In the past, I couldn't resist the temptation of VPS discounts and ended up buying them impulsively. As time went on, my desire grew, and I realized that VPS could no longer meet my needs. I gradually shifted my attention to dedicated servers, also known as "dedis" for short. In this article, I will share the dedis that I have purchased and provide some recommendations for those who are considering buying a dedi.

The dedis I bought were mostly budget servers, so the hardware configurations were relatively old. However, the prices were cheaper, ranging from $5 to $30 per month. Here is a list of the dedis I purchased in chronological order.

Online (now called Scaleway)

Online (now called Scaleway) mainly provides European dedicated servers. They used to be called "Online" but changed their name to "Scaleway." Their customer support is responsive, and there are no traffic limitations. However, one downside is that they tend to increase their prices almost every year, earning them the nickname "European price trap cloud." I used to have a dedi with them for €4.9/month, but I no longer use it.

Serverstadium

Website: https://serverstadium.com/

Serverstadium offers dedicated servers in the United States. The regular price is average in terms of cost-effectiveness, but they have 1-2 promotions per year (I forgot the specific holidays). I currently have a dedi with them for $24/month, featuring Dual L5520, 48GB DDR3, and 1x1TB SATA (5IP). Their customer support is prompt and friendly. However, they have a monthly traffic limit of 10TB, which is not enough for my needs.

Psychz

Website: https://www.psychz.net/

Psychz is relatively average without any major highlights or notable flaws. They occasionally have promotions and activities. They offer dedicated servers in the United States, but the network performance is average in my personal opinion.

Kimsufi

Website: https://www.kimsufi.com/

Kimsufi is a budget dedicated server brand under OVH. They occasionally have promotions, and they offer dedicated servers in Europe and Canada.

Advantages:

1. No traffic limitations
2. Built-in DDoS protection

Disadvantages:

1. Very slow customer support, to the point where I doubt if they have any support at all. It takes several days for them to respond to a ticket or email, and there's no guarantee that they can solve your problem.
2. Installation fee required

Kimsufi has separate accounts for the US region and the European region. Accounts in the European region are subject to taxation, while accounts in the US region are not. Verifying an account requires sending an email (which may or may not be approved). If you need to make a purchase, you can search for tutorials online.

Wholesale Internet

Website: https://www.wholesaleinternet.net/

Wholesale Internet is located in Kansas, United States, and their dedicated servers have extremely outdated hardware, earning them the nickname "Kansas junkyard."

Advantages:

1. No installation fee
2. Good customer support with prompt responses

Disadvantages:

1. Extremely outdated hardware. Among all the dedis I have used, this one has the oldest hardware, and I'm constantly worried that my hard drive might fail.

NOCIX

Website: https://www.nocix.net/

NOCIX is affiliated with Wholesale Internet (same company), but NOCIX offers more configuration options compared to Wholesale Internet. Therefore, the advantages of Wholesale Internet are also the advantages of NOCIX, and the disadvantages of Wholesale Internet are also the disadvantages of NOCIX.

Advice and Recommendations

Although budget dedicated servers overseas are cheap, the hardware is relatively old, and some servers do not support RAID arrays. Therefore, the risk of hard drive failure is much higher compared to VPS. It is crucial to regularly back up your data.

Other Budget Dedicated Servers

• Hetzner: https://www.hetzner.com/
• OneProvider: https://oneprovider.com/ (reseller)