Top 5 Servers for Edge Computing
Posted by PCSP Admin on Feb 13th 2025
What is Edge Computing?
Edge computing is a distributed computing standard that processes data closer to its source rather than relying on centralized data centers or cloud infrastructure. This method is particularly suited for workload-intensive applications requiring real-time processing. The main benefits of edge computing are that it reduces latency, conserves bandwidth, and enables immediate data analysis and actions. Essentially, edge computing operates at the "edge" of the network—near where the data is generated—be it on a user’s device, a local server, or an edge node.
Who Uses Edge Computing?
Industries requiring real-time data processing leverage edge computing extensively:
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Manufacturing: Enables real-time machine monitoring and predictive maintenance in smart factories.
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Healthcare: Facilitates quick processing of patient data for immediate medical decisions.
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Automotive: Supports autonomous vehicles in real-time decision-making based on sensor data.
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Telecommunications: Optimizes network performance and enhances 5G user experience.
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Retail: Delivers personalized customer experiences through real-time IoT data analysis.
Edge computing is crucial for IoT applications, where instantaneous data responses are essential.
How to Implement Edge Computing
Implementing edge computing involves:
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Identifying Use Cases: Assess which applications require low latency and high computing power near the data source.
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Choosing the Right Hardware: Select edge devices or servers with adequate processing capabilities. Refurbished options from PCSP can offset the high cost of this high-level equipment.
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Software and Management: Employ software that supports distributed computing for efficient data processing and management at the edge.
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Security Measures: Implement robust security protocols to address the comparatively higher vulnerability of edge devices.
Leading platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud provide edge computing services, offering deployment, management, and security tools tailored for such applications.
Important Specifications for Edge Computing
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Processing Power: High-performance CPUs or specialized accelerators (GPUs or NPUs) for complex computations.
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Memory: Adequate RAM to handle real-time data streams, workload, and dataset dependent.
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Storage: Local storage for immediate data actions, reducing reliance on cloud systems. SSD storage is a must, and NVMe SSD storage is a requirement for systems that need 1GB/sec or more transfer rates.
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Network: Fast and reliable connectivity to manage data flow between edge nodes and central systems.
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Energy Efficiency: Essential for edge devices operating in remote or mobile environments to optimize power consumption.
Top 5 Server Considerations for Edge Computing
Edge computing is highly specialized depending on the application, software, amount of data transferred and stored, latency requirements, and more. Consider your specific dataset requirements before choosing an edge server. That said, here are the top 5 configuration recommendations from PCSP to get you started:
The Dell PowerEdge R740 server is a versatile, entry-level server tailored to meet the demanding needs of edge computing environments.
This build is equipped with dual Intel Xeon Gold 6132 processors, each featuring 14 cores, a base clock speed of 2.6 GHz, and a Turbo Boost speed of up to 3.7 GHz, this server delivers exceptional computational power for workloads like AI, IoT, and real-time analytics. With 128GB of DDR4 memory, the R740 ensures fast, reliable performance and seamless multitasking for handling data-intensive tasks at the edge. The X550/I350 network daughter card enhances connectivity with a combination of 10GbE and 1GbE RJ-45 ethernet ports, ensuring high-speed data transfers and network redundancy for critical edge applications.
Ideal for real-time analytics, virtualization, and mission-critical applications, the Dell PowerEdge R740 combines robust processing power, ample memory, and storage flexibility to drive exceptional performance at the edge.
The HP ProLiant DL360 Gen10 10-Bay SFF Server is a powerhouse built for edge computing, virtualization, and data-intensive applications. Powered by dual Intel Xeon Gold 6154 processors, this server delivers an impressive 36 total cores (18 cores per processor) with a base speed of 3.0 GHz and a turbo boost speed of up to 3.7 GHz, ensuring exceptional processing performance for demanding workloads.
Equipped with 256GB of DDR4 memory, the DL360 Gen10 provides high-speed data access and seamless multitasking, making it an ideal choice for real-time analytics and mission-critical applications. For enhanced connectivity, this server includes a 640FLR-SFP28 network card, delivering high-bandwidth 25GbE SFP28 network capabilities for superior data transfer speeds and low-latency performance.
The 10-bay SFF chassis supports flexible storage configurations, with two of the bays offering native NVMe capability, enabling high-speed data access for edge computing and enterprise applications. Storage is optimized for speed and reliability, featuring a hybrid storage configuration with two 1.6TB U.2 NVMe SSDs for ultra-fast read/write speeds for high-priority applications, and eight 1.8TB 10K SAS HDDs for large-scale data processing and retention.
Designed for efficiency, scalability, and high availability, the HP ProLiant DL360 Gen10 is the perfect solution for businesses looking to deploy powerful edge computing infrastructure with a balance of processing power, high-speed networking, and versatile storage.
The Dell PowerEdge R650 10-Bay NVMe Server is a high-performance solution optimized for edge computing, AI workloads, and data-intensive applications. Equipped with dual Intel Xeon Gold 6330 processors, this powerhouse delivers a combined 56 total cores (28 cores per processor), a base speed of 2.0 GHz, and a turbo boost speed of up to 3.1 GHz, ensuring exceptional compute power for mission-critical workloads.
With 256GB of DDR4 memory, the R650 provides fast and efficient multitasking, ideal for real-time data processing and complex computational tasks. The Broadcom 57504 network card enhances connectivity with four 25GbE SFP28 ports, ensuring ultra-fast data throughput, reduced congestion, and low-latency networking for edge applications that rely on high-bandwidth, real-time processing.
Storage is designed for maximum speed and efficiency, featuring ten 1.6TB U.2 NVMe SSDs, offering ultra-low latency and extreme read/write speeds for data-intensive workloads. The 10-bay NVMe chassis ensures full utilization of high-speed flash storage, making it an ideal choice for environments requiring rapid data retrieval and processing.
Built for scalability, high availability, and superior performance, the Dell PowerEdge R650 is the perfect edge computing solution for organizations needing cutting-edge processing power, high-speed networking, and an all-NVMe storage architecture to handle modern enterprise workloads with ease.
The HP ProLiant DL360 Gen10 Plus 10-Bay NVMe Server is a cutting-edge solution designed for edge computing, AI-driven workloads, and high-performance enterprise applications. Powered by dual Intel Xeon Gold 6330 processors, this server delivers an impressive 56 total cores (28 cores per processor) with a base speed of 2.0 GHz and a turbo boost speed of up to 3.1 GHz, providing exceptional multi-threaded performance for complex computations and real-time processing.
With 512GB of DDR4 memory, the DL360 Gen10 Plus ensures rapid data access, seamless multitasking, and optimal performance for large data sets. The MCX6314 network card provides high-speed networking with dual 25GbE SFP28 ports, making it an ideal choice for environments requiring ultra-low latency and high-throughput data transfers.
Storage is designed for maximum speed and capacity, featuring ten 3.84TB U.2 NVMe SSDs, offering an abundance of high-speed flash storage for unparalleled data access, high-bandwidth workloads, and real-time analytics. The 10-bay NVMe chassis enables full utilization of ultra-fast storage, ensuring scalability and flexibility for demanding enterprise applications.
Engineered for efficiency, reliability, and superior performance, the HP ProLiant DL360 Gen10 Plus is the ultimate choice for organizations seeking a powerful edge computing solution with cutting-edge processing power, lightning-fast networking, and an all-NVMe storage architecture built for the future of enterprise IT.
The Dell PowerEdge R650 10-Bay NVMe Server is a top-tier solution built for extreme edge computing, AI workloads, and high-performance enterprise applications. Powered by dual Intel Xeon Platinum 8380 processors, this server delivers 80 total cores (40 cores per processor), with a base speed of 2.3 GHz and a turbo boost speed of up to 3.4 GHz, ensuring unmatched parallel processing power for the most demanding computational workloads.
With an impressive 2TB of DDR4 memory, the R650 provides ultra-fast data access and seamless multitasking, making it ideal for high-performance computing, machine learning, and real-time analytics. The Broadcom 57504 network card provides high-speed connectivity with four 25GbE SFP28 ports, ensuring ultra-low latency and massive data throughput for high-bandwidth applications.
Designed for high-speed storage and rapid data processing, the 10-bay NVMe chassis is fully populated with ten 6.4TB U.2 NVMe SSDs to accelerate I/O-intensive workloads. Additionally, two 240GB BOSS drives (Boot Optimized Storage Solution) ensure a dedicated and redundant OS boot environment, improving system stability and uptime. This all-NVMe configuration provides exceptional read/write speeds, ensuring superior performance for data-heavy applications such as AI inference, cloud computing, and large-scale database management.
Engineered for scalability, reliability, and peak efficiency, the Dell PowerEdge R650 is the ultimate edge computing solution, combining unparalleled processing power, ultra-fast networking, and an all-flash NVMe storage architecture to meet the needs of cutting-edge enterprise IT infrastructure.
Conclusion
Edge computing is transforming how data-intensive, real-time applications are managed by processing data closer to its source. This shift enhances performance and fosters innovation across industries. By selecting hardware that aligns with edge computing demands, businesses can unlock their full potential, driving efficiency and enabling intelligent, responsive systems.
If you have any questions about hardware for your edge computing use case, feel free to reach out to our team at PCSP. We have experts that can guide you to the perfect edge computing solution for your needs.