Dell PowerEdge - Versions/Form-Factors

Dell PowerEdge product lineup spans 15th generations.

Tower Server

  • Similar to the standard desktop computer, the tower form factor is targeted at businesses and offices that only need one server in their network. With a Tower, you lose the ability to mount your server in a server rack. Storage can also be an issue if you have multiple servers.
  • If you have more than one tower server, you will have to place them next to each other on a floor or a shelf. Since they are very bulky and heavy, it can be difficult if you need to move them or perform maintenance. The rackmount server is the ideal form factor for a larger business that needs a lot of server power.

Rack Server

  • The Dell PowerEdge is most commonly offered in a rackmount form factor. They are more efficient as you can stack them in a single server cabinet. Because they’re easy to set up and stack up, rackmount servers are widely used in data centers
  • Rackmount servers also have a bigger focus on hot-swappable components. Almost every part in a rackmount server is hot-swappable, not just the memory and motherboard. This comes in handy in a business setting where downtime is inexcusable. In the event a component fails, you can replace or upgrade each part without rebooting the whole system

Blade Server

  • Dell offers PowerEdge as a blade server to those seeking a more modular solution. Similar to rackmount servers, they can be housed in a single cabinet. However, blade servers take this a step further, as they can house multiple servers in a smaller area. These servers are small and only contain essential components. With blade servers, it’s possible to get incredible processing power in a smaller space

Micro Server

Dell PowerEdge - How to Know What Model You Have

  • The first letter will denote the form factor of the server:
    • T indicates a tower server
    • R indicates a rackmount server
    • M indicates a blade server
  • The first digit after the letter represents the number of CPU sockets in a system:
    • 1-3 indicates one socket
    • 4-7 indicates two sockets
    • 9 indicates four sockets
  • The second digit tells you what generation of PowerEdge you are dealing with:
    • 1 represents 11th generation
    • 2 represents 12th generation
    • etc
  • The final digit in the name represents if it is an Intel or AMD processor:
    • 0 denotes Intel
    • 5 denotes AMD