Tower Servers vs Rack Servers: Key Considerations
What kind of server ought your small organization purchase? Should you choose a tower or rack server? In actuality, they are both network servers. The installation method makes the most difference. While the tower server can be placed on the floor, on a desk, or in other locations, the rack server is a stand-alone device mounted in the cabinet. The cabinet is not necessary for the tower server.
We shall describe the ideas of these two servers and discuss their differences in this article.
What is Tower Server?
A tower server is a computer designed to be used as a server and is constructed in the shape of a cabinet. It is distinct from a computer’s standard CPU but resembles one. These servers are among the smallest available. An independent piece of hardware called a tower server has every component needed to react to requests from client PCs.
Advantages of Tower Server
1: Ease of Use
The tower server chassis frequently tends to save a lot of space for redundant hard drives, power supplies, and other components because it has so many slots. This server has good scalability, requires little additional hardware, and occupies little space.
A large variety of applications are available to satisfy the common server application requirements because the configuration can be extremely high.
2: Cost-Efficient
This kind of server is especially well suited for widespread workgroup and entry-level server applications due to its affordable price. Their performance can satisfy the needs of the majority of SME users. It continues to be well-liked in the marketplace.
3: Scalability from Small to Medium Enterprises
Tower servers are a good option for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) with a restricted IT infrastructure. They provide scalability and upgradeability, efficiently meeting business development and changing needs.
What is Rack Server?
The switch-like appearance of the rack server. It consists of 1U, 2U, 4U, and other types of racks. The 1U of rack-mounted servers often offer the greatest space savings, but have subpar performance and scalability, making them best suited for some relatively set business sectors.
The improved performance, scalability, and support for more than 4 high-speed processors as well as a sizable number of common hot-swappable components are all features of the 4U servers. Its administration is also highly practical.
Advantages of Rack Server
1: Centralized Management
Rack servers that are housed in a central rack offer simpler management, streamlining the processes involved in maintenance and troubleshooting. Their proximity makes it possible for IT managers to quickly identify problems and take action, assuring peak performance and minimizing downtime throughout the whole server architecture.
2: Excellent Security
The most crucial business data for the company is stored on the server. To avoid unneeded harm, man-made vandalism, and data loss, it often forbids contact with regular people.
The Tower server is not put in a significant location, such as the production workshop, because it can typically be installed in a production environment.
3: Redundancy and High Availability
Rack servers include hot-swappable components, making it simple to repair damaged or failing pieces without having to shut down the entire system. By quickly addressing hardware faults, this redundancy feature improves server uptime.
IT specialists can easily replace malfunctioning parts while the server is still running, such as power supplies or hard drives.
Two Factors that Decide Rack Server or Tower Server
- Where will the server be placed?
98% of you will require a rack server if the server will be installed in a data center. The remaining 2% will spend money on a rackable tower server. However, colocation is the most typical situation for data center deployment because the majority of small enterprises don’t own their own data center.
For colocation, a rack server is still the best option. All of you will need a tower server if you plan to place it next to a plant or in the corner of an office where someone’s desk is.
- What is the temperature where you intend to put the server physically?
Small firms typically lack access to chillers and raised levels. But some server rooms might have air conditioning. A rack server is probably the best choice if the server will be installed in a temperature-controlled environment.
Below is a table to summarize the key difference between tower servers and rack servers:
| Features | Tower Servers | Rack Servers |
| Size | Upright | Mounted in a rack |
| Cost | Less expensive | More expensive |
| Flexibility | Very flexible | Less flexible |
| Cooling | More difficult to cool | Easier to cool |
| Density | Less dense | Denser |
Conclusion
There is no one size fits all decision between tower servers and rack servers. The choice is mostly determined by the particular needs, financial situation, and growth expectations of your company.
Tower servers can be the best alternative for small to medium-sized businesses looking for an easy, affordable solution with future expansion options.
Rack servers, on the other hand, can be more appropriate for big businesses or data centers that need increased density, centralized management, and redundancy.