A dedicated server buying checklist

Dedicated server listings look simple: a processor, some memory, a few drives and a bandwidth figure. But two servers with similar headlines can perform very differently and be very different to live with. The processor generation, the drive types, how the drives are arranged and whether you can reach the server when it will not boot all matter as much as the core count.

This guide is a checklist for choosing a dedicated server, with what each item means and what to look for, plus a short list of checks to run in the first days after delivery. If you are still deciding whether you need a dedicated server at all, read VPS or dedicated server? first.

What is in this guide

• A few words you will see
• The checklist at a glance
• 1. Processor
• 2. Memory
• 3. Drives
• 4. RAID
• 5. Bandwidth and port speed
• 6. IP addresses
• 7. Remote console and reinstalls
• 8. Location
• 9. Setup time, billing and hardware replacement
• Checks for your first days
• Limits
• When to step up

A few words you will see

Term	What it means
Cores and threads	Cores are processing units. Many processors run two threads per core.
Clock speed	How fast each core runs, in GHz. Matters for jobs that use one core at a time.
Generation	How new the processor design is. Newer generations usually do more per core.
ECC memory	Memory that detects and corrects small errors. Common in servers.
NVMe, SSD, HDD	Drive types, from fastest to slowest. HDDs are cheapest per gigabyte.
RAID	Combining drives for speed, safety from a drive failure, or both.
IPMI	A remote management console for a server's screen and power, even when the operating system will not start.
Port speed	How fast the network connection can go at once, such as 1 Gbps.

The checklist at a glance

Check	Question to answer
Processor	Which model and generation? Enough cores, and fast enough per core, for my job?
Memory	Enough for my job with room to spare? ECC?
Drives	What type, how many and how big?
RAID	Are the drives protected against one failing, and how?
Bandwidth	How much per month, and what happens if I go over?
Port speed	How fast is the connection?
IP addresses	How many IPv4 addresses, and is IPv6 offered?
Remote console	Can I reach the screen and reinstall when it will not boot?
Location	Is it near my users?
Setup time	How long until it is ready?
Billing and renewal	Monthly or longer? Same price at renewal?
Hardware faults	How are failed parts reported and replaced?

1. Processor

• Look up the exact model, not just the core count. An older processor with many cores can be slower per core than a newer one with fewer.
• Match the processor to the job. Game servers, many PHP sites and some databases rely on speed per core. Video encoding, builds, virtual machines and AI work use many cores at once.
• Check the generation. Newer generations are usually more efficient and support newer instructions that some software uses.
• Benchmarks help. Public benchmark results for the processor model give a rough comparison. Treat them as a guide, not a promise for your workload.

2. Memory

• Size it from your real workload, with headroom. If you are moving from a VPS, measure its memory use first. See VPS or dedicated server?.
• ECC memory catches small memory errors that could otherwise corrupt data or crash the server. It is common in server hardware and worth having for databases and storage.
• Check whether it can be upgraded later, and how. Adding memory to a dedicated server often means a support request and some downtime.

3. Drives

Type	Strengths	Good for
NVMe SSD	Fastest	Databases, virtual machines, busy sites
SSD	Fast and reliable	Most server jobs
HDD	Cheapest per gigabyte, much slower	Large backups, archives and media

• Count the drives. Two or more drives allow RAID, which protects against one drive failing.
• Mixed setups are common: fast SSDs for the system and databases, large HDDs for bulk storage.
• Check usable space, not raw space. RAID that mirrors two drives gives you the space of one.

4. RAID

Layout	Drives	What it gives you
RAID 1	2	Mirrors the drives. Survives one failing. Usable space of one drive
RAID 10	4 or more	Mirrored pairs, striped for speed. Survives a failure in each pair
RAID 0	2 or more	Speed and full space, but one failed drive loses everything. Avoid for important data
No RAID	Any	Each drive on its own. A failure loses that drive's data

Ask whether RAID is set up for you, and whether it is done in hardware or by the operating system. Either works when monitored. Most importantly: RAID is not a backup. It does not protect against deletion, hacking or mistakes. Keep backups off the server. See using a storage VPS for backups.

5. Bandwidth and port speed

• Monthly bandwidth is how much data you can transfer. Check what happens if you go over: extra charges, a slower connection or a warning.
• Port speed is how fast data can move at once. Large downloads and media streaming need more.
• Unmetered does not mean unlimited. Unmetered plans still have fair-use rules. Read them if you expect heavy traffic.
• Ask about attack protection if your project might attract traffic floods, such as a popular game server.

6. IP addresses

• Check how many IPv4 addresses are included. Extra ones are scarce and may cost more, or need a reason.
• Check whether IPv6 is offered.
• If you plan to run virtual machines, work out how many addresses they need, or plan to use a private network inside the server.

7. Remote console and reinstalls

On a VPS, the control panel's console always gets you in. On a dedicated server, what happens if a bad config stops it booting depends on what the provider offers:

• A remote console, such as IPMI, shows the server's screen and controls its power from anywhere. Very valuable.
• Self-service reinstalls let you install a fresh operating system without a support ticket.
• Support-only access means a ticket and some waiting when things go wrong.

Ask which applies before you order. If a remote console is offered, keep it private: it should never be open to the whole internet.

8. Location

Pick a data centre near your users, especially for game servers and interactive apps. Dedicated server stock often varies more by location than VPS stock, so check the locations list on this page. Choosing a VPS location explains how to test, and applies to dedicated servers too.

9. Setup time, billing and hardware replacement

• Setup time. Dedicated servers can take longer to deliver than a VPS, depending on the configuration. Do not plan a launch for the day you order.
• Billing cycle and renewal. Check whether the price stays the same when it renews. Is a yearly VPS deal worth it? covers the questions to ask.
• Hardware faults. Ask how you report a failed drive or other part, and how replacement is handled.
• Acceptable use. RackNerd's acceptable use policy covers dedicated servers too. Read it if your use is at all unusual.

Checks for your first days

When the server arrives, confirm it is what you ordered and healthy, before moving anything important onto it:

lscpu
free -h
lsblk
cat /proc/mdstat

These show the processor, memory, drives and, if the operating system manages RAID, its status. Then check each drive's health with smartmontools:

sudo apt install smartmontools
sudo smartctl -H /dev/sda

Repeat for each drive shown by lsblk. NVMe drives have names like /dev/nvme0n1. "PASSED" is what you want to see. Then:

• Secure it straight away, just like a VPS. See your first hour on a new RackNerd VPS.
• Run your real workload for a few days and watch memory, CPU and disk use.
• Set up backups and monitoring before it goes live.
• If something does not match your order, contact support while it is fresh.

Limits

• Unmanaged means unmanaged. You install, update, secure and back up the server yourself.
• Hardware can fail. Unlike a VPS, a failed drive can affect you directly. RAID and backups are your protection.
• Older hardware is cheaper for a reason. It can be slower per core and less efficient. That is fine for some jobs, not for others.
• Specs vary between listings. Check the exact configuration on the order page every time.
• A big VPS can be the better buy. If your workload is not heavy all day, a 6 GB or 8 GB VPS may give you everything you need for less effort.

When to step up

Within dedicated servers, step up when your measurements show memory, disk or CPU running short. Often the cheapest fix is more memory or another drive rather than a whole new server, so ask about upgrades first. If one server is doing everything, splitting jobs across two can also be better: for example, a database on one and websites on the other. What can you do with a dedicated server has ideas for using the extra power well.

To compare what is available now, browse the dedicated servers list, read the cheapest RackNerd VPS guide and check the sales page.