The bench notes

Server guides & buying advice

Model comparisons, platform explainers and configuration advice — written from the hardware we refurbish, test and ship every day.

GPU Servers: What Actually Fits in 2U and 4U

Performance optimization

GPU Servers: What Actually Fits in 2U and 4U

Chassis height, card TDP, power connectors, airflow and PCIe topology decide how many accelerators a server can really take. A practical guide to what fits in...

· 6 min read

Four-Socket Servers: When Two CPUs Are Not Enough

Performance optimization

Four-Socket Servers: When Two CPUs Are Not Enough

The reason to add a third and fourth socket is almost never core count - it is memory capacity, memory channels and PCIe lanes in one...

· 5 min read

HPE BL460c: What a Blade Actually Buys You

Scalable server

HPE BL460c: What a Blade Actually Buys You

A BL460c is a sled, not a server - the BladeSystem enclosure is the real decision. Here is what the c7000 architecture consolidates, what it hands...

· 5 min read

Dell PowerEdge M640: Blade Density Explained

Scalable server

Dell PowerEdge M640: Blade Density Explained

An M640 is a half-height blade that only runs inside an M1000e or VRTX chassis. This is what the blade holds, how the chassis shapes it,...

· 4 min read

M630 vs M640: Blade Generations Compared

dell poweredge

M630 vs M640: Blade Generations Compared

Inside the same M1000e or VRTX chassis, the half-height blade stepped from E5 v3/v4 to Xeon Scalable. What the M640 adds over the M630, what blades...

· 2 min read

HPE DL560 Gen9: Four Sockets in 2U

HPE ProLiant

HPE DL560 Gen9: Four Sockets in 2U

The DL560 Gen9 compresses four E5-4600 sockets and 96 DIMM slots' worth of ambition into standard 2U depth. Who actually needs quad-socket, what the density costs,...

· 2 min read

HPE DL385 Gen10: The EPYC ProLiant Explained

HPE ProLiant

HPE DL385 Gen10: The EPYC ProLiant Explained

The DL385 Gen10 swapped Xeons for AMD EPYC and changed the arithmetic: more cores, eight memory channels and a flood of PCIe lanes per socket. What...

· 2 min read

Dell PowerEdge R750: Is 15th Gen Worth the Premium?

dell poweredge

Dell PowerEdge R750: Is 15th Gen Worth the Premium?

The R750 brings Ice Lake Xeons, PCIe 4.0, eight memory channels and native U.2 NVMe - at prices well above the 14G fleet. Where the platform...

· 2 min read

Xeon Scalable 1st vs 2nd Gen Explained

Scalable server

Xeon Scalable 1st vs 2nd Gen Explained

Skylake-SP and Cascade Lake share the same socket, the same servers and most of a name scheme - so what does second generation actually add? Memory...

· 2 min read

Three Small Nodes or One Big Server? Cluster Math for Labs

Scalable server

Three Small Nodes or One Big Server? Cluster Math for Labs

A three-node cluster teaches quorum, migration and failure handling - things one big box never can. But one big box is cheaper per gigabyte and simpler...

· 2 min read

RAM or Cores: Sizing a Virtualization Host

Performance optimization

RAM or Cores: Sizing a Virtualization Host

Almost every virtualization host runs out of memory long before it runs out of CPU. The overcommit ratios that actually work, how to count vCPUs honestly,...

· 2 min read

Unleash Unmatched Performance and Scalability with the Dell R750 8SFF Server

Business Server

Unleash Unmatched Performance and Scalability with the Dell R750 8SFF Server

Hey there tech enthusiasts! We have something exciting to share with you today. Introducing the Dell R750 8SFF server, a true marvel of performance and versatility....

· 1 min read

Tips for Choosing the Right Business Server

Business Server

Tips for Choosing the Right Business Server

Tips for Choosing the Right Business Server Choosing the right business server is a critical decision that can greatly impact your organization's productivity and success. With...

· 2 min read