Review: Dell Poweredge 1950 network server

A compact rackmount server that packs a big punch

There’s not much room inside a 1U server case, but Dell has crammed an awful lot into the Poweredge 1950, producing a super-slim server capable of punching well above its weight.

Like other Poweredge servers, the PE1950 is a solid, well-constructed product, with a full-length, lift-off lid for tool-free access, plus room for a second redundant power supply. Optional sliding rails are also available and there’s a lockable front bezel to prevent unauthorised tampering.

Inside, there’s an Intel motherboard, with sockets for two 64-bit Xeon processors designed to take the latest dual-core (Woodcrest) chips now referred to as the Xeon 5000 and 5100 series. Faster and more energy-efficient than earlier dual-core Intel chips, these enable the PE1950 to deliver the performance of a four-way solution in a much slimmer format.

Exactly how much power you’ll have on tap will depend on the processors fitted, and specifications here tend to vary considerably. Processor choice can also have a big impact on what you pay, with lots of options when it comes to both basic clock and front-side bus (FSB) speeds.

The review server, for example, came with a pair of mid-range Xeon 5140 chips, clocked at 2.33GHz with a 1,333MHz FSB. If you go for a pair of 5160 chips (3GHz, 1,333MHz FSB), you’ll need to find an extra £620 ex Vat. Alternatively, if you were to opt for the Xeon 5050 (3GHz with a 667MHz FSB) you could save £480, plus a further £470 if you only order a single CPU.

Some care and expert advice is, therefore, needed to make sure you order the right processors. The cheapest may be fine for basic file and print sharing, but for high-performance clustering and web applications you’ll need to be more selective.

You’re also spoilt for choice when it comes to memory, with eight sockets on the PE1950, which can take up to 32GB of DDR2 fully buffered Ram with optional memory sparing and mirroring capabilities. Filling those slots, however, doesn’t come cheap. A full complement of 32GB will set you back a whopping £26,400 on top of the price of the review system, which came with a modest, albeit very usable, 4GB.

There are lots of choices when it comes to storage, starting with either 3.5in internal disks or tiny 2.5in drives such as those used in notebooks.

Go for 3.5in models and you’re limited to just two, with either Serial ATA (Sata) or Serial Attached SCSI (Sas) interfaces, with the Sata disks able to hold up to 500GB each while the biggest Sas drive can take 300GB. Opt for 2.5in and it’s Sas only – up to 73GB per disk. But you can cram four disks into the case, as on the review server, which came with a Raid controller.

The test server also had the optional TCP off-load engine (Toe) enabled on the integrated Gigabit Ethernet. Added to which you get an integrated ATI video controller, built-in server monitoring facilities and four USB2 connectors.

Further expansion is then via plug-in adapters, with yet more choice using riser cards to provide either two x8 PCI Express slots or a pair of 64-bit 133MHz PCI-X connectors.

Finally, Dell can factory install all versions of Windows Server 2003, plus Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 and Suse Linux Enterprise Server 10 to deliver a server ready and capable of handling a wide range of applications.