Dell PowerEdge vs HP ProLiant: Server Showdown 2025

Editor’s Note: Updated October 2025: I have revised this comparison with a new introduction and improved headings, as well as refreshed several sections.

You might think, “Oh great, another server comparison between Dell and HP.” I get it — there are plenty of those out there. But I couldn’t find one that truly reflects real-world use.

Having deployed Dell PowerEdge and HP ProLiant systems across various environments, I know it’s not just about specs. The key differences lie in day-to-day management, remote tools, support reliability, and ease of setup.

Choosing the right server influences your infrastructure’s efficiency and scalability. Both brands provide powerful hardware for virtualization and databases, but what truly matters is how easily you can manage and support them

Feedback from the sysadmin community confirms this: management and support often outweigh raw performance.

In this article, I’ll explain what you need to know to choose the best server for your data center or home lab. I’ll also highlight affordable refurbished PowerEdge and ProLiant servers available on Amazon that are perfect for home labs or small businesses on a budget.

Vote: Dell PowerEdge vs HP ProLiant

Introduction: Dell vs HPE Servers: What You Need to Know

Choosing between Dell PowerEdge and HP ProLiant isn’t just about CPU benchmarks or memory slots. Sure, performance matters—but the real game-changers are remote management features, support reliability, and how easily the server fits into your rack and daily operations.

As someone who’s worked with both brands in real-world IT environments, I believe the biggest differences lie in iDRAC (Dell) and iLO (HP). Remote access, monitoring, and firmware control make or break the server experience, especially when things go wrong.

In this article, I’ll compare the two from multiple angles: performance, reliability, support, pricing, and most importantly, server management. Whether you’re running a homelab, a small business, or scaling your IT infrastructure, this guide will help you make the right decision—one that saves headaches down the road.

Round 1: Hardware Specs: CPUs, RAM & Performance

Processing Power compared: HP ProLiant vs Dell Poweredge

Dell PowerEdge processors seem to have an edge regarding processing power. Users reported that Dell servers with exceptional processor capabilities deliver at an unparalleled high-performance rate. Illustratively, they offer up to 41% more transactions per second and perform 20.8x faster queries, enabling quicker data processing compared to HP ProLiant.

Additionally, Dell PowerEdge is making significant strides in high-performance AI-optimized servers, further enhancing its appeal for demanding workloads.

Despite this, HP ProLiant servers remain a compelling choice, especially for small to mid-sized companies. While they may fall behind Dell by 20% in reading performance, HPE ProLiant servers deliver superior multithreaded performance and slightly higher memory bandwidth, making them a suitable option for businesses with less demanding workloads.

Both Dell and HPE have shown capabilities for AI and Machine Learning workloads with the integration of NVIDIA GPUs

Memory Capacity: Which offers more?

HP ProLiant and Dell PowerEdge both offer strong memory expansion options to support growing businesses. Which Dell model stands out for memory capacity? The Dell PowerEdge R620 offers more substantial memory options compared to the R710.

How does HP approach memory expansion? HP ProLiant servers use a modular architecture focused on memory-driven computing, ideal for data-intensive workloads.

What benefits does this architecture provide? It optimizes memory configurations to efficiently handle large datasets.

In summary, do both HP and Dell provide scalable memory solutions? Yes, both brands offer scalable platforms to meet evolving business memory needs.

Round 2: Reliability & Support: What You Can Count On

Reliability of HP ProLiant and Dell PowerEdge servers

Server reliability is of the utmost importance for running mission-critical workloads. A mid-2017 survey found that Dell PowerEdge servers showed exceptional reliability with less downtime compared to HP ProLiant servers, which had about 2.5 times more downtime. It is worth noting that many Dell servers have been reported to run for several years without a single breakdown.

However, HP also offers reliable servers, including the Superdome line and its DL servers. The Superdome line stands out for its incredible stability, making it suitable for handling vitally important large-scale data workloads. Also, their ProLiant model and the Apollo line offer predictive alerts for parts that are likely to fail. This allows businesses to preemptively replace or repair failing parts to avoid system breakdowns.

Given these factors, Dell edges out HP regarding overall server reliability. However, with prognostic alerts, HP also offers commendable competition.

Quality of Support Service: HP vs Dell

Customer support is crucial when managing crisis scenarios, a given in any tech domain. Both HP and Dell offer extensive customer support, including local support and service infrastructure across various regions, backed by extensive networks designed to minimize downtime.

However, Dell’s ProSupport is widely regarded as one of the most reliable and helpful support programs in the IT sphere. It includes hardware and software support, proactive, automated support, and self-service case management. This cutting-edge service ensures minimal downtime, which is essential in today’s competitive business environment. Thus, Dell’s ProSupport is a worthy investment if you have the budget.

On the other hand, HP also delivers robust support. However, it requires a paid subscription for downloads and updates. Even so, HP’s support is widespread across several geographies and languages.

Both Dell PowerEdge and HPE ProLiant servers provide hardware redundancy and fault tolerance features to ensure continuous operation and reduce the risk of unexpected failures. Additionally, predictive failure analysis is a key capability offered by both brands, helping to identify potential hardware failures before they occur, enabling proactive maintenance and minimizing downtime.

While HP and Dell provide substantial support services, the user community deems Dell’s ProSupport more comprehensive and beneficial.

Round 3: iLO vs iDRAC: The Real Server Management Difference

As we delve into the intricate world of server maintenance, comparing iLO and iDRAC controllers becomes a crucial factor in out-of-band management. These systems are not just about hardware control; they encapsulate the entire lifecycle of server management, from remote access to firmware updates. Let’s look at how these technologies fare in today’s server ecosystems.

Automation and Management Ecosystems

HPE ProLiant servers utilize Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) technology for remote management and monitoring, providing administrators with reliable tools to manage servers from anywhere. Similarly, Dell PowerEdge servers employ iDRAC, offering a robust remote management experience that enables control over power, firmware updates, and hardware status without physical access.

Automation and Management Ecosystems

Automation is a key feature in both Dell OpenManage and HPE’s management ecosystems. These platforms streamline server management tasks, reduce manual intervention, and help maintain consistent configurations across multiple servers. Both vendors provide comprehensive management software ecosystems designed to enhance efficiency and simplify complex IT environments.

Upgrade Flexibility and Design

Dell PowerEdge servers feature a modular design that allows for easier upgrades and expansions, making it simple to scale infrastructure as business needs evolve. In contrast, HPE ProLiant servers offer flexible upgrade options that simplify adding new components, focusing on ease of maintenance and adaptability.

Proactive Support Services

Beyond management tools, HPE delivers comprehensive, proactive care and support services to minimize downtime and ensure continuous operation. These services include predictive failure analysis and timely alerts, helping businesses maintain high availability and reduce unexpected outages.

Licensing and Firmware Updates

One issue people often disagree on when using support services is the licensing approach. The iLO standard includes some features in its primary offering that allow administrators to perform necessary tasks. However, to access its full potential, an upgraded license is required. In contrast, iDRAC uses a different licensing model that may be more favorable for organizations that want to extend their usage beyond the warranty period. Still, it may raise budgeting concerns in the long run.

Feature	HPE ILO	Dell iDRAC
Remote Console	HTML5-based	HTML5-based
Virtual Media	Supported	Supported
Licensing Model	Standard & Advanced	Basic to Enterprise
User Interface	Intuitive GUI	Improving Respnsiveness
Secondary Market Support	Limited	Available
Performance	Faster Response Times	Improving Responsiveness

Round 4: Pricing: Entry, Enterprise & Refurbished Options

Q&A: Cost and Benefits of New vs. Refurbished Servers

In summary, choosing refurbished Dell PowerEdge or HP ProLiant servers through providers like eAsset Solutions or Amazon can save costs, support sustainability, and provide flexible server options tailored to various business requirements.

HP Proliant Servers refurbished

Dell PowerEdge Server refurbished

What is the difference between HP Proliant servers and HP Proliant Plus?

The comparison between the HPE DL380 Gen10 Plus Server and the DL380 Gen10 Server highlights several key differences:

1. Processor: The HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 Plus server is built on 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable Processors, offering 16 to 40 cores depending on the processor. In contrast, the DL380 Gen10 server uses 1 or 2 Intel Xeon processors from the 3100 / 4100 / 5100 / 6100 / 8100 series, with up to 28 cores and PCIe 3.0.
2. Memory: The DL380 Gen10 Plus supports HPE DDR4 SmartMemory up to 8.1 TB RDIMM (4 TB per processor), 11.2 TB LRDIMM, and Intel® Optane™ Memory (5.6 TB per processor with 8x LRDIMM and 8x 512 GB Intel Optane). The DL380 Gen10 offers 1 to 24 DDR4 DIMMs (up to 12 per processor), 6 channels per CPU, up to 2666 MHz HPE Smart Memory (1.5TB max).
3. Persistent Memory: The Gen10 Plus supports Intel Optane Persistent Memory for HPE, while the Gen10 did not initially support NVDIMMs or persistent memory.
4. Storage: The Gen10 Plus has options for 8 or 12 LFF SAS/SATA/SSD drives and various configurations for SFF SAS/SATA/SSD, M.2 SATA SSD, and NVMe support. The Gen10 supports SATA: SFF dual flash adapter, 20 NVMe drives, and up to 19 LFF/30 SFF drives.
5. Power Supply: The Gen10 Plus features dual hot-plug redundant HPE Flexible Slot Power Supplies, while the Gen10 has options for 1 or 2 Flex Slot Titanium power supplies and does not support Gen9 PSU.
6. Form Factor: Both servers have a 2U form factor.
7. Security: The Gen10 Plus offers optional security features like a locking Bezel Kit, Intrusion Detection Kit, and HPE TPM 2.0. The Gen10 has a chassis intrusion detection switch and TPM 2.0.

What Real Sysadmins Say About Dell vs HP Servers

After publishing this comparison, I asked the r/sysadmin community to weigh in. The responses highlighted a clear theme: performance isn’t the only metric that matters — support, management tools, and vendor behavior play a massive role in real-world server choice.

Curated Quotes

“Since they put BIOS updates behind a support paywall, I will never willingly give HPE a single penny.”

“I haven’t sold or used an HPE server since G8. Went to Dell. I wonder how much money they lost due to that decision.”

“Them paywalling crap was what killed it for me… and their support manuals reference screws that don’t exist.”

“Dell’s ProSupport has been a better fit than HPE’s. iDRAC is slightly better than iLO, but more so Dell’s support just makes everything smoother.”

“Dell all the way. ProSupport is great and the servers are just rock solid.”

You can read the whole discussion here on r/sysadmin.

Wrap-up Commentary

Both Dell and HP have strengths, but the consensus from sysadmins was clear: Dell wins in terms of long-term usability and support experience.
Many professionals have walked away from HPE – not because of hardware performance but because of frustrating policies like firmware updates behind a paywall, clunky support systems, or documentation issues.

In contrast, Dell’s ProSupport and the iDRAC remote management interface received praise for being perfect and being more intuitive, accessible, and consistent in day-to-day operations.

One theme that stood out across replies was how a bad experience can turn a team off a vendor for good. Trust is hard to earn back in IT, primarily when better alternatives exist.

So while specs may look similar on paper, in real-world use, the support tools, vendor responsiveness, and ease of management matter. And in 2025, Dell seems to deliver more of what sysadmins want.

Final Verdict: Which Server Brand Is Right for You?

Key takeaways from the comparison of PowerEdge vs Proliant

After a comprehensive comparison of HP ProLiant and Dell PowerEdge servers, several key takeaways emerge:

• Both Dell PowerEdge and HP ProLiant are proven, reliable server platforms.
• If remote management, support, and easy deployment are your top priorities, Dell has the edge, thanks to iDRAC, ProSupport, and preassembled rack delivery.
• HP ProLiant remains an excellent choice for budget-conscious setups or if you already have HPE systems in place.
• Performance differences exist, but in real-world use, they’re often outweighed by how easily the server fits into your workflow.
• Your final choice should reflect specs and how much you value usability, lifecycle tools, and vendor consistency.

Ultimately, choosing between the two servers would depend on your business needs and priorities, as HP and Dell have unique advantages.

Helping you make the final decision

Making the final decision between HP ProLiant and Dell PowerEdge servers requires careful consideration of several aspects. Each server has unique strengths and offerings that can be coupled with your business’s unique needs.

Both server lines offer the necessary features and performance. Ultimately, the choice boils down to cost, preferred service, and support. I lean towards the Dell PowerEdge Server due to its iDRAC out-of-band management capabilities. Having reliable management tools and services is crucial when issues arise with a server. I also like the Dell Configuration options on the Dell Website. You get a good idea of what is possible, which is an excellent base on which to talk to your Dell sales rep.

However, it’s important to note that you can’t go wrong even with the HPE Proliant server. Selecting the correct server is a subjective decision that should be based on individual preferences.

I recommend being consistent. Once you opt for a server brand, stick to it unless you have had a bad experience. Ultimately, the decision comes down to service and support.