When shopping around for rack servers for business applications, there are fewer options than excellent consumer-grade desktops. One such option is the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR250 V2, which has a compact 1U chassis and powerful specifications. Models start with four bays and cap out at a massive 10. It's a little pricey when moving into the realm of NVMe SSDs, but many businesses may view this as a worthwhile investment.

The server itself can be configured with up to an Intel Xeon E-2300 with Core and Pentium options available. Lenovo's own TruDDR4 DIMMs operate at 3,200 MT/s and can be upgraded to a maximum capacity of 128GB. Just about any operating system can manage this server, including Microsoft Windows Server 2022, Red Hat, and SUSE. But should consider buying one for the office?

About this review: Lenovo sent us a ThinkSystem SR250 V2 for the purposes of this review, and it had no input into its contents.

Pricing and availability

The Lenovo ThinkSystem SR250 V2 starts at $3,175 when purchased and configured through the manufacturer's website, but at the time of this writing, it's on sale starting at $1,238. We'd recommend using Lenovo's online store so you can configure the 1U server to precisely meet the application's demands. It also makes it easier to send in RMA requests should the system not be functioning properly upon delivery.

Lenovo allows the ThinkSystem SR250 V2 to be configured with various processors, RAM capacities, bays, and other optional extras.

Specifications

Intel Xeon, TruDDR4, and PCI

There are three chassis variants available for configuration through Lenovo. The entry-level chassis comes with four LFF hot-swap drive bays; there's a version with eight SSF bays and a flagship chassis with 10 SSF bays. As with most storage devices, RAID is fully supported by virtual and hardware controllers. We managed to get our hands on the ThinkSystem RAID 5350-8i PCIe expansion card with our review sample.

There's plenty of power available with all ThinkSystem SR250 V2 configurations.

Processor choices include the Intel Pentium, Core, and Xeon family of chips. It's possible to install a processor that can draw up to 95W of power and rock eight physical cores. The Intel Xeon E-2336 is the best processor that can be configured with the ThinkSystem SR250 V2, and it should have ample performance and PCIe 4.0 for storage needs. You can install up to 128GB of RAM, which is a considerable improvement over the previous version of this server.

Lenovo loads the system up with its own TruDDR4 RAM, which can run at speeds up to 3,200 MT/s. Regarding connectivity, we're looking at a single PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, a single PCIe 4.0 x8 slot, two 1Gb LAN connections, a serial port, a VGA port, and some USB ports. You shouldn't have any trouble hooking up the Lenovo ThinkServer SR250 V2 to your existing network setup.

Design and features

Plenty of power inside a compact package

Lenovo's ThinkSystem looks like any other 1U server system. It's difficult for manufacturers to make their products stand out from the crowd when dimensions are so limiting. Still, the ThinkSystem SR250 V2 looks like a solid box. The front panel is clean with four drive bays, some ports, LED indicators, and necessary buttons. As with just about every rack server chassis, cool air is pulled in through the front of the system and pushed out the rear.

Inside the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR250 V2 is a clean setup with well-managed cabling and the aforementioned 6-core Intel Xeon E-2336 processor. This is cooled by a large heatsink attached to the socket that uses the four front-facing case fans. Four DIMM RAM slots are available, which can be populated with four 32GB modules for a capacity of 128GB. Our review sample came rocking with four 32GB TruDDR4 modules installed.

The two available PCIe 4.0 slots on the motherboard can be used to expand the raw data storage capacity or upgrade the network stack with additional bandwidth. (Lenovo would happily sell you its networking expansion cards.) A third PCIe slot is used for Lenovo's RAID cards. The base power supply is a low-power 300W single unit. When stepping up to an 8-core Xeon processor or 10-bay chassis, you'll need to cover the cost of a dual bay for two 450W hot-plug PSUs.

Software and performance

Easy deployment with Lenovo XClarity Administrator

Managing and setting up the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR250 V2 is a painless process thanks to the available operating systems and Lenovo's XClarity Administrator remote management tool. From plugging in the SR250 V2 for the very first time to daily checkups, using XClarity is a great experience — and it should be, considering you have to pay a subscription to continue utilizing the software. Lenovo does offer a free tier, but it's limited to status monitoring and other basic features.

Managing the ThinkSystem SR250 V2 with Lenovo's XClarity Administrator is seamless.

Windows and SUSE are among the available OS images that can be quickly applied to the server. Depending on what you plan on using the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR250 V2 for, you can be up and running in a matter of minutes. When operating, the SR250 V2 is barely audible when positioned in an office with other machines running. Noise from the four system fans is considerably low, especially when the server isn't being pushed hard.

The Intel Xeon processor is more than enough for handling the four drive bays we populated on our sample server, and we don't envision any issues arising when using the same chip with 10 SSF bays. The two 1Gb LAN ports also provide ample bandwidth for multiple people accessing data stored on the server. Think of this as a very fancy (and more expensive) NAS enclosure with the ability to run various operating systems.

We've looked at countless drives rated for use inside NAS and servers like this, so I recommend checking our collection of the best NAS drives for our top picks.

Should you buy the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR250 V2?

You should buy the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR250 V2 if:

• You want a capable 1U server for business deployment.
• You don't require the most capable system available.
• You don't want to build your own rack server.

You shouldn't buy the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR250 V2 if:

• You're after larger capacity server installations.
• You'll require considerable performance for running the heaviest of workloads.
• You know how (and have time) to build your own systems.

Whether you should purchase a rack server depends on what you require the system to do. If you already own a server cabinet and want to expand the available storage capacity, I'd recommend considering the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR250 V2 if you're on a budget and want a compact chassis. The 1U form factor keeps the footprint low, freeing up other rails for additional systems.

Consider the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR250 V2 if you're on a budget and want a compact chassis.

Should you possess the knowledge to build systems, it would be possible to grab a 1U chassis and install powerful hardware for a more tailored experience, but the same goes for standard desktop PCs, which Lenovo also does well. Going with a pre-assembled ThinkSystem provides peace of mind that all components work together, everything is already connected, and all that's required is the setup of an OS.

Depending on your storage needs, the Lenovo ThinkSystem can be configured with up to ten SSF drive bays. Our four-bay LFF review sample was an excellent machine for storing data and running various services.