A dedicated server (or bare metal server) is a physical machine rented entirely to one customer: CPU, memory, disks, and NICs belong to you with no virtualization layer in between. It delivers maximum, predictable performance for demanding workloads, large databases, and infrastructures you operate end to end.
This guide explains what a dedicated server is, how it differs from a VPS, when to adopt it, and which Infrawire plans match your project - dedicated servers hub, bare metal, eco, and Ryzen gaming. New to VPS? Start with what is a VPS.
Definition: what is a dedicated server?
Unlike a KVM VPS, a dedicated server gives you the real hardware racked in a datacenter. You install Linux, Windows Server, or a hypervisor (Proxmox, VMware ESXi) directly on disk, configure hardware RAID, and access BIOS/UEFI via IPMI or KVM over IP.
Result: no noisy neighbors, consistent CPU and disk I/O, often guaranteed bandwidth (1 Gbps, 10 Gbps), and stronger compliance for regulated environments.
How does dedicated hosting work?
- Provisioning: pick CPU (Intel Xeon, AMD Ryzen…), RAM, NVMe/SSD/HDD storage, and connectivity.
- Datacenter install: server cabled in a tier-1 rack - Infrawire operates in Europe, North America and Asia.
- Delivery: SSH/RDP access, IPMI panel, on-demand OS reinstall.
- Operations: monitoring, backups, network growth (BGP, extra IPs).
Our AS210699 network offers controlled peering and transit - details in AS210699 explained. For IPMI and RAID: IPMI and RAID guide.
Dedicated server vs VPS: comparison
| Criterion | KVM VPS | Bare metal dedicated |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | Virtualized slice | Full physical machine |
| Performance | Very good (virtual NVMe) | Maximum (native NVMe) |
| Monthly cost | From a few euros | Premium budget |
| Delivery time | Minutes | Hours to 24h |
| Scalability | Fast panel upgrade | Hardware change |
| Home hypervisor | Not recommended | Ideal (Proxmox, ESXi) |
| IPMI / BIOS | No | Yes |
Detailed comparisons: VPS vs dedicated and how to choose in 2025. Still unsure? Many projects start on NVMe VPS then migrate.
What is a dedicated server used for?
- High-traffic e-commerce and SaaS: spikes, concurrent sessions, critical APIs.
- Large databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB with sustained disk I/O.
- Streaming and media: video encoding, origin CDN, hot storage.
- Demanding game servers: ARK, Rust, large Minecraft networks, FiveM - see dedicated gaming server.
- VPS farm / private cloud: resell VMs from your own hypervisor.
- Compliance and isolation: sensitive data, regulated sectors, hardware audit needs.
For France and EU audiences, see best dedicated server France.
Infrawire dedicated server ranges
| Range | Profile | Product link |
|---|---|---|
| Standard bare metal | Xeon, NVMe, production | dedicated-baremetal |
| Eco | Optimized price/performance | dedicated-eco |
| Ryzen / Gaming | CPU clocks, games and compute | dedicated-ryzen |
| Catalog hub | All dedicated offers | dedicated-servers |
Need your own rack? Colocation completes the datacenter line.
Network, security, and growth
- Anti-DDoS and network filtering on Infrawire infrastructure.
- BGP sessions and prefix announcement: network-bgp.
- Additional IP blocks: network-subnet.
- Wholesale and resale: wholesale for integrators.
Before ordering, validate latency to your users and disk sizing (OS + data + logs + snapshots).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
A physical server computer rented entirely in a datacenter - administered as if it were in your own server room, without buying hardware.
Bare metal has no hypervisor imposed by the host: 100% of CPU, RAM, and disk are yours. A VPS is a virtual machine sharing physical hardware with other KVM-isolated tenants.
When CPU or disk I/O is constantly saturated, you need IPMI/hardware RAID, or you deploy a hypervisor to host multiple VMs.
IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) lets you power on/off and access the remote console (KVM) even when the OS is down - essential for serious operations.
Yes - tier-1 sites in Europe, North America and Asia. See the dedicated servers hub.
Yes. Support can help with data migration and DNS cutover - contact 24/7.
Conclusion
A bare metal dedicated server delivers raw power, full control, and stability for mature projects. Browse Infrawire dedicated servers, compare standard, eco, and Ryzen, and add BGP or colocation as your architecture grows.
Unsure about sizing? Contact Infrawire - network engineers available 24/7.