How to choose a dedicated server in 2026: CPU, RAM, NVMe, IPMI

Do you really need a dedicated server?

A dedicated server gives you a whole physical machine. It is the right choice if you want to run your own virtualization (Proxmox, ESXi), if your project outgrows the largest VPS, or if you need fully isolated resources. If that is not the case yet, a VPS is more flexible and far cheaper: our comparison VPS vs dedicated server helps you decide.

If dedicated is the right answer, here are the criteria to look at, in order.

1. The CPU: core count or clock speed?

It all depends on the workload:

• Virtualization, containers, many services in parallel: favour the number of cores and threads. Each virtual machine needs its own vCPUs.
• Game server, application that runs mostly on one thread: per-core performance matters more than the total count.
• Compute, encoding, rendering: many cores, and a recent CPU.

Dual-processor (two-socket) configurations give many cores at a reasonable price; recent single-socket CPUs such as AMD EPYC pack as many cores into a single chip.

2. Memory

RAM is often the first resource to run out, especially with virtualization: add up the memory of all planned virtual machines, plus headroom for the hypervisor. ECC memory corrects bit errors and improves the reliability of a server that runs around the clock.

3. Storage: type, capacity and number of drives

• NVMe for databases, virtualization and anything with heavy disk access; SATA SSD remains fine for less demanding storage.
• Several drives let you separate system and data, or build a RAID to survive a drive failure.
• A single large drive is simple, but then plan an external backup strategy.

4. Network

Check the port speed (1, 10 or 25 Gbit/s), the number of included IPv4 addresses and the price of extra ones, IPv6 availability, and above all DDoS protection. A dedicated server exposed without protection will sooner or later become unreachable.

5. Remote access: IPMI

IPMI (or iDRAC, iLO depending on the vendor) is a management console independent from the operating system: you power the machine on and off, reboot it, see the screen as if you were in front of it, and install a system from an ISO image. It is essential to repair a server that no longer boots, without waiting for on-site intervention.

6. The provider: datacenter, delivery and support

• The datacenter: a professional, well-connected site close to your users.
• Delivery: from a few hours to a few days depending on the provider. At VexCloud, each machine is prepared by the team and usually delivered within 5 business days.
• Support: reachable, in your language, and able to work on the hardware.

VexCloud dedicated servers

Our machines are installed in our racks at Equinix PA6 in Paris. As stock is limited, some may be temporarily sold out:

• R630-01 (Dell PowerEdge R630): 2× Intel Xeon E5-2680 v4, i.e. 28 cores / 56 threads, 128 GB DDR4 RAM, 1 × 2 TB NVMe, 10 Gbit/s port. A solid first dedicated server for hosting several projects, virtualization or game servers.
• EPYC-01: AMD EPYC 7642, 48 cores / 96 threads, 128 GB DDR4 ECC, 2 × 2 TB + 4 × 400 GB NVMe, 25 Gbit/s port. For workloads that need many cores, fast drives and high throughput.

All include IPMI access, 4 IPv4 addresses (extra IPv4 at €1 per month, free IPv6 on request) and two-layer DDoS protection, adjustable from the DDoS panel. As stock is limited, availability is shown on the dedicated servers page.

In short

1. Start from your use case: virtualization, gaming, database or compute.
2. Choose the CPU accordingly (cores or clock speed), then RAM with headroom.
3. Go for NVMe and plan your backups.
4. Check network, IPv4 and DDoS protection.
5. Insist on IPMI access.

A question about your project? Contact us: the team will advise you before you order.