Difference between a Tower Server and Rack Server

Do you want to learn the main difference between tower servers and rack servers? Generally, both servers are the same network servers; however, they differ from each other in the way they are installed. While a rack server is a standalone piece of equipment that is typically installed in a cabinet for mess-free and efficient management, a tower server can be deployed anywhere on the floor, desk, or other places. A tower server doesn’t need any cabinet for installation.

In this blog, we will discuss tower servers and rack servers in brief and how they are different from each other.

What is a Tower Server?

A tower server looks like a PC host and is built in a cabinet designed to be installed in an upright position like a tower. Multiple tower servers can work at the same time when it comes to handling different processes and tasks. It is the most commonly used general-purpose server and comes with various slots that help extend its functionality. Since this server has a bigger chassis, you can configure more functions, and therefore, it is ideal for a variety of speed and storage applications.

What is a Rack Server?

The rack server looks like a network switch and includes racks, such as 1U rack, 2U rack, 4U rack, etc. While the 1U rack server allows you to save space, it is not good in terms of performance and scalability. Still, it can be used for some relatively fixed fields of business. On the other hand, 4U rack servers are known for their excellent performance and scalability. They can support more than 4 high-performance processors and various standard hot-swappable components.

Besides, you can easily manage a 4U rack server as its manufacturers provide appropriate management and monitoring tools. Thus, they are suitable for high-traffic applications. The only downside they have is low space utilization.

How Do Tower Servers Differ from Rack Servers?

Let’s find out the key differences between tower servers and rack servers based on different parameters:

Ease of Use

With various slots available, a tower server chassis helps reserve ample space by avoiding redundancy of hard drives, power supplies, and other components. As opposed to a rack server, it does not require additional equipment, and hence, demands little space and has good scalability. Besides, as the configuration can be very high, it is suitable to meet the most common server application requirements.

Cost-effectiveness

Tower servers are specially designed to meet the demands of common entry-level and workgroup server applications without draining the capital amount. Their level of performance can efficiently meet the requirements of most small to medium businesses and thus, very popular among entrepreneurs.

Ease of Management

Most often, server rooms are centrally located with unified management, which can be very daunting if there are too many tower servers. There are a large number of power lines, network cables, data lines, switches, routers, and other devices that can make things very complicated.

Thus, in these cases, to manage things conveniently, rack-mounted servers are installed in a cabinet where all of the data lines meet. You can’t see any data line from the outside and the cabinet of rack servers is usually locked up. This way, it helps keep the server room clean, dustproof, and safe.

However, if your business size is small and you don’t have extensive network and data processing requirements, you can manage tower servers easily as well.

To conclude, tower servers are the best choices for you especially when you have entry-level and low-level computing requirements.

Which are the best Dell tower servers?

When it comes to buying tower servers, Dell is the first brand that comes to mind as it offers high-end tower servers at cost-effective prices.

Here, we will discuss some of the top Dell tower servers to help you find the best pick for your business or profession.

Dell PowerEdge T30

One of the most affordable Dell tower servers, PowerEdge T30 is an ideal business mini-tower server if you are looking to host your business website that will not be receiving very high traffic each day. Equipped with multiple connectivity features and storage options, it offers enough power and resources to keep your website up and running without costing a fortune. However, it doesn’t come with any operating system.

Dell PowerEdge T330

Equipped with a powerful Windows Server OS, PowerEdge T330 is a Dell tower server that can handle tons of simultaneous requests. It is bestowed with fierce power of Xeon E3-1230 quad-core processor with 8M cache and 3.4 GHz Turbo boost. For storage, it comes with 16GB of RAM and a 2TB hard drive. You might get even high-end specifications for the latest versions of PowerEdge T330.

Dell PowerEdge T630

When it comes to handling the demanding office workload, you can rely on Dell PowerEdge 630 for its versatile and efficient performance. It drives quick response times with the latest Xeon processor and powerful memory. It brings new capabilities to small and medium businesses and remote offices that require mail and messaging, medical imaging, server & desktop visualization, and more.

Do you find it difficult to choose from a large range of Dell tower servers available online? For any kind of assistance with the purchase of a Dell tower server, contact our support team at IT Networks Technologies.

Author: TechBlonHub

As a passionate blogger, I'm thrilled to share my expertise, insights, and enthusiasm with you. I believe that technical knowledge should be shared, not hoarded. That's why I take the time to craft detailed, well-researched content that's easy to follow, even for non-tech. I love hearing from you, answering your questions, and learning from your experiences. Your feedback helps me create content that's tailored to your needs and interests