IT Pro Verdict
Once you’ve worked out which storage option you want, the PowerEdge R430 is an ideal choice where server rack space is at a premium. It packs a lot of processing power into its compact chassis and delivers it at a very competitive price
Pros
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Space saving design; Powerful hardware package; High storage capacity; Excellent remote management tools; Very quiet
Cons
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Confusing storage options; 10-bay model only supports SATA SFF drives
SMBs looking to maximise their precious rack space will like Dell's new PowerEdge R430. This 1U rack server may only be 24in. deep but it squeezes in a big hardware package that includes dual E5-2600 v3 CPUs, a high memory capacity and plenty of storage options.
Dell supplied us with the base model kitted out with four LFF drive bays serviced by the embedded PERC S130 RAID controller. Ordered at the point of sale, the R430 can be specified with up to 10 SFF drives and choice selection of PCI-Express RAID cards although, as we found, the process is far from simple.
The R430 exhibits very good internal design and whisper-quiet cooling
Dell's iDRAC8 controller provides quality server monitoring tools and handy power consumption graphs
