The Best Tower Server for Small Business (Virtualize Using Hyper-V)

Small Business Tower Server FAQ

Now, picture this. Because Dell small business servers with Xeon processors are so powerful, you can split the load and run multiple operating systems using a hypervisor.

Here’s what I mean…

1. What’s a hypervisor?

A hypervisor is a unique software that allows you to run multiple instances of an OS on virtual machines aka a VM.

If you’re using Windows Server 2012, 2016 or 2019, it has a built-in hypervisor called, Hyper-V, and Dell also has a software product called VMware.

I know what you’re thinking – can this really be true? If you want to learn more about VMs, you can check my list of free hypervisor alternatives.

But hey, if all your apps can run on one small office tower, then you don’t need to use VMs.

So let’s get to work and review all the small business best server alternatives listed above.

As you can see – Dell tower servers for small businesses are popular; there are a lot of good choices.

And most can be purchased on Amazon, or you can purchase them directly from Dell.

Also, I recommend purchasing at least 3 years of hardware support.

2. What’s the best tower server for virtualization?

As noted above, the T440 is a powerful server…

And with the right amount of memory and disk space, this small business tower server can be turned into an ESXi or KVM host.

That’s when the magic of virtualization software begins and a physical server can be loaded up with virtual machines, each handling a unique workload.

3. What’s the best server for small businesses?

Look, I spent many years custom building servers for my clients. And to be totally honest, they worked great most of the time.

But, small businesses don’t have time to waste when their only source of software is down due to a bad power supply or disk drive.

With a Dell tower server, if you choose, you can get 4-hour support to limit the time it takes to get your business-critical software back online.

4. How much memory should I put in my small business server?

That’s a very good question.

If you don’t plan to use virtualization then depending on which software you’re loading such as Exchange, CRM, or other business software, you’ll want the most amount of memory you can afford (8 to 16 GB per app or service is a good rule of thumb).

5. What CPU should my small office tower server have?

Today’s Xeon CPUs are extremely fast, and a single motherboard socket can handle 4, 8, 10, or more CPU cores per processor.

But for a small office server, a minimum of 4 cores at 3.3Ghz will work well.

6. How much disk space does my small business tower server need?

If all your software is running locally on your tower and the server is also where all the files, data, and documents get stored, then here’s a basic setup.

You’ll want a minimum of 2 smaller solid state drives (SSD) or NVME SSD in a RAID 1 mirror configuration for the operating system.

And a minimum of 3 larger SAS 15K disks in a RAID 5 striped set configuration for app installs and file storage.

Also, in today’s world, you might want to consider cloud storage for files and documents.

7. Which operating system should my small office server use?

If your office only needs a single tower, then the current version of Windows Server will handle most of your business software and user management.

Many small business tower servers running Windows Server or Small Business Server are set up to handle Active Directory, DNS, file services, and more.

Note: Always backup your server either to tape or the cloud to ensure your important data and files aren’t lost in the event of a power loss or hardware failure.