- Cloud Backup
Cloud Backup vs Local Backup: Which Does Your Business Need?
5 Feb, 2026





£2372.21 inc. VAT
AI-generated summary
For ~£1,977 ex-VAT you’re basically buying a small, entry-level 1U Lenovo box that’s best suited to “boring but reliable” workloads in a rack: things like light virtualization, small file/application servers, dev/test environments, or a consolidation target where you need something stable and serviceable rather than flashy. The ThinkSystem SR250 line is generally straightforward to deploy and maintain, and Lenovo’s value here is that you get a tidy, reseller-friendly platform that won’t fight you during upgrades or routine ops. If you’re comfortable budgeting for growth (because the initial memory/storage footprint often isn’t enough for real-world workloads), it can be a decent cost-controlled choice.
That said, I’d be cautious unless you’ve checked your use-case and expansion path. The “0 GB” in the description is a bit of a red flag in how it’s presented—if it’s truly configured without any meaningful usable storage or you’re going to need to add a lot right away, the headline price can quickly stop looking like a deal. Also, 1U servers are power/density-optimized, so they’re not ideal if you expect heavy, sustained workloads or if your cooling/airflow isn’t already sorted. My honest take: buy it if you need a compact, low-friction server for modest workloads and you’re confident on the final storage/memory plan; avoid it if you’re expecting it to be a “set and forget” platform for heavy virtualization or production loads without additional spend.

Asus
ESC4000A-E12-SKU1/1G/2600W 1+1

Lenovo
Intel Xeon Gold 5120 - 2.2 GHz - 14-core - 28 threads - 19.25 MB cache - for ThinkAgile VX3320 Appliance, VX3520-G Appliance, VX5520 Appliance, VX7520 Appliance

Lenovo
Intel Xeon Gold 6128 - 3.4 GHz - 6-core - 12 threads - 19.25 MB cache - for ThinkAgile VX3320 Appliance, VX3520-G Appliance, VX5520 Appliance, VX7520 Appliance

Asus
ASUS ESC4000 G4 - Server - rack-mountable 2U - 2-way - no CPU - RAM 0 GB - SATA - hot-swap 3.5" bay(s) - no HDD - AST2500 - Gigabit Ethernet - no OS - monitor: none
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