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reviewer2339181 - PeerSpot reviewer
Head of Backup at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
Works perfectly and provides the cyber resilience and security that we need
Pros and Cons
  • "It works perfectly, especially in terms of availability and reliability, without any type of issue, which is why we are very happy with it."
  • "The cost can be improved. For other use cases, we use Hitachi servers, which are a little cheaper but have similar functionality."

What is our primary use case?

Mainly, we started using them when we implemented a cyber recovery solution with Data Domain, in which several Dell PowerEdge Rack servers are also involved.

By implementing this solution, we wanted cyber resilience. We wanted a 1/3 copy cyber recovery solution that would prevent us from losing all the data in the event of a cyber attack.

In terms of deployment, we use them on-prem, directly with Dell as our provider.

How has it helped my organization?

They provide the cyber resilience that we were looking for. They are working perfectly so far, and we are happy with them.

The PowerEdge Cyber Resilient Architecture approach to security is very good. Overall, Dell's approach to security is pretty good. I like using Dell products because they always have security configuration guides.

In terms of energy consumption, Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers can possibly be improved, but this is what I would say regarding any other type of server.

I do not know specifically about Dell's sustainability goals or how PowerEdge can help, but at the level of on-prem servers, it can always be improved by moving towards new virtualization to reduce the impact and perhaps reduce the number of servers.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have helped to reduce unplanned production downtime. In our case, we have planned a maximum downtime of one week in the event of a cyber attack. These are the ratios we use.

The OpenManage console has affected our IT staff’s productivity. It has helped in a positive way because it is a console that centralizes many things that our staff manages every day. In that sense, it is in a centralized console. It helps a lot.

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers have not impacted the overall flexibility of our operations or business. In our case, it is an isolated additional system, so it is not like adding an additional layer to improve the flexibility per se.

What is most valuable?

There is no specific feature that is more valuable than other servers for us. Because it is part of an overall solution that Dell has offered us, we opted for Dell's PowerEdge servers. Overall, it is a good solution. It works perfectly, especially in terms of availability and reliability, without any type of issue, which is why we are very happy with it.

What needs improvement?

The cost can be improved. For other use cases, we use Hitachi servers, which are a little cheaper but have similar functionality.

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.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for approximately two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

So far, we have had no stability problems. They are very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is very good. We use them in several locations. The main department in which they are used is ours, which is for data protection backup. They are mainly used for a cyber recovery solution.

How are customer service and support?

I would assess their support very positively. I have been working with them for several years, and I am very happy with their support.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

We also use Hitachi. We have not switched. We maintain two brands.

What was our ROI?

It has simply covered our use case.

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

They can improve the costs.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated Veritas. We evaluated Netapp solutions. There were five or six different vendors. We did not see a critical difference. In general, they were similar, but Dell was more present throughout the process.

What other advice do I have?

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

Foreign Language:(Spanish)

Funciona perfectamente y proporciona la ciberresiliencia y seguridad que necesitamos

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

He estado usando servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge durante aproximadamente dos años.

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

Principalmente, comenzamos a utilizarlos cuando implementamos una solución de recuperación cibernética con Data Domain, en la que también están involucrados varios servidores Dell PowerEdge Rack.

Al implementar esta solución, queríamos ciberresiliencia. Queríamos una solución de recuperación cibernética de 1/3 de copia que nos evitara perder todos los datos en caso de un ciberataque.

En términos de implementación, los utilizamos de forma local, directamente con Dell como nuestro proveedor.

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

Proporcionan la ciberresiliencia que estábamos buscando. Están funcionando perfectamente hasta ahora y estamos contentos con ellos.

El enfoque de seguridad de PowerEdge Cyber Resilient Architecture es muy bueno. En general, el enfoque de seguridad de Dell es bastante bueno. Me gusta usar los productos Dell porque siempre tienen guías de configuración de seguridad.

En términos de consumo de energía, los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge son posiblemente mejorables, pero esto es lo que diría de cualquier otro tipo de servidor.

No sé específicamente cuáles son los objetivos de sostenibilidad de Dell ni cómo puede ayudar PowerEdge, pero a nivel de servidores locales, siempre se puede mejorar avanzando hacia una nueva virtualización para reducir el impacto y quizás reducir la cantidad de servidores.

Los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge han ayudado a reducir el tiempo de inactividad de producción no planificado. En nuestro caso, hemos previsto un tiempo de inactividad máximo de una semana en caso de ciberataque. Estas son las proporciones que utilizamos.

La consola OpenManage ha afectado la productividad de nuestro personal de TI. Ha ayudado de manera positiva porque es una consola que centraliza muchas cosas que nuestro personal maneja día a día. En ese sentido, está en una consola centralizada. Esto ayuda mucho.

Los servidores en rack Dell PowerEdge no han afectado la flexibilidad general de nuestras operaciones o negocios. En nuestro caso se trata de un sistema adicional aislado, por lo que no es como añadir una capa adicional para mejorar la flexibilidad de por sí.

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

No existe ninguna característica específica que sea más valiosa que otros servidores para nosotros. Debido a que es parte de una solución global que nos ha ofrecido Dell, optamos por los servidores PowerEdge de Dell. En general, es una buena solución. Funciona perfectamente, sobre todo en términos de disponibilidad y fiabilidad, sin ningún tipo de problema, por lo que estamos muy contentos con ella.

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

El costo se puede mejorar. Para otros casos de uso, utilizamos servidores Hitachi, que son un poco más baratos pero tienen una funcionalidad similar.

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

También utilizamos Hitachi. No hemos cambiado. Mantenemos las dos marcas.

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

Evaluamos Veritas. Evaluamos las soluciones de Netapp. Había cinco o seis proveedores diferentes. No vimos una diferencia crítica. En general fueron similares, pero Dell estuvo más presente en todo el proceso.

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

Se pueden mejorar en cuanto a su precio.

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

La escalabilidad es muy buena. Los utilizamos en varios lugares. El departamento principal en el que se utilizan es el nuestro, que es para la copia de seguridad de la protección de datos. Se utilizan principalmente para una solución de recuperación cibernética.

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

Hasta ahora no hemos tenido problemas. Son muy estables.

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

Simplemente ha cubierto nuestros casos de uso.

Cuéntanos tu experiencia con el servicio y soporte al cliente.

Valoro su soporte de forma positiva. Llevo varios años trabajando con ellos y estoy muy contento con su apoyo.

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

8.

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: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

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    Moshe Tzarfati - PeerSpot reviewer
    Global Backup Admin Lead at Motorola Solutions
    Real User
    We can manage it remotely so it is useful for troubleshooting
    Pros and Cons
    • "In regards to security, I have noticed that we can implement Active Directory to the iDRAC. It is more secure that way. Then, everyone can access it as they please."
    • "I would like them to add more NVMe slots. That would be good. That way, it would have better performance, e.g., enough storage for better performance than a spinning disk."

    What is our primary use case?

    My division is backup. We use Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel to deploy backup systems to back up the entire area or region where we are setting it up. We actually use it as a media server for backup.

    For this server, we bought several with a net of 30 terabytes to use with a memory of about 256 gigs.

    How has it helped my organization?

    We have benefited in performance, especially when installing the media server for the backup and performing backup for high performance and fast storage.

    What is most valuable?

    I like Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers powered by Intel. It is a good, high performance server. It is easy to manage, especially with the iDRAC. 

    iDRAC is its most valuable feature. The management from the iDRAC port is useful for me because my server is located in Australia, and I need to manage it from Israel. Therefore, it is useful for troubleshooting.

    There is flexibility to use a lot of storage on the server. It has the ability to have it as a RAID and support that. This is most useful for me in the case of a malfunction in one or two drives. It is like having a server and storage together, i.e., hyperconverged. We can manage this remotely.

    In regards to security, I have noticed that we can implement Active Directory to the iDRAC. It is more secure that way. Then, everyone can access it as they please.

    We use Intel Xeon Scalable processors in our PowerEdge Rack Servers. They have very much helped to improve the performance of our targeted workloads. 

    What needs improvement?

    I would like them to add more NVMe slots. That would be good. That way, it would have better performance, e.g., enough storage for better performance than a spinning disk.

    There is some improvement needed in the site (with its arrangement) when trying to find some configuration or troubleshooting matches.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We just bought two Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for a region. We installed them about a month ago.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It is very stable.

    I am using it for backup, so it has to be reliable. Even in cases where there is downtime, we can then use the solution to retrieve data. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Its scalability is great. I can add more storage and shelf to that server.

    How are customer service and support?

    I have not yet needed the help of Dell support for PowerEdge Rack Servers. In the past, I have enjoyed my experience with Dell support for storage. I would rate them as eight out of 10.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

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

    Previously, we had an old HPE server that was backing up systems but taking a lot of time. Now, with the Intel Xeon and Dell server, it is a lot faster.

    The HPE server was no longer supported, so we tried to check with some other vendors. Because of its flexibility to have more storage and scalability, we choose Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers.

    How was the initial setup?

    The deployment of PowerEdge Rack Servers was new for me since I used to work with HPE servers. The setup was a little bit different, but it was easy to catch up and do the installation.

    It took several minutes to determine how to work with PowerEdge and configure the BIOS. The one thing that surprised me is the ability to configure the BIOS from the iDRAC, not going directly inside the BIOS in order to do so.

    What about the implementation team?

    I deployed it.

    What was our ROI?

    We installed the servers, and they are currently working.

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

    The pricing and licensing are fair.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    We evaluated HPE, Dell, and IBM. We chose Dell PowerEdge mostly because of the price and extendability.

    What other advice do I have?

    It is easy to manage and extendable. Compared to other vendors, the prices are much lower. Go for it.

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

    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
    Rich text editor
      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.
      Stefan Ackelman - PeerSpot reviewer
      Infrastructure manager at a government with 5,001-10,000 employees
      Real User
      Top 20
      Reduces energy consumption by achieving the same results with fewer servers and more virtualization
      Pros and Cons
      • "We constantly upgrade to newer hardware, and everything stays the same but with updated architecture. This consistency is good for our technicians on the data center side. We also appreciate the integration with VMware. It keeps things simple for us."
      • "We use PowerEdge servers in conjunction with VMware, a VCF Rack, and VxRail. That has worked out well. We are using it for firmware upgrades and other similar tasks. It's a one-stop shop, but it could be better when the servers aren't on a VCF stack. Profile handling and upgrading standalone servers could improve, but they have gotten better over the years."

      What is our primary use case?

      We use Dell PowerEdge for databases, file servers, and virtualization.

      How has it helped my organization?

      PowerEdge reduces energy consumption by achieving the same results with fewer servers and more virtualization. We're starting our AI journey with some AI workloads running on R750 servers. I don't have much insight into the applications, but I recommend Dell servers to colleagues who want to run AI workloads. In the end, the benefit outweighs the cost. 

      What is most valuable?

      We constantly upgrade to newer hardware, and everything stays the same but with updated architecture. This consistency is good for our technicians on the data center side. We also appreciate the integration with VMware. It keeps things simple for us. 

      What needs improvement?

      We use PowerEdge servers in conjunction with VMware, a VCF Rack, and VxRail. That has worked out well. We are using it for firmware upgrades and other similar tasks. It's a one-stop shop, but it could be better when the servers aren't on a VCF stack. Profile handling and upgrading standalone servers could improve, but they have gotten better over the years.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I have used Dell servers for 20 years. I've used Dell PowerEdge servers at my current company for six years, but I used them at other jobs. 

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      We don't have issues with PowerEdge except for occasional hardware problems. 

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      We can easily scale PowerEdge. We have a good platform on the software side, so we just scale out with more servers. We have had some issues scaling up more ports, but that's hardware. Nothing scales to infinity. We've had no problem handling high-performance workloads. We upgrade every few years to the latest and fastest hardware when necessary. 

      How are customer service and support?

      I rate Dell support nine out of 10. They've helped us get the platform running and perform remote upgrades. They've been a good intermediary contact point for discussions with VMware and Broadcom. I talk with the support engineer, who talks with the networking team or someone else.

      How would you rate customer service and support?

      Positive

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

      We have used HP and IBM Servers. Initially, we decided to adopt Dell because they offered a better price point. We are satisfied with the solution and will continue to use it. 

      How was the initial setup?

      I rate PowerEdge eight out of 10 for ease of deployment. 

      What about the implementation team?

      We deployed the servers using consultants this time, but we've used Dell professional services before. Our experience with consultants was good. 

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


      What other advice do I have?

      I rate PowerEdge Rack Servers eight out of 10. 

      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.
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        reviewer2380608 - PeerSpot reviewer
        Solutions Architect at a tech vendor with 201-500 employees
        Real User
        Our strong relationship with Dell helps in providing an effective and timely service
        Pros and Cons
        • "The Dell name holds a lot of weight on our position as a partner of Dell's when it comes to liquid cooling the systems. We have a great relationship with Dell, so we are able to exchange information very easily to be able to build these systems for our customers."

          What is our primary use case?

          My focus is liquid cooling. We are taking the air-cooled PowerEdge systems and converting them to liquid cooling. That usually involves replacing and doing material compatibility, adjusting the thermal interface materials inside the systems, and adjusting the heat sinks. We turn off the fans and adjust the BIOS systems in some of the subsystems, such as PSUs.

          This allows the server that has been designed for air cooling to be submerged in dielectric fluid so that it can now be cooled with dielectric fluid running through the systems. Because of the fact that it is submerged, all the subsystems are being cooled, but instead of air, it is done by fluid. It is far more effective at pulling heat out of the systems, taking that heat out of the unit, and then being able to use that heat for other purposes.

          For the larger PowerEdge systems that have GPU integrations in them, we have seen a lot of trends in building those for AI systems. We have seen a generated interest in the PowerEdge system across the board for a majority of industries.

          How has it helped my organization?

          I am quite new to the company, but I see that customers keep asking for these servers. From our side, because of our relationship with Dell, we can take a server and convert it to liquid far quicker than with other partners. That has been a big advantage. The PowerEdge system is good in many aspects. Many times customers just want to deploy these systems, especially given the acceleration that we have seen in the AI industry. People just want to be able to get their systems up and running as quickly as possible, so sometimes, there is an advantage to the lead time of getting these things converted. We have been able to do that quicker through Dell than with other IT vendors. We have relationships with HPE as well as with Lenovo. We are dynamic. We are not tied to any particular vendor, and we can work with all customers to deploy different systems inside their environment for liquid cooling.

          From our side, there is always a little bit of a challenge with the footprint. I am in an area where we are submerging these devices in tanks. We are in a situation where some of the server designs are a little bit deep. For example, PowerEdge R760xa has a slightly extended depth. It is not as long as PowerEdge XE9680, but PowerEdge R760xa is a beast in itself. It is influencing the infrastructure designers to change their footprint so that they can incorporate something like this in their AI systems. That is very impressive. This is the thing that so many people are talking about at the moment. We see a lot of potential in a device like this because of the fact that you can load H100 or H200 GPUs with NVLink. It is a complete system for AI training models.

          We have our own challenges with firmware, but that is only because we sometimes have to adjust the firmware of things like PSUs. With the firmware that they have by default, there is a fan running inside that. When we run fluid through, we want to adjust the firmware so that the fan is turned off. We usually have to adjust the firmware to a very high version because we do not want someone updating the firmware to the new standard. That is because the moment they do that, the fans will start running again, and all the alarms are going to go off because a bunch of fluids are running through the systems. So, we have our own firmware challenges to work with, but Dell is strong in being able to help us with that information and get the firmware so that we can adjust it. It is not just one vendor who provides the PSUs, and firmware adjustments are far more successful than having to emulate the PSUs, which is something some people have done in the past, but they led to some failures inside the PSUs when they try to convert to liquid cooling.

          In terms of energy consumption, because I am on the liquid cooling side of things, we turn the fans off. If we can get a PowerEdge system and convert it to liquid cooling, we can reduce the power consumption of that server by up to 40%. In data center environments, energy consumption is becoming an important ratio to measure when people are building up these large data centers around the world. Currently, in an air-cool system, power usage effectiveness (PUE) is 2.0 or 1.5. When you start to liquidate all these, that dramatically drops to 1.2 or 1 PUE. You can even get less than 1 PUE if you effectively reuse the heat. So, you get more environment-friendly servers. If you are reducing carbon emissions and your power consumption by 20% or 30%, that is incredibly attractive when you are trying to build out new systems. Not only that, with air-cool, to maintain strong air conditioning to keep these things cool, especially something like PowerEdge XE9680, air conditioning has to use up a lot of water, whereas, with immersion, you do not have to use up that water. You are using incredibly small amounts of water to cool. It is even zero in many cases. So, liquid cooling has a huge amount of environmentally friendly advantages, and the fact that we are able to do quite a lot of liquid cooling PowerEdge systems in turn makes PowerEdge a more environmentally friendly option.

          Because we are able to change the standard with cooling, it gets purchased in positions where we can run the GPUs at their maximum performance. In fluid systems that we have tested using things like PowerEdge XE9680, we are able to achieve maximum frequency and maximum performance.

          What is most valuable?

          The Dell name holds a lot of weight on our position as a partner of Dell's when it comes to liquid cooling the systems. We have a great relationship with Dell, so we are able to exchange information very easily to be able to build these systems for our customers. When it comes to converting one of these to liquid cooling, we need to know a lot of information about the sub-components, the vendors, and the firmware inside PSUs. Without a strong relationship with our IT partner Dell, we would not be able to do that effectively and quickly to meet the lead times of our customers.

          Dell PowerEdge systems are very strong or well-rounded systems. A lot of people like the 4th and 5th generation Xeon that has been implemented into PowerEdge. Xeon has a good advantage when it comes to the inputting element of AI systems, and, of course, Intel also has a good name. However, from our position, as a partner and as a systems integrator, the real strength is the relationship that we have with Dell and being able to exchange that information.

          For how long have I used the solution?

          I have been a part of my current organization for a few months. I started at the end of last year. I have been acclimatizing to the PowerEdge systems. 

          What do I think about the stability of the solution?

          In the metrics that I have worked with, they have been very stable and reliable so far. We have not had cases where we have to go in and do maintenance work on our side of things. Usually, any issues that they have had from a liquid cooling side of things have mostly been down to people not doing the proper practice when it comes to installation. 

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

          A lot of the time, we deal with customers who already have a pre-existing architecture. They perhaps have Cisco systems or HPE systems in their infrastructure. The challenge is to convert them to a new unit. The data center's presentation is such a big element of design. It is good if they stick with the same vendor and have the same relationship, but it is sometimes challenging to have someone change their traditional air-cooled infrastructure systems with the ones from Dell.

          How was the initial setup?

          I have not heard anything negative about its deployment.

          What other advice do I have?

          To those who are thinking about liquid cooling, I would strongly recommend it, especially in the EU. It is an environmentally friendly option. It is important to make sure that you have an integrator who understands liquid cooling to a strong degree. It is not something that you can just convert by yourself in the data center. It is something that needs to be done in a lab environment, and it needs to be supported going forward by someone who understands liquid cooling. You need a liquid cooling specialist who is able to assist with that, as well as being able to assist on the services and support side from Dell. We work fluently with Dell in those situations. We found that once the liquid cooling starts running in these systems, if there is going to be a problem, it would have happened in the first few weeks. It is usually down to installation practices, not the systems themselves.

          I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers a nine out of ten. It is a very strong solution. 

          Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner

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            System Administrator at a construction company with 10,001+ employees
            Real User
            Top 20
            Decreased time to deploy new data centers, improved IT staff's productivity and reduced unplanned downtime
            Pros and Cons
            • "The iDRAC is an excellent service; it allows us to install and deploy our software remotely."
            • "Overall, the solution is excellent, though Dell could improve the monitoring."

            What is our primary use case?

            We are a construction company operating worldwide, and we use PowerEdge servers for local storage at our construction sites. Each site has its own infrastructure, including a Dell server. When construction is completed at one place, we decommission the server and then recommission it to another location. There are many Dell servers in the company, somewhere around 3000-5000.

            I used the solution to create a cluster consisting of three servers plus storage, and it automatically failed over using VMware. The OS on top of VMware is usually Windows, which is used for financial systems.

            We leverage native Windows OS security features in our environment; we need third-party security tools to ensure the safety of our servers. 

            Our infrastructure is extensive, so we rely on the reliability of the servers. If a server is down, we need to deploy the support team to fix any issue. 

            We use the solution as a kind of high server, and they are our go-to servers for data forms. The overall integration of our workloads with PowerEdge Rack Servers is critical.

            To protect from malware and other firmware attacks, we use McAfee and other antivirus software. We have our firewall and other layers of protection.  

            How has it helped my organization?

            Using the OpenManage console decreased the time it takes us to deploy new data centers. We use efficient division of labor and the technologies offered by the solution, so we can do in one hour what previously took us four hours. 

            OpenManage very much improved our IT staff's productivity. We are part of a larger organization, and there is Dell service worldwide. As such, we can centrally control firmware updates and turn the power on and off to the servers. This feature works very well for us. 

            Using the solution reduced our unplanned downtime by 20% to 30%. 

            What is most valuable?

            The iDRAC is an excellent service; it allows us to install and deploy our software remotely.

            The OpenManage app is another excellent service, and VMware supports it. There is no problem with drivers because we can get all of them via VMware or Dell.

            The solution is an excellent platform for handling the needs of high-performance workloads, it's a good server for high performance.

            The solution's approach to security with signed firmware, drift detection, and BIOS recovery is robust and accessible. We can monitor the security landscape easily via OpenManage. 

            The solution's energy consumption is excellent for managing the power supply, as it is very efficient thanks to built-in power factor correction. The power consumption depends upon the load; it increases with a high CPU load, and we manage this through Windows. We can also use OpenManage to fine-tune the power management.  

            The major market players are HP and Dell, and we find Dell to be the more cost-effective server. We're also satisfied with its features; the security, management, remote management, and reliability are all favorable.  

            What needs improvement?

            Overall, the solution is excellent, though Dell could improve the monitoring.

            The solution could be more friendly in terms of cost. 

            For how long have I used the solution?

            I have worked at several companies using Dell PowerEdge Rack servers for over ten years. 

            What do I think about the stability of the solution?

            The solution is very stable and reliable. 

            What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

            The solution is scalable; we can increase capacity by adding CPU and memory as required.

            How are customer service and support?

            The customer service is good. We do a lot of remote work, so we sometimes contact them from sites to assist in making changes, doing updates, or installing remotely. 

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

            I previously used HP servers, which are also good, but I switched due to the high cost.

            How was the initial setup?

            The initial deployment is straightforward, and that improved over time. Our project management is pleased with the quick deployment; nowadays, we can even deploy remotely. Deployment takes no more than one hour.

            Our deployment strategy is to work remotely; technicians install a rack on site, and I can deploy as soon as I get iDRAC.

            What was our ROI?

            Typically, we receive an ROI. By the time construction has finished on a site, the server will already have covered its cost and more.

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

            The product is cheaper than HP servers, but the price could always be better. 

            Which other solutions did I evaluate?

            We considered public cloud servers, but PowerEdge wins in cost versus public cloud. We also have a vast number of files and operate a large number of sites. One of our requirements is to store files locally, so we need to place physical servers at our locations. That's why we went with the Dell Technologies solution.

            The latency of PowerEdge versus public clouds was critical to us as end users don't want issues on the network. Some people prefer to go with the cloud no matter the cost, but the price is essential for us, and the PowerEdge servers are more affordable, especially over the long term. In the short term, going with the cloud could be cheaper. 

            What other advice do I have?

            I rate the solution ten out of ten. 

            We use the Dell OpenManage console for our PowerEdge Rack Servers, and it's easy to use.  

            PowerEdge servers are a good choice, as many people use Dell services on the market, and we find Dell to be the most cost-effective server. In terms of long-term cost, we would choose this solution over a cloud solution every time, so I highly recommend this product.

            I recommend a good server room or rack with air conditioning to provide a favorable physical environment for the servers. I also recommend a good network as we can use 10G nowadays, and a good network contributes to computation.

            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
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              reviewer1852587 - PeerSpot reviewer
              Senior Systems Engineer at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
              Real User
              Easy-to-use OpenManage console, versatile, and offers good security
              Pros and Cons
              • "Using PowerEdge helped to reduce unplanned production downtime by 20% to 25%."
              • "We'd want the solution to be faster."

              What is our primary use case?

              We primarily use the solution for virtualization.

              What is most valuable?

              The versatility has been great. We have several different configurations with different networking capabilities, different capacity, throughput, and configurations. I work on a dark site in a classified environment. I can't really comment too much beyond that.

              PowerEdge is great for handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads like VDI, AI, and SAP on multi-cloud. We're very happy with their performance. We're lucky enough to also have Dell and VMware. We call them a TAM specialist on-site. If we have any problems, they respond to them quickly.

              Since we are in a classified environment, we appreciate the security specifications very much. It helps us as we have to do our own assessments and those security features help us to get our paperwork done.

              We use Dell's Optane Memory in our PowerEdge environment. I’m not sure if it’s saved money, I’m really not on the financial side. We have a budget and then we go and shop for the best bang for the buck. Since we are using that feature, it does save us money. However, I can’t say how much.

              We do use Dell's OpenManage console. It is easy to use this console for lifecycle management or PowerEdge servers. We use it primarily when we have a network issue or if we can't access the servers our usual way. It's very convenient as a secondary way to access it. As far as life cycle management, that's what we use when we need to do our upgrades, firmware, and the like. It's very valuable. It’s increased our IT staff's productivity, however, I can't tell by how much.

              Using PowerEdge helped to reduce unplanned production downtime by 20% to 25%.

              What needs improvement?

              We'd want the solution to be faster, and of course, for them to bring down the price. 

              For how long have I used the solution?

              I've probably been using PowerEdge Servers since 2010. 

              How are customer service and support?

              Technical support is very good to excellent. We have a dedicated Dell support team, and they are very knowledgeable. If they don't know the answer and they almost always do, they'll get the answer right away. We're very satisfied with their help.

              How would you rate customer service and support?

              Positive

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

              We are moving to VxRails. We are using it for virtualization, and for some file storage, and then we're going to be moving to VDI solutions as we get more VxRails that have GPU capability.

              In the past, we used HP. We used Oracle hardware as well. Oracle has its own hard drives. They buy their servers and then put their logo on them and then resell that. Those are probably the two biggest companies that we've used in the past.

              We switched to Dell due to the cost and feature sets. We liked the feature set of the Dell, however, the operating costs and maintenance costs, contracts, were a big selling factor. A lot of the hardware that we used to have was older as well. 

              I used HP servers. They have a service like Dell OpenManage called iLO. It does the same thing. You can access the servers through the network to help with firmware upgrades. The HP hardware, at the time, was more expensive for maintenance and to buy new. When we went to VxRails and PowerEdge, it was a better deal, more bang for the buck, that's why we switched.

              How was the initial setup?

              I was not a part of the initial setup.

              Which other solutions did I evaluate?

              I did not evaluate other servers from other vendors before choosing PowerEdge.

              We did consider public cloud servers before choosing PowerEdge. We use both.

              We compared latency and costs when looking at PowerEdge versus the public cloud. At the time, the public cloud looked more attractive on paper. When we did testing, the latency and throughput were comparable. However, the Dell PowerEdge Servers that we had on-premises had a little bit better performance, as the cloud was quite a distance from where our data center is. It's comparable, however, when we looked at the overall cost of a public cloud, it was much more expensive to do a public cloud, and it was less expensive to do on-premises. Most of PowerEdge is mostly on-premises.

              What other advice do I have?

              The first one I ever used, was an R710 PowerEdge server. We're using 740s now. We also use VxRail. I know those aren't specifically PowerEdge, however, we're moving from PowerEdge servers to VxRail.

              I don't really do much on the data center side of things, so I can't really comment on the power consumption. That's not my focus.

              We do not use Intel Xeon Scalable processors in our PowerEdge servers.

              I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

              Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

              PeerSpot user
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                David Mhitarian - PeerSpot reviewer
                CTO at YazamcoPro
                Real User
                Top 20
                It helps minimize downtime, is stable, and is easy to maintain
                Pros and Cons
                • "From a technical perspective, the iDRAC system's most valuable feature is its performance, while from the customer's perspective, it is the other features."
                • "I want Dell to offer more virtualization platforms because the cost of VMware is getting too high."

                What is our primary use case?

                We are an MSP that sells, deploys, installs, and maintains Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for our customers who use them for storage and as their main server.

                Our customers implement Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for better performance and lower prices. They have a lower price and the best performance. 

                How has it helped my organization?

                Dell is an established and trusted name for our customers. They have proven themselves as a leader in storage. 

                PowerEdge cyber-resilient architecture approach to security is good. The updates come regularly and quickly when there is a zero-day occurrence. We trust that security is tight. 

                PowerEdge does a good job handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads.

                PowerEdge has minimal downtime. Out of 100 servers, we may have an issue with two servers per year.

                The OpenManage console has improved productivity through ease of maintenance. It's easy to use and it's good for the team. We use it every day. 

                Because the Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are stable and work well, our customers can work around the clock, giving them the flexibility to do what they need.

                What is most valuable?

                From a technical perspective, the iDRAC system's most valuable feature is its performance, while from the customer's perspective, it is the other features. It's easy to manage. 

                What needs improvement?

                I want Dell to offer more virtualization platforms because the cost of VMware is getting too high.

                For how long have I used the solution?

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

                What do I think about the stability of the solution?

                Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are stable.

                What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

                We are able to plan for scalability based on the customer's requirements and have not had any issues with it.

                How are customer service and support?

                We use Dell technical support two to three times a year. They are professional and always meet our SLA time. However, there are sometimes service delays on weekends.

                How would you rate customer service and support?

                Positive

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

                We also sell HPE and Lenovo servers. When we buy a Dell PowerEdge server, most of the features are included in the price, but for the others, such as HPE iLO for connecting or IBM X servers, we must purchase add-ons.

                How was the initial setup?

                The deployment of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is similar to that of other vendors in terms of complexity. It's easy.

                What about the implementation team?

                We implement the Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers for our customers.

                What was our ROI?

                Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are reliable, ensuring customers see a return on investment as they don't need to extend warranties on their servers.

                What other advice do I have?

                I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers ten out of ten. I also deal with Lenovo and HPE, and we must pay extra for support and add-on features. This is not the case with Dell PowerEdge. With Dell, it includes all the servers. 

                It is very easy to sell Dell.

                Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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                  reviewer2380809 - PeerSpot reviewer
                  CTO at a cloud solution provider with 51-200 employees
                  Vendor
                  Rock solid, easy to use, and highly scalable
                  Pros and Cons
                  • "They are very stable. They are rock solid. I am happy with them."
                  • "I do not have any qualms or problems with Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. However, when it comes to the software, some of their competitors are already feeding a lot of performance and availability data to an online platform. We have not seen that with PowerEdge."

                  What is our primary use case?

                  We typically use them for hosting in a private cloud. We use the 600 and 700 series.

                  How has it helped my organization?

                  I started using Dell servers when the 4th Gen came out. Currently, we are using 13th, 14th, and 15th Gen servers. Dell servers have grown a lot since the 4th Gen. When I buy Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, I do not have to worry about them and their stability. There is also ease of deployment. Everything is very easy. Their ship time is also pretty fast.

                  They have a TPM chip. A lot of our customers who use encryption use that capability, and it just works. There are no issues with it.

                  We run them in our own data center, and they are fine in terms of energy consumption.

                  Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are very good for handling the evolving needs of high-performance workloads. We were able to use PowerEdge to scale a lot of our compute nodes. A lot of our customers need a lot of high compute, so we are pretty happy with it.

                  Dell PowerEdge Servers have helped to reduce unplanned production downtime. They are very reliable. We never have any big problems with them. Our production downtime is now two times better than five years ago.

                  What is most valuable?

                  Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are easy to use. They are very stable. They are rock solid. I am happy with them.

                  What needs improvement?

                  I do not have any qualms or problems with Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers. However, when it comes to the software, some of their competitors are already feeding a lot of performance and availability data to an online platform. We have not seen that with PowerEdge. If it is there, we have not used it, but it would be nice if all this information is included as a part of PowerEdge. We can then see server performance and availability online. 

                  For how long have I used the solution?

                  It has been a long time. I have used these servers before they were called PowerEdge. 

                  What do I think about the stability of the solution?

                  They are rock solid.

                  What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

                  Their scalability is very good. Nowadays, you can put so much infrastructure into 1U or 2U servers, which is very impressive.

                  How are customer service and support?

                  They are pretty responsive. I would rate them a nine out of ten.

                  How would you rate customer service and support?

                  Positive

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

                  We also use a lot of Supermicro servers. Supermicro is very good in terms of customizability. They can also be a lot aggressive in pricing, so we use Supermicro for the low-end servers and high-end servers. We use Dell servers for middle-end servers.

                  How was the initial setup?

                  They are pretty easy to deploy.

                  What was our ROI?

                  We have seen an ROI. There is stability, ease of use, and not a lot of problems.

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

                  It has generally been very competitive. It is not the best, but it is very competitive.

                  What other advice do I have?

                  I would rate Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers a nine out of ten. They are very stable. They are very good.

                  Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

                  PeerSpot user
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                    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.
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