Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users
reviewer1045272 - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr IT Specialist at a manufacturing company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
The servers offer excellent stability, reliability, and performance
Pros and Cons
  • "Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have been stable and reliable over the last decade."
  • "There is room for improvement in certain aspects of the deployment process as it is a bit complex."

What is our primary use case?

We use Dell PowerEdge servers for various purposes, including running databases on Windows platforms, blades, and chassis for high-performance computing. Our VMware environment relies on PowerEdge servers, particularly in the HPC setup, which involves complex networking and interconnects. 

While the infrastructure can be intricate, the consistent performance of Dell servers makes maintenance easier. Coming from a Unix environment, I find the reliability of these servers comparable, if not better, and they require less time for repairs.

What is most valuable?

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have been stable and reliable over the last decade.

What needs improvement?

There is room for improvement in certain aspects of the deployment process as it is a bit complex.

For how long have I used the solution?

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

Buyer's Guide
Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers
March 2025
Learn what your peers think about Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
842,767 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Evaluating the stability of Dell PowerEdge servers, we focus on security patching and follow-ups on vulnerabilities. While our team emphasizes security core aspects, our primary concern is a balance between green IT and cost efficiency. Power and heat consumption are challenges across all brands, mainly influenced by Intel chips. 

The server's reliability in storage is dependent on how storage is divided over multiple storage arrays. Although downtime is required for server replacement, the overall architecture provides a good overview and easy management of multiple servers. 

The stability of Dell PowerEdge servers is excellent, with minimal hardware defects in the last three years. The impact of server maintenance is reduced due to virtualization, allowing easy movement of VMs within the cluster. I would rate the stability as a nine out of ten.

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

Comparing Dell to Lenovo in our hybrid brand solution for HPC, Lenovo is sometimes a bit more expensive but can be easier to install with less driver complexity. 

Dell, on the other hand, can be cheaper. Dell's recent shift has resulted in a larger data center footprint, but the cost-driven nature of IT decisions often favors the most economical solution. While our return on investment with Dell is generally good, IT views these solutions as costs rather than revenue generators. Overall, the reliability is strong, but our focus remains on minimizing costs.

How was the initial setup?

Deploying Dell servers feels like rocket science, but as a seasoned professional, it is generally straightforward and intuitive for me. I rarely use manuals and rely on my experience. Occasionally, finding the right person with multi-disciplinary knowledge can be a challenge, leading to minor delays. Overall, the experience is good, but there is room for improvement in certain aspects.

What other advice do I have?

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

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Group IT Manager at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Innovative designs to transform IT and maximize performance across the widest range of applications.
Pros and Cons
  • "The availability is excellent."
  • "The solution could still use some more analytics."

What is our primary use case?

Virtual Environment and performance enhancements for SQL applications and for future VDI implementations.

How has it helped my organization?

Performance has been observed once servers have been operational and power consumption has been reduced as well due to the new technology.

What is most valuable?

The solution has always had very good performance.

The availability/scalability is excellent.

Their technical support is always helpful. They have a very good support timeline that lasts not just a year or two, but even five years down the line. It's a long-term arrangement.

The solution is highly scalable, with a two-socket server, CPU support, and the M.E.N SST. 

It can support VDI.

You can combine these servers. Therefore, not only do they work with virtual environments, you can have them as a Data Analytics server. They can handle a lot of heavy processes. They are one of the main big servers that can handle a lot of things. For example, I'm replacing four servers with three servers, which means I can also reduce the licenses. Instead of buying two licenses, you're buying one license. The lines are reduced to half, and you have a few open managed application that will tell you the health of the server. 

The content and insights with Dell are great. Whenever something happens to your server and you have the support, they will give you a notification. Whether it's CPU or RAM or the power supply, whatever the issue, they will tell you. You always have a proactive notification on all the servers.

Security and BIOS are very good. Previously, BIOS was just a plus for the team to have on the server. Now, BIOS is more into Cyber Security and has the intelligence to recognize what is being loaded before going to the main OS. There's artificial intelligence integrated into these servers and the insights are one of the main reasons that they'll provide you with a good service, and offer you some visibility on the server. You feel safe. The server won't let you down. With the notifications, you can always handle things before they become a bigger problem. 

What needs improvement?

The company needs to invest in more marketing exposure. Users need to know that Dell servers compete with HP Servers. in the region, the Middle East, many more companies work with HP. They could change this.

The solution could still use some more analytics.

It would be helpful if we had the power of an open managed application. It should be more hands-on in terms of how are you going to manage your server. In order to do that, you need more visibility into the health of the server itself.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been dealing with this solution for around a year. I used to have HP servers, as well, however, now I'm working with Dell again.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is extremely scalable, and it's easy to do so as it has a two-socket server and CPU support, etc. It offers quite high performance for easy scaling down the road.

You don't just buy a server for one service. You buy a server to take advantage of several services in your environment, and so, it helps that it can scale.

How are customer service and technical support?

I've personally never worked with technical support directly, however, it is my understanding that technical support is excellent. They offer long timelines, so you don't just have technical support for, for example, the first year or two. They continue to work with you even years down the line. They're very fast and responsive and their head in Lebanon is very good. 

Support is one of the main reasons we considered as well, as we know that if we have any critical issues, we won't have problems getting the answers we need. We get the answers we require either the same day or 24 hours. It's great.

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

We did use a different solution, HP, and now we are returning to Dell. Part of what played a major factor is the support for AMD CPU's. Since Dell EMC supports the AMD, there also were internal considerations as well to take them on.

HP is one of the main competitors in the Middle East. They compete head-to-head with Dell EMC also, and HP servers have some things that are better than Dell EMC. Dell has older technology. They're catching up, however, with artificial intelligence, analytics, and reporting, they're catching up.

They are pretty close in style and substance. Therefore, whichever gives me a better price will be the one I choose.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was very, very easy. 

There's nothing to work with on the server itself. 

You just handle the configuration, and you do some EFI configuration. In the last stage, you're going to install the operating system so that it is a fast service. It depends on the disks you put in. At the server level, so it doesn't have that much configuration. It's just installing Windows and any operating system. Then you build over that.

Except for the Bios updates and the drivers and the compatibility issues, you don't have any problem with compatibility.

What other advice do I have?

There are certain components on other solutions that I need to check with Dell. Dell was very good before and always is in the performance, availability and support. That said, our region in Lebanon, had some problems with the distributors and the people who are licensed to sell Dell products. It's been about five years now, and it's now official that everybody can partner again with Dell. You don't have to be an experienced partner, per se. 

Before, it was being controlled by one partner. Nobody is able to bring in Dell, and this partner had control for all the prices of all the support and everything. However, after merging with EMC and after having so many partners, its become more exposed to the market. Many partners that were struggling to sell Dell EMC servers and storage, as well as laptops and everything, are able to do so. 

This is the main reason why we have returned to Dell. We know about them. They offer very good servers and they are one of the leaders in the market. Dell and HP are leaders now in the servers. For this season, we reconsidered having their Rack Servers. This is the only reason we're going now to Dell servers. 

With Dell, if a company is considering their work environments and they're considering Data Analytics and Big Data, etc., yes, why not to go for the Dell server. They have an extremely scalable infrastructure designed for Big Data and they have the processes and ERP system that needs a lot of power. The Rack Servers, the PowerUp servers, are very good. They are recommended by many people worldwide.

I'd recommend organizations consider these servers. Dell also has a full portfolio of products that work together in harmony. Whatever you need, Dell likely has a solution for you.

Overall, I would rate the solution nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers
March 2025
Learn what your peers think about Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
842,767 professionals have used our research since 2012.
M. I. S. Manager at Ruby Mills Ltd
Real User
Easy to setup, reliable, scalable, and has good support
Pros and Cons
  • "This solution has absolutely fulfilled our needs well."
  • "There are certain aspects, features, and functionality on the motherboard that need improvement."

What is our primary use case?

All of my server's requirements are currently using the Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers.

What needs improvement?

There are certain aspects, features, and functionality on the motherboard that need improvement. 

If they had some software components that would have helped because I don't like creating electronic waste. We don't like upgrading for the sake of upgrading.

With that process, we tend to lose the newer features which would have come in during that time.

If they could have done something during that time where the new features could have been included, or improved upon the existing ones then it would have been brilliant.

In the next release, I would like to see some means by which they could improve the functionality on the motherboard. It would be a very large help and increase the life of these products.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers for 14 to 15 years.

We are using the latest version purchased from HP.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's a very stable solution. 

We have many servers still running with this solution because our new one has not yet been commissioned. 

We have the exchange server, ERP that is running on it, file sense servers, and the security server is running.

We plan to continue using this solution in the future.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers is scalable.

We have 160 users in our organization.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support has been brilliant. 

They have supported us for several years, but it's now out of support because we are currently implementing a hardware refresh.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward.

The deployment time varies depending on the application being deployed. For example, the exchange took me a couple of days to get it up and running, and on a straightforward file sense server, it was less than three hours to get it up and running.

The security server also took a couple of hours to get it up and running.

We have four members to deploy and maintain this solution. They are made up of engineers, managers, and admins.

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

It's not a very expensive solution.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We were in a scenario of having every application running on physical servers.

We are now moving to an in-house virtual environment. We are using VMware so that one server can do a multitude of jobs at the same time. Hence the hardware refresh.

We are moving towards virtual experiences, using VMware.

What other advice do I have?

This solution has absolutely fulfilled our needs well.

We are still running, this solution, we are upgrading only because of the features and abilities that it doesn't have. It's run now for 14 to 15 years.

It's a brilliant product.

I would recommend this solution to others looking into using this solution.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer2586690 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Onsite Support Specialist at a consumer goods company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Energy management enhances security while supporting sustainability
Pros and Cons
  • "Its approach to user security measures is valuable. We haven't experienced any major issues, and the solution has been working really well."
  • "Dell's customer support is very good, especially since we have premium support for next-day hardware service."

    What is our primary use case?

    Our primary use case includes running workloads such as on-premises Active Directory, with a managed hybrid approach on Microsoft Azure and on-premises.

    How has it helped my organization?

    The solution has helped by ensuring no major security incidents or vulnerabilities, and has supported our sustainability goals through energy consumption management. It has also provided reliable uptime with planned downtimes for updates.

    What is most valuable?

    Its approach to user security measures is valuable. We haven't experienced any major issues, and the solution has been working really well.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been in this company for the last three years, and the solution has been used since before my arrival.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    We do not have many issues with downtime; there are windows for planned updates or upgrades.

    How are customer service and support?

    Dell's customer support is very good, especially since we have premium support for next-day hardware service.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    What was our ROI?

    The return on investment is notable as we've been using the same servers without incurring ongoing operational expenses often associated with the cloud.

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

    The cost of ownership is differentiated by the absence of operational expenses typical with cloud services.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Hybrid Cloud
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    Flag as inappropriate
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer1851978 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Associate Director, Health Information Technologies at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
    Real User
    Good performance, secure, easy to use, and the technical support is good
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most valuable feature is reliability. We rarely have any issues and because of this, Dell is our go-to for servers."
    • "I'd like to take the complexities out of all the different tools that surround it, like OpenManage."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use the servers for various use cases. A lot of our servers act as ESXi hosts that host our VMware infrastructure. We also have a lot of researchers that use them for their own computing, memory, and storage as well.

    How has it helped my organization?

    When it comes to running high-demand applications, we trust our Dell servers exclusively. Its overall stability and ease of use have helped to improve the way our organization functions.

    I believe that our overall data processing time has been reduced, although it's hard for us to quantify that.

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable feature is reliability. We rarely have any issues and because of this, Dell is our go-to for servers.

    We make use of the encrypt-at-rest security feature, which allows us to keep our servers locked down in our data centers as best we can.

    We used the CloudIQ feature for monitoring and it's pretty good overall. We have a challenge in our area because our IT is very broad and there is a lot of overlap. Other people's work is visible and we have a big environment, so there is a team of people that keep an eye on things.

    What needs improvement?

    I'd like to take the complexities out of all the different tools that surround it, like OpenManage. There's some different licensing and it gets a little wonky at times. Other than that, the product itself works fine. Rather, it's some of the management issues.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for approximately 15 years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    This is a pretty reliable product.

    How are customer service and support?

    Dell's support is fantastic. We've never really had any problems with them.

    I would rate them an eight out of ten.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

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

    We did not use another similar solution prior to this one.

    We are looking for some of the newer models to replace some of our older equipment. We may not have to have as many as before, because it's more efficient.

    How was the initial setup?

    Once we get a server, we can have it up in a day. One person can do it unless it's a heavy server. In that case, we need two people to lift it. Almost anybody on our staff can deploy this server if it's needed.

    What about the implementation team?

    We handle the deployment in-house.

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

    There are no costs in addition to the standard licensing fees.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    When you compare this product to using a public cloud, you definitely have to pay attention to what you're doing in a public cloud. This is because you're generally using a shared server with other people and there can be problems because of this.

    What other advice do I have?

    We are currently working towards full automation when it comes to managing PowerEdge. It looks pretty good at this stage. It most definitely assists with the overall operations.

    My advice for anybody who is considering this product is that Dell is a reliable partner. The product works well and you can't really go wrong with it. As the product changes over time, it's pretty seamless and you don't have to learn a lot of new things. After four years, it may only be slightly different.

    I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Manager at Mutural Trust Bank
    Real User
    Enables us to do remote troubleshooting
    Pros and Cons
    • "The initial setup is so easy."
    • "As the disks and memory should be expandable, I would highlight scalability as an issue."

    What is our primary use case?

    I use the solution to help me with battery and memory DIMM errors.

    What is most valuable?

    The remote management control is a valuable feature. There is no need to connect the monitor, keyboard, or mouse. We can install our operating system and whatever else we wish. Thanks to the enterprise license which enables remote connectivity there is no need to connect. This allows us to make use as we see fit, such as that involving the operating system installation and, occasionally, the host machine, in which case we can connect to the console remotely. This allows us to do remote troubleshooting, which is a nice feature. 

    What needs improvement?

    When it comes to battery and memory DIMM errors, it seems there is a bug. Also, the number of disks should be expandable. Many medium and large companies are using cloud-based rack servers. There should be a greater amount of CPU, memory, and hard disks. As the disks and memory should be expandable, I would highlight scalability as an issue.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I am currently using Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers and have been doing so over the course of the past 12 months. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I feel Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers to be reliable solutions for rack only because this rack solutions is not applicable to other cases. It is reliable, based on the rack solution. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    When it comes to the rack server, the number of disks lack scalability.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers' remote support is quite good. Many a times I have opened a case and received from them a prompt response and solution.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is so easy. One just need establish a remote connection with the network console, allowing the applications database to be installed as desired. 

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

    The licensing comes with a warranty.

    If I wish to use the remote console, I can access it so that I may obtain the enterprise license on the server. Once two or three years have elapsed, or subsequent to getting the warranty, there is no need to get the license. 

    The cost goes up when taking into account the enterprise-level license.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    I evaluated Blade in addition to the solution. 

    What other advice do I have?

    The reason we use on-premises and not cloud is because we are talking about a bank. The financial data is not published outside.

    Before I could recommend implementing the solution, I wish to describe a scenario. As mentioned, in terms of the rack server I can speak positively. However, were I to compare Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers to other solutions, such as Blade, it wouldn't be helpful for this rack server only, as we are merely talking about CPU, RAM and some disks. 

    Owing to the scalability issue, I rate Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers as a nine out of ten. 

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Automation Service Engineer (DCS) at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
    Real User
    Stable with an easy implementation process and very user-friendly
    Pros and Cons
    • "It's a very user-friendly solution."
    • "The performance could be a bit better."

    What is our primary use case?

    We primarily use the solution for its performance.

    What is most valuable?

    Dell offers very good performance. The hardware is very, very good.

    The product has very good diagnostics.

    It's a very user-friendly solution.

    At the rack level, we can access and can see the status. When deploying you can see if there are any issues with the system. 

    In terms of maintenance, it's easy. 

    The hard drive is just plug and play. You just unplug the old one and put in the new hard drive. It's very, very straightforward.

    What needs improvement?

    The performance could be a bit better.

    If they want to coordinate between the different fast CPUs with the memory or maybe if they put some polling systems that are a bit better it could possibly increase the performance of the servers. 

    It would be great if the product had some wireless capabilities.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We've been using the solution for two years at this point. It hasn't been a very long time.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    THe solution is very, very stable. It's one of its greatest features. The solution doesn't crash or freeze. It doesn't have bugs or glitches. It's worked well for us.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    We do plan to increase usage in the future. We'll continue to stick with them as we never have issues with the solution and you can scale it.

    We have about 50 users on the solution, although they aren't direct users.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    The technical support is good. We have set up three years of support for this solution. We always get a fast response. We can also write the ticket on the widget via a support program and the team will reach out to us directly in order to assist. We've been quite satisfied with their level of service so far.

    How was the initial setup?

    We didn't find the implementation to be complex. The initial setup was fairly straightforward. It was easy for us to handle. We were able to do everything ourselves in-house.

    The deployment takes about an hour. To install just the racks only takes five minutes.

    What about the implementation team?

    I handled the installation myself. I didn't need any help from any consultants or integrators.

    What other advice do I have?

    We're a partner as a buyer of the solution.

    We're using the latest version of the solution.

    Overall, I would rate the solution nine out of ten. We've never had any issues with Dell servers. They're good. They're very stable. I'd recommend the solution to other organizations.

    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
    System Engineer at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
    Real User
    Top 20
    Good performance and easy to work with
    Pros and Cons
    • "They are easy to configure. It is simple to work with Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers."
    • "The performance of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is very good."

      What is our primary use case?

      We use VMware hypervisor on Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. We use the PowerEdge storage with iSCSI.

      How has it helped my organization?

      We use these servers for the hypervisor, and we have many Windows servers on them. They work very well, and they have a very good performance.

      What is most valuable?

      The performance of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is very good. 

      They are easy to configure. It is simple to work with Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I have been working with Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for two years.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      They are very stable.

      How are customer service and support?

      We use Dell support for notebooks, servers, and storage. Overall, I would rate their support an eight out of ten.

      How would you rate customer service and support?

      Positive

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

      We only use Dell servers. We build the hypervisor servers for the company, and these are the only servers we use.

      What other advice do I have?

      I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers a ten out of ten. They are very good. I am happy with them.

      Disclosure: My 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: March 2025
      Buyer's Guide
      Download our free Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.