Although we preferred the class-leading IBM Netfinity 5100 overall, the PowerEdge is nonetheless a fine choice. The system comes standard with a single hot-swappable power supply but can accommodate two.
Thumbscrews hold the side panels in place.
Sliding brackets hold the PCI cards in place. The inside of the side panel carries helpful motherboard diagrams and component upgrade information. To facilitate setup, Dell bundles the PowerEdge with its Server Assistant CD, which, much like Compaq's SmartStart tool, helps you initially boot the server, install drivers, configure a RAID array, and load an operating system. The latest version supports Microsoft Windows NT, Windows 2000, NetWare, and Linux. For management, the company provides the Dell IT Assistant, a Web-based tool that lets you inventory, monitor, and update the system across a network.