Penton Systems / Experiences / 05
05 / 06 Flagship experienceThe economics of computing
Every hardware decision is a spreadsheet that nobody shows you. Here it is: total cost of ownership with power included, electricity, rack circuits and heat, UPS runtime, RAID rebuild risk and PowerEdge upgrade math. Every result shows its formula, with your numbers in it.
01 / 06
Count the watts, not just the price
Purchase price is the number everyone compares. Power, cooling and spares are the numbers that decide. Enter the quotes you actually have; the instrument finds the year, if any, when the cheaper machine stops being cheaper, and it says so plainly when new hardware wins.
This calculator needs JavaScript. The formula: total = hardware (+ spares reserve) + watts × cooling multiplier × 8.76 × electricity rate × quantity × years.
02 / 06
Every watt, every hour, every year
A server drawing a few hundred watts does it every hour it is on. Here is what that becomes per day, per year and across a service life, with the cooling overhead shown as its own layer so you can see what the room costs on top of the machine.
This calculator needs JavaScript. The formula: kWh per year = watts × machines × hours per day × 365 / 1000 × cooling multiplier.
03 / 06
Before you plug in another server
Amps, volt-amps, the 80 percent continuous-load rule, how many circuits, how much heat to remove and how long the UPS holds. The rack fills as you add machines; each gauge is one circuit at its share of the load.
This calculator needs JavaScript. See the formulas on the rack power tool page.
04 / 06
The most dangerous hours in an array’s life
When a drive fails, the array rebuilds while it is at its most fragile. This shows how long that takes and how the chance of losing everything accumulates while it runs, then compares every RAID level on the same drives.
This calculator needs JavaScript. See the model on the RAID tool page.
05 / 06
Upgrade the fleet you already own
When new memory is expensive and scarce, a tested memory and storage upgrade on an existing PowerEdge often beats replacing the server. Load the chassis, check channel balance and RAID capacity, then send the build to a written quote.
The planner needs JavaScript. Open the full planner page or request a quote.
06 / 06
Four generations, side by side
The R610, R710, R720 and R730 compared on the limits that matter for an upgrade: memory ceiling, slots and channels, drive bays, RAID controller families and management. Rows that differ between the selected platforms are marked.
The comparison needs JavaScript. Platform specifications are also listed in the hardware catalog.
- 01
Show the formula
Open “Show the math” on any instrument to see the equation with your current numbers substituted. If you can not check it by hand, we have not done our job.
- 02
Label the inputs
Default values are placeholders for illustration. They are not market prices, and nothing on this page is a quote. Results are marked as calculations from the values you enter.
- 03
Say when new wins
Older servers draw more power and carry more support risk. When the numbers favour new hardware, the instrument says so, and so do we.
- 04
State the limits
Each model lists its assumptions: constant draw, flat tariffs, independent drive failures. Real installations need measured wattage, a qualified electrician and tested backups.
Want your numbers checked?
Send the quote you have and the workload it will run. We will run the comparison with you, confirm compatibility part by part, and tell you if buying new is the better answer.