Supermicro

For the last decade, speed has been the default justification for any network refresh. Need new switches? Chase higher throughput. Upgrade the backbone? Go for 100G, maybe even 400G. But in today’s data center environment — where energy costs, staffing limitations, and hardware lifecycle all impact your bottom line — network operators are rethinking what actually matters.

More and more teams are approaching their next refresh with a new guiding principle: efficiency over raw speed.

When it comes to enterprise and data center server solutions, three names consistently rise to the top: Dell, HP, and Supermicro. Each has its strengths, but if you're looking for the best combination of price, performance, reliability, and support, Dell takes the lead, with HP following closely behind. Supermicro, while offering solid value, comes in third due to a few critical shortcomings. Below is a detailed comparison, with each category scored to determine the overall ranking.

In today’s world of tight budgets and ever-evolving IT needs, used servers offer a practical, high-value solution for a variety of applications. Servers that are 2–6 years old, such as Dell’s 13th and 14th generation PowerEdge models, remain capable and can deliver substantial performance at a fraction of the cost of new hardware. Buying used servers can save up to 90% off the original list price without compromising reliability or functionality. 

A Fit for Many Workloads 

Startups and established businesses alike need scalable, powerful and manageable network infrastructure to be competitive. Used network hardware from brands like Arista, Juniper, and Cisco provide an excellent opportunity to deploy Layer 2 and Layer 3 Ethernet switching and routing hardware for access, edge, and complete spine/leaf architectures, at a fraction of the cost of new equipment.