for this solution is reasonable. We pay a basic premium with a military premium on top of that. 

This solution has met my needs. We have not run with the latest versions of this solution due to security concerns. 

This solution has helped me to view the health and status of our environment in a user-friendly way. The TPM features have helped us a lot because, from a configuration management standpoint, there are trusted platform modules that operate consistently.

For anyone considering this solution, I would recommend looking into all the finer details to understand how it could be integrated. Ensure every facet of the solution is going to meet your needs.

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten. 

We've never had any issues with using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for everything we need. Essentially, they're our go-to brand for servers.

From what I've gathered, it seems that they're heading in the right direction by implementing silicon-based hardware updates, enhancing user access security, and optimizing the supply chain. These developments are sensible, especially for environments like data centers and research facilities, as they prioritize both security and efficiency.

I'm highly impressed by the energy efficiency of Dell PowerEdge Servers. Having worked with servers for a long time, I remember their high power consumption. However, the new Dell products have drastically reduced energy usage, which is not only remarkable but also makes them much quieter.

Primarily, what we value most is the stability of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. We appreciate the confidence of deploying them in production, knowing they'll perform reliably without any issues.

There might be room for improvement, especially in the software aspect, such as firmware updates. While it's relatively straightforward now, it would be beneficial to have a solution that allows updating the server firmware without taking it offline.

I have been working with it for approximately fifteen years.

It provides excellent stability capabilities.

Scalability isn't particularly relevant to our use case.

Before switching to Dell, we used to rely on HPE servers. Unfortunately, we experienced increasing instability with their hardware over time, particularly noticeable in critical components like storage controllers, which are crucial in my line of work. 

We also encountered numerous issues with the mainboards. As a result, we had to explore alternatives from different vendors. Although we also tried Supermicro servers, which showcased some innovative features at the time, we found Dell to offer better stability overall. While Supermicro was aiming for rapid innovation, they struggled with stability issues in their servers.

We managed the deployment in-house, and it was remarkably straightforward. Setting up the racks and mounting the hardware, including the components inside the servers, was hassle-free. Overall, it was a seamless process.

I believe the return on investment with Dell servers is positive. While I may not have a precise answer, a strong indication for me is the ongoing satisfaction in receiving the necessary components and support from Dell.

Overall, I would rate it ten out of ten.

My organization uses the product as a simple server.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Positive

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

The initial setup was easy.

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

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.

We continuously expand our data center infrastructure with Dell PowerEdge Servers, deploying virtualization platforms across multiple data centers. As our computing needs grow, we consistently require additional compute resources, leading to ongoing expansion efforts. Each month sees the addition of new PowerEdge Servers to accommodate our evolving requirements.

The most significant benefit we've experienced is the simplicity of working with a single vendor. This streamlined approach has greatly improved our service level experience. Whenever there's an issue, we can quickly reach out to them and receive prompt replacements or support. With ProSupport, the reliability and responsiveness of Dell's support services are truly impressive. We have peace of mind knowing that our technical needs will be addressed swiftly, often with next-day solutions.

Efficiency and power consumption have seen improvements in the last generation of servers. However, it's important to note that these aspects are largely comparable across vendors when utilizing the same hardware components.

The cyber-resilient architecture is a crucial feature, particularly for security purposes. Its inclusion provides reassurance for us as hosts, allowing us to confidently communicate to our customers that we employ this advanced technology in our data centers. This enhances our credibility and serves as a point of trust when engaging with our clients.

PowerEdge Servers have significantly reduced unplanned production data shutdowns, particularly compared to our previous experience with Dell, when we encountered frequent shutdowns due to hardware malfunctions, but with PowerEdge, downtime has been consistently minimal for the past five years. This improvement has greatly benefited both us and our customers, as it allows us to provide services with much better SLAs.

The adoption of the OpenManage Console has impacted our productivity positively as we are currently in the process of rolling it out for our servers.

The standout feature is the remote control accessibility, which allows our team to access and manage the servers locally or remotely. We primarily utilize these servers for virtualization, running VMware to consolidate them into a large data center. This setup perfectly aligns with our specific requirements, and our technical team thoroughly enjoys working with it. We've experienced fewer issues compared to previous hardware solutions from other providers. With PowerEdge servers, our stability has significantly improved.

There might be room for improvement in terms of efficiency, particularly with PowerEdge servers. However, it's worth noting that this issue isn't unique to Dell but rather a general concern across the industry.

We have been using it for almost twenty years.

Stability is paramount, and it's the feedback we consistently receive from our technicians. When we seek their advice on hardware selection for various solutions, they consistently recommend Dell without hesitation.

Scalability is a strong suit, particularly for our high-demand usage scenarios. We leverage storage virtualization with VMware installation, initially setting up nodes with lower capacity. As our needs grow, we can easily expand storage by adding more nodes or increasing capacity. This scalability extends to our infrastructure, allowing for flexible expansion and adaptation as required.

In general, it's common to encounter issues, especially during late hours when support might not be readily available. However, we haven't faced significant problems with our PowerEdge servers. Any challenges we've encountered are more often related to client devices, such as laptops from Dell. When it comes to server support, our experience has been excellent, almost rating it a perfect ten out of ten.

Positive

When comparing Dell PowerEdge servers and services to other options on the market, it's challenging for us to provide a comprehensive evaluation because the majority of our servers in the data center are Dell. Therefore, our main frame of reference is Dell versus alternative solutions. According to feedback from our technicians, Dell is typically preferred over other brands like Dell due to its perceived stability. This comparison is primarily focused on hardware solutions rather than support services.

Deploying Dell PowerEdge servers is straightforward and efficient. It saves us a significant amount of time since it's mostly plug-and-play, with minimal setup required. Our technicians have become accustomed to the process, with approximately fifty percent of the time previously spent on setup now being saved. As we continue to set up numerous Dell servers, we find the process consistently easy and reliable, with no major changes in the setup procedure.

Our primary deployment model for PowerEdge servers revolves around virtualization. While we do have some servers deployed on-premises, the majority are situated in the data center, serving as the backbone for our virtualization solution.

We have a strong agreement in place with our parent company, that typically ensures favorable pricing terms for us, although occasionally we may need to negotiate with Dell representatives for further discounts to provide competitive pricing to our customers.

In our business, we prioritize scalability over a plethora of features. Having identical servers across our infrastructure simplifies support and enhances technician familiarity. This uniformity streamlines processes, making it easier for our team to understand and manage the systems efficiently. Additionally, in our design and digital systems development, we lean towards utilizing Dell for its robust support and scalability, ensuring our solutions can easily scale as needed. Overall, I would rate it nine out of ten.

We rely on Dell PowerEdge servers for our data centers, transitioning from VMware to Hyper-V Azure Stack. These servers support various functions, including backup, database management, and handling highly virtualized workloads.  

A significant benefit we have experienced with Dell PowerEdge is the flexibility it offers in customizing our services. The servers are designed to fit our specific requirements, allowing us to build and configure them according to our needs. 

This flexibility has been valuable, as we have been able to achieve everything we have asked from the PowerEdge line to support our organization's IT infrastructure. 

For our organization, energy efficiency is crucial, and Dell PowerEdge servers align well with our commitment to green IT. Dell works with customers to prioritize power-efficient hardware, and we have noticed savings when renewing parts of our infrastructure. 

The virtualization layer, coupled with Dell's efforts, has contributed significantly to improved energy efficiency, allowing us to achieve more performance for the same energy consumption. Additionally, PowerEdge servers significantly contribute to our sustainability goals by delivering high performance and efficiency.

I find the stability of PowerEdge to be its most valuable feature. Managing it is straightforward, and the scalability aligns well with the needs of our organization.

One area where PowerEdge could improve, and it might not be unique to Dell, is the challenge of keeping technology consistent over the years. Due to the natural growth of IT, there are differences in processors, memory, and technology advancements each year. When expanding our environment, it becomes a challenge to match the technology of the same line. A more seamless bridge between old and new hardware could simplify administration and enhance the overall user experience.

I have been working with Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for almost over ten years.

PowerEdge handles the evolving needs of high-performance workloads quite well. Its flexibility allows us to attain the required performance and integrate new technologies seamlessly. The scalability within our current environment ensures that we don't hit the limits of the platform easily, eliminating the need to transition to another platform for now.

Dell's tech support has been good overall. While we rarely need assistance, finding the right entry point into their support system can be a bit challenging. However, when required, our account manager and available resources help navigate the process effectively.

We have seen a substantial return on investment with Dell PowerEdge. The servers' stability, ease of management, and standardized operations have reduced staffing needs and operational costs. Considering factors like energy efficiency and pricing, it has been a valuable investment for our organization.

I find the pricing for Dell PowerEdge reasonable for our company. However, licensing, in general, can be challenging to manage effectively. It would be beneficial for companies like Dell to reconsider their approach to licensing certain aspects of their equipment.

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