It is a good idea to get a server for your small business in 2023. Look for one that will help your business be successful.
A server can help your small business. It can hold all the important files in one place and do difficult computing jobs. We have a list of the best servers for small businesses. Check it out!
Having a physical server can be helpful for small businesses. It gives you control over how data is stored. A good server helps keep your data safe and stores a lot of it. We listed seven servers for small businesses. They can work for simple things or more powerful tasks. Choose one that works best for you!
Important Things to Remember:
- Small business servers can be expensive. But you don’t have to buy the most expensive one.
- Think about how much the server can do when you choose it. Can it do more than just what you need now?
- Servers are designed to be used for a long time, so it is better to buy one specifically made for this purpose instead of using an old PC.
We believe the HPE ProLiant ML350 Gen10 is the best server for small businesses. It is a good choice for most tasks because it has a good performance, balance of price, and how much you can add to it. It may be possible to find something that is better for you if you look around.
A small business server is very similar to a regular computer. It has the same parts like a processor, RAM, storage drives, a motherboard and power supply. But it can work continuously without having to rest.
Power supplies for servers are checked more carefully than regular computers. The parts also have backups that will keep the server running if one part stops working. Servers are different from regular computers. They have other special features too.
Computers and servers are different. Most computers use Windows, but servers can use different systems. These systems are not made for users to look at, they just do what they need to do. Examples are Ubuntu Server and FreeNAS.
The parts inside a desktop and server are not the same. Desktop computers usually have fewer, faster cores. Server computers have more, but slower cores. Desktops can have up to 16 cores while servers can have up to 64 or even more.
Servers can be used for many different things. They need lots of storage space. Servers are bigger than desktop computers. They have special spots where you can switch out hard drives when needed.
A small business server can help you keep your business running smoothly. It stores files, runs programs, and shares information. It can also help protect your data from accidental deletion or theft.
More and more people are using cloud storage instead of a small business server. The cloud has lots of features that make it easier to use. Some people may still choose to use physical servers even though there are other options.
Security
Security is important. Cloud servers usually have features to keep data safe. But, you still need to send data over the internet. This can be risky. If your data is only for you and not anyone else, it’s better to store it on your own server, not online.
Expandable Space
Business servers can help you store more data if you need it. If your business works with large files, on-premises servers can help. A server that you have in your own building can store up to 100TB of data. But it might cost more than using cloud storage.
Price
AWS and Azure are like clouds. They charge you for how long you use them. If you buy a server, then it belongs to you and you can use it for as long as you want.
Computers can be used in different ways. Servers can be used for many things. They can store files, host websites or databases, and even host emails. Most small businesses use at least one of these functions. But there are more things servers can do too.
When picking a server for a small business, think about how many people will use it, what type of programs and data you need, and how much money is available.
When you are buying a server for your small business, it is important to think about how much space and access you need. Servers can cost a lot of money. We recommend getting servers that don’t cost too much money, like under $10,000.
We chose servers that cost a lot of money. It is important to choose a server that you can add more RAM and storage to in the future. Our picks let you do this if you need more space.
Other things you need to think about when choosing a server are things like how it connects to the internet, how much data it can handle, and if it has cooling. We have five suggestions for servers that are good for small businesses.
- The Lenovo ThinkSystem SR550 is a type of computer for data centers.
- The Dell PowerEdge T40 is cheaper and can do basic tasks.
- The HPE ProLiant ML350 Gen10 is not too expensive, has enough power and can be changed or upgraded.
- For saving files, buy the Synology DiskStation DS220j which is affordable and used at home.
- The Dell PowerEdge T640 has everything a business needs but it costs more money.
We have a list of servers you can use. Some are better for certain tasks. The one called the is good at many things.
If you have a small business, it is important to pick the right kind of server. Different servers do different jobs. It is smart to look into which one will work best for your business.
We know what a server is and why it can help your business. Now let’s look at the top five options.
The Lenovo ThinkSystem SR550
The Lenovo ThinkSystem SR550 is a server made for small businesses. It will give them the same features as bigger companies have.
Pros: You can add lots of stuff and it comes with good hardware.
Cons: It’s expensive and needs to go in a rack.
The Lenovo ThinkSystem SR3550 is a good, affordable server. It comes with lots of slots for extra parts, hot-swappable drive bays, software RAID support and two Xeon Platinum processors.
The ThinkSystem SR550 has more space than the other one. You get one 6-core processor and 16GB of memory. It can fit up to 12 small drives or 8 big drives. Plus you can add another 8 hot-swap small drives if needed. And it has two power supplies too!
The SR550 computer comes with Lenovo’s XClarity Controller. This special part helps you do maintenance on the server and it can make some tasks easier. This computer system also works with other ThinkSystem servers. So if you get more computers in the future, they will still work with this system.
The ThinkSystem SR550 is a great server for small businesses. It provides enough power to get started and can be used for larger data centers too. It has lots of space to add more features, and Lenovo’s XClarity Controller helps make it even better.
Dell PowerEdge T40
Dell PowerEdge T40 is a good choice and it is not too expensive. It has a lot of power for what you pay.
Pros:
It is not expensive.
It has a lot of connections inside and outside the server.
Cons:
You cannot add more things to it than other servers.
The PowerEdge T40 is the cheapest server on this list. It is good for small businesses because it does not cost too much money up front. The basic setup includes a 4-core Intel processor, 8GB of special memory, and a 1TB hard drive.
The PowerEdge T40 is not as strong as the Proliant ML350. It can be used to store files and show web pages, but it is an entry level server. You can add two hard drives and get up to 12TB of space. You can also add up to 64GB of RAM.
The Dell T40 has lots of features. It has one slot that fits a PCIe 3.0 x16 card and two slots that fit PCIe 3.0 x4 cards, plus one PCI slot. It also includes 6 USB ports and one Ethernet port for connecting to the internet. Dell’s customer support is very good if you buy the T40 from them – you get one year of help with your hardware problems, and you can even buy extra help if needed.
- HPE ProLiant ML350 Gen10
HPE’s tower ML350 is good for most businesses. It has a lot of features and it is affordable. Some advantages are that it has two processor sockets and many expansion options. One downside is that the high-end configuration can be expensive. The HPE ProLiant ML350 Gen10 computer has a special kind of chip, 16GB of memory like in your phone, 500 watts of power like a lightbulb, and four places to plug in drives. You can add two more processors if you want to upgrade it. This one is good enough for an email server, storage or a database. You can increase the RAM to 32GB if needed and upgrade the power supplies to 800 watts.
You can add your own parts to the server. The Xeon processors support up to 1TB of memory in 12 different slots. The ProLiant ML350 computer is great for small businesses. It can hold up to 8 small drives or 4 big drives. You can get more cages that will hold 24 small drives or 12 large ones. You can add new cards into 8 slots which makes it really powerful and bigger than before.
Synology DiskStation DS220j
The Synology DiskStation DS220j is a great computer device for small businesses.
The Synology DiskStation DS220j is a two-part storage system for saving files. It is very cheap and has its own operating system. There are also apps for iOS and Android phones. The storage is basic, but if you just need to save files it will work. Synology makes some of the best network-attached storage units on the market.
The DiskStation DS220j is a great way to store your files. It has two places for hard drives, 512MB of RAM, and a fast processor. You can put up to two 16TB hard drives into it. Before you do that, decide if you want RAID 1, 0 or Synology Hybrid RAID.
The unit also comes with special software. It has a special operating system to help you organize your files. It also has software that makes backups, helps you watch movies and music, and can sync with your phone or tablet using Android or iOS apps.
Dell PowerEdge T640
The Dell PowerEdge T640 is a very expensive server. It has lots of great features, like two 10Gb Ethernet ports and hardware RAID. It is the most expensive server from Dell. The least expensive one from Dell is called the T40. You can get two Intel Xeon sockets, 216TB of storage, two 10Gb Ethernet ports and extra slots for PCIe 3.0 x16 if you are willing to pay more money for it.
This server has special parts like PCIe slots and dual 10Gb Ethernet ports. This can give it more power, like for doing machine learning. The T640 can hold up to 4 super powerful GPUs or 8 regular GPUs, such as the Nvidia Tesla P100.
Dual 10Gb Ethernet helps your computer send and receive data quickly. It is not as fast as 100Gb Ethernet, but it is still good for most networks. You can make it even faster by adding a free slot.
The PowerEdge T640 has lots of special features like hardware RAID support, Dell’s tools, easy to plug-in and take out power supplies, and up to 8 fans that have the same feature. This is a good choice for businesses but it costs more money.
There are other great computers that work well for small businesses. They are called honorable mentions.
We have two more server suggestions. These servers cost much more than the ones we listed first. That is why they are not on our main list.
ASUS TS100
The ASUS TS100-E10 is a good way to build your own server. You get all the features and connections you need to make a server. It costs only $300, which is cheaper than other options.
You will need to buy more with the TS100. This does not come with a processor, extra memory, or a place to store data. It does have a motherboard called Intel C242 that has two slots for M.2 parts and two ports for fast internet connections. The ASUS Control Center can help you manage any servers or computers in your group.
You have to buy some of the parts, but then you can pick which parts you want. The board can hold up to 128GB of memory. It works with a special type of processor called Xeon E and has a LGA 1151 socket. The board also has 6 connections that let you use RAID 0, 1, 5 or 10.
M.2 drives can help you save your data in two different ways. RAID 0 can make it go faster up to 84% and write speeds 40% faster. RAID 1 copies the same data on both drives, making it more reliable.
ASUS ESC8000 G4
The ASUS ESC8000 is more than you need. It costs a lot, but it has lots of connections and space. It comes with special features like two 10Gb Ethernet ports and a motherboard from Intel C621. But it is too much for most small businesses.
This server has 8 large slots that can fit lots of things. It is made to put in 8 GPUs. It also has 24 spaces for RAM memory and 2 small slots. This server has 8 GPUs which is great for creating videos, photos, or teaching computers. If you have enough money and need a powerful computer, this server is perfect for you.
Scan 3XS SER T9X2
The Scan T9X2 is a computer server that was built with pieces from a store. But it also comes with special customer service that you cannot buy at the store. It costs a lot of money – more than $4,400 – but it has a lot of power. If you have enough money, it may be worth buying.
The Tower Server is a special kind of computer with two powerful processors, 64GB of memory, two internet ports and more. You can make it bigger with eight big drives and 768GB of RAM. It uses parts that you can buy in stores. Scan helps track the server while it is being built and gives you product support. They also do a 24-hour test and an 88 point quality check to make sure your server works great!
It can be hard to choose the right server for your small business. You need to think about how much space it has, how loud it is, how powerful it is and what it costs. If you need a reliable server, the ML350 might be the right one for you. It’s strong and can handle a lot of things!
You can find computers for different prices. The Dell T40 is a good, cheap choice for simple tasks. The ASUS ESC8000 G4 is very expensive and powerful, so it can do tough jobs.