The AI revolution is presenting organizations of all types and sizes with opportunities to adopt innovative business models and optimize workflows like never before. But new opportunities often bring new challenges. Every step of successfully implementing an enterprise-scale AI solution requires specialized knowledge, including hardware expertise, an understanding of AI models and data science, and knowing how to seamlessly integrate AI in ways that help support a company’s unique operational goals. The decision to embark on an AI journey can be exciting, but it requires solid end-to-end support for all aspects of a solution to be successful.
Companies such as Dell and Supermicro offer AI-ready infrastructure and service portfolios to customers who are looking to integrate AI with existing operations. To compare the offerings from these two vendors, we researched publicly available information about the hardware, software tools, and service components of the Dell and Supermicro AI portfolios.
On the hardware front, we examined MLPerf benchmark test results published by each company and found that Dell’s AI-ready PowerEdge XE servers offered consistent, strong AI training and inference performance for workloads on several AI models. In some instances, the PowerEdge XE servers produced up to 37 percent better performance than comparable Supermicro systems--while taking up only half the rack space.
When we investigated additional AI-related software and service options, we found that Dell offers professional services that Supermicro does not, including data preparation and education. Dell has also collaborated with NVIDIA to offer Dell Validated Designs, which are lab-validated reference architectures and solution overviews that help businesses build and run custom AI models. We did not find any design, implementation, management, or educational services in the Supermicro AI portfolio.
Businesses must consider many factors when it comes to designing, deploying, managing, and maintaining AI solutions. To invest wisely and get the most out of a planned AI solution, companies may want to look for a vendor that can be more than just a hardware supplier. Dell is ready to help businesses start or expand their AI journey with a portfolio that includes high-performance hardware options, verified solutions, and expert services that help guide the process from start to finish.
For more details about our research into these AI portfolios, including AI-ready PowerEdge XE servers, check out the report and summary below.
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