What is really the "BEST' dedicated server?

SenseiSteve

SenseiSteve

HD Moderator
Staff member
I wrote this some time ago, but overall I think it still applies.


Does the best dedicated server mean the best price aside from all else, or is it or should it be the best price-to-performance solution that most closely matches your specific web hosting requirements?

A myriad of variables come into play of which could be whether you need managed services, DDoS protection, dual CPUs, a specific amount of RAM, the type and size of drives, backup considerations, RAID solutions, port speeds, the provider’s infrastructure, IPMI access, enterprise class hardware (including the MOBO), provisioning timetables, average support response and resolution times, intuitive billing panels, terms of service, acceptable use policies and bandwidth limitations.

LOWEST PRICE?
When you opt for the lowest price, you generally give up specs on many of those just listed. Obviously, the first to go would be managed services, then high performance CPUs, and the amount and type of RAM. The quantity, size and type of drives would follow.

ENTERPRISE CLASS?
Enterprise class hardware? This isn’t normally found with budget providers, but why is this important anyway? Very simply, dedicated servers undergo significantly more stress than their desktop counterparts. Enterprise class means lower time between failures which translates into fewer trips to the parts department and consequently, less downtime.

HOW CRITICAL IS YOUR WEB PRESENCE?
If a company’s web presence plays a critical part in their business operations, then the quality of the dedicated server hosting that site (and its provider) weighs heavily on which server would be the best dedicated server, specifically for them. Just as signage and location is critical for local mom and pop shops, business websites can be a company’s storefront.

UNDER-PERFORMANCE
First impressions are lasting impressions, so an under-performing server or provider’s network can have a degrading or even devastating effect on that company’s operations. Whatever hard dollar savings you realized short term by going with a budget provider could be lost to soft dollar issues like abandoned shopping carts, prolonged or frequent down-times, lack of support or straight up customer churn.

For right now, Linux dedicated servers comprise the bulk of servers racked at data centers globally, followed by Microsoft servers. They are essentially the backbone of the Internet, and have grown to that dimension because they’ve proven their ability to perform under stress 24/7/365.

PRIMARY FACTORS
When you’re researching which would be the best dedicated server for your project, business or organization, it really comes down to an optimum combination of enterprise class hardware, superior network performance, and competent, professional responsive support from the provider – all within the parameters of your budget.

HOW TO NARROW DOWN PROSPECTIVE PROVIDERS
Narrowing down prospective dedicated server hosting providers is no easy task as it seems there are thousands upon thousands of providers to wade through. Go to any web hosting forum and check out their respective Marketplace sub-forums, and the offers will blend together like sugar and water.

When prospects ask who the best dedicated server provider is or what is the best dedicated server, the answer on every web hosting forum generally is that there is no best dedicated server or provider, only the one that is best for you – and that’s absolutely true.

What works for your specific application may be a disaster for another company. All course all of this is relative to the resources that you project as necessary to sustain your company’s or organization’s operations.

If you’re streaming live events, your requirements will be substantially different than say, a business selling patio equipment. The same if you’re hosting games versus a company featuring sunglasses. With some applications, you’ll need more processing power. With game servers, you’d be looking for best CPU speed and latency. Other applications may require a clustered configuration.

ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
I see far too many OPs (original posters) on the forums asking generalized queries and expecting informed recommendations. When you’re performing research, and asking questions of prospective providers, it’s best to know as much about the resources you’ll require upfront, and then match those to each prospective provider, taking into account projected growth.
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Your thoughts?
 
This is an area that I have never fully understood from a clients perspective. Why does a client always want the cheapest server for their business?

If I want to be a delivery driver should I buy the cheapest truck I can find? Heck no! If my truck is broke down then I can't make deliveries and I can't make money. I am going to buy the best truck I can possibly afford. That doesn't mean the most expensive but it certainly is not the cheapest.

I don't get being cheap. I hate having to provide cheap services to my clients because I know in the end they will not be truly happy with it. But I have to offer it.
 
LittleCreek said:
I don't get being cheap. I hate having to provide cheap services to my clients because I know in the end they will not be truly happy with it. But I have to offer it.
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That right there is why people look for cheap services.

Having been there, done that, some advice from me would be to remove yourself from the cheap end of things. Don't provide low-end machines and make your case why people need a medium or large machine. Back that up with awesome customer service and you have yourself a winning combination.

While you will likely see less customers purchasing, you also won't be dealing with the headache of low end services and low margins either.

Even before I got out of full time web hosting 6 years ago now, most of our machines were $200+ and a good chunk of them were $350+ per month. While others were offering low end $79/month machines, we didn't touch that range at all unless it was on a VPS.

Easier said than done, but that's my take on things.
 
Most customers tend to look for cheapest dedicated hosting. But for me support is very crucial I would get a quality dedicated service with good support. You never know when your server has a problem such as DDoS attack, server down, and hardware failure. When a problem occurs the support team of the hosting company needs to solve the problem as soon as possible.
 
There's no single answer for what is the "best" dedicated server.

What kind of support do you need? Managed or Unmanaged?
What is your budget? I mean really, how much CAN you afford, not how much you'd like to spend.
Does DC location make sense for your needs?
What are you doing with the server? Hosting a couple sites, you won't need much. Hosting hundreds? Then it starts getting more pricey to handle those sites. Plus what are you expecting to host on it?
If you're non-technical, you need managed services. How good is that host in terms of support? Do they provide the support you need and how are their reviews?
Does the port speed and available bandwidth make sense? You can still get unmetered 100Mbps servers fairly cheaply, but is that even fast enough? Consider those are on older hardware, so does that still make sense?
How does your current server handle the load? Or are you moving from Reseller/VPS?

Too many factors in determining what is "best".
 
every client wants good hosting at low prices, but this does not happen. it's time to understand that cheap can't be good. of course, you can sell the cheapest hosting, but what do you get in return? low walrus and customer dissatisfaction with low-quality resources of the machine. There is a saying in Russia "we are not rich enough to buy cheap things"
 
Anyone can get a cheap VPS or Dedicated Server, but by the time to start to add Control Panels, client management software, Security systems etc. the price starts to increase.
 
If somebody is chasing super cheap hosting services in general, he simply doesn't love his business that much :)

Sure, there is some very decent, but affordable providers, such as Hetzner for example. But as easyhostmedia said, when you add to their price control panels, management, etc. It will cost decent price as well.

Btw, PINvdsSale
There is a saying in Russia "we are not rich enough to buy cheap things"
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Not sure this applies only to Russia :), It's globally used and it makes a lot of sense, but it cannot be applied to luxury stuff any longer I think :)
 
According to your application the configuration of the dedicated server would change.
i would suggest to do colocation its better than buying the dedicated server
 
vinothananda said:
According to your application the configuration of the dedicated server would change.
i would suggest to do colocation its better than buying the dedicated server
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Sorry, I'm not completely understanding your response. The question was, "What is really the best dedicated server?" The topic of colocation versus dedicated is best suited for a different thread.
 
You may notice many different kinds of web hosting providers and all of them are top of their quality.
There is no best server ever, there is only the best one according to your specific needs.
 
As shrwoodchuck said, there is no such thing as a 'best' dedicated server, just like there isn't a 'best' hosting company. Something that is the best is something that is tailored to the specific clients' needs :)
 
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