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Renting a dedicated server: when you need one and how to read a plan
A dedicated server is a whole physical machine that a host gives to a single customer. The processor, memory, disks and network port are not shared with neighbours, and you get full access to the hardware: you can install any operating system or hypervisor, or build your own RAID. The table above lists plans with the exact CPU model, core count, memory, disks and port speed, so configurations from different hosts can be compared directly.
When a dedicated server beats a VPS
A virtual server is cheaper and more flexible, but it has a ceiling: the resources of the physical host are shared between customers, and when neighbours are busy your server slows down too. Dedicated server hosting pays off in a few cases.
- Steady heavy load. If the processor runs above half capacity around the clock, a large VPS usually costs about as much as a physical machine, while the machine performs more consistently.
- Databases and disk-heavy work. A large PostgreSQL, MySQL or ClickHouse instance is limited by disk latency, and local NVMe without a virtualization layer gives predictable response times. Plans for this task are collected on the VPS for databases page.
- Licences per physical CPU. Some server software is licensed per socket or per physical core, and counting them is simpler and often cheaper on your own hardware.
- Isolation and compliance. When a security team or an auditor requires that data does not sit on a shared hypervisor, a dedicated server settles the question. Under GDPR it also makes it easier to document where personal data is stored and who has access to the hardware.
Processor, memory and disks
The CPU model in a plan matters more than the core count. Older Xeon E3 and E5 chips appear in the cheapest offers: the E5 has many cores, but clock speed and per-core performance are noticeably lower than on current chips. AMD EPYC is built for multi-threaded load and large amounts of memory, while Ryzen offers high clock speeds and suits game servers and single-threaded tasks. You can compare them on the AMD EPYC VPS and Ryzen VPS pages; game hosting configurations are on the game server page.
Check whether a plan lists cores or threads: eight cores with Hyper-Threading give sixteen threads, but do not double performance. A server that holds data needs ECC memory, which corrects single-bit errors that on ordinary memory silently corrupt files and databases. Ryzen in budget plans often comes without ECC, so it is worth asking.
"2×1 TB NVMe" means two separate disks, not one 2 TB disk. In a RAID 1 mirror 1 TB stays usable, but the failure of one disk does not stop the server. NVMe is several times faster than SATA SSD on random operations, while HDD remains an option for backups and archives where capacity matters most.
Network, traffic and hidden terms
- Port speed vs guaranteed bandwidth. A 1 Gbps port does not always mean a gigabit at any time: some hosts guarantee less and provide the rest on a best-effort basis.
- Traffic limits. Unlimited traffic on a 100 Mbps port and 20 TB on a gigabit port are different terms. Check what happens when you exceed the limit: a charge per terabyte or a speed cap.
- Extra IP addresses usually cost extra, and a subnet sometimes requires a justification.
- Setup fee. Some hosts charge a one-off fee to prepare the server, especially with monthly billing. Compare the total for the first year, not just the monthly price.
- Delivery time. Ready configurations are handed over within a few hours; custom builds take from one to several days.
- KVM or IPMI. A remote console lets you reinstall the system and fix boot problems without contacting support. Without it, any mistake in the network settings turns into a ticket.
- Hardware replacement. Ask how many hours it takes to replace a failed disk or power supply and whether that is included in the price.
Renting vs colocation
With colocation you buy the server yourself and pay the data centre for rack space, power and bandwidth. It pays off over several years and with non-standard hardware, but repairs, spare parts and shipping are on you. Renting removes these questions: the hardware belongs to the host, and the host is responsible for replacing components. For one or two servers, renting is almost always simpler.
Location and payment
Put the server close to your users. Within Europe, Germany and the Netherlands reach most capitals in 10–30 ms; between the US east coast and Western Europe expect around 80 ms, and Asia adds 150–250 ms from either side. That gap is noticeable in games and interactive services, but does not matter for backups and batch computing. Before renting, ask the host for a test IP and check latency and download speed from your side. If a share of a machine is enough, compare configurations in the VPS catalog, and for a simple website without server administration look at shared hosting. Payment methods depend on the host: most accept cards, many take PayPal, business customers can usually pay by invoice, and some also accept cryptocurrency. The "Payment" column in the table shows the methods for each plan.