AccuWeb Hosting Chicago VPS: 2-Core Intel Xeon Delivers Solid Mid-Range Performance ๐

So I've been testing this AccuWeb Hosting VPS for the past few weeks, and honestly? It's been pretty decent for what you're paying. Let me break down the nitty-gritty details from my bench.sh test results.
What's AccuWeb Hosting Anyway? ๐ค
AccuWeb has been around the hosting block for quite some time now - they're one of those providers that doesn't make a huge fuss but gets the job done. Based in the US, they offer everything from shared hosting to dedicated servers. Not the flashiest name out there, but hey, sometimes boring is reliable, right?
Their Chicago datacenter location is actually pretty strategic if you're targeting North American audiences. Plus, the price point isn't gonna break your wallet.
The Hardware Specs That Actually Matter ๐ป
Here's what we're working with:
Component | Specification |
---|---|
CPU | Intel Xeon E5-2690 v4 @ 2.60GHz |
Cores | 2 vCPU cores |
RAM | 4GB DDR4 |
Storage | 50GB SSD |
Location | Chicago, Illinois |
The Intel Xeon E5-2690 v4 isn't exactly cutting-edge anymore (it's from like 2016), but it's still a workhorse. With 35MB of cache, it handles most tasks without breaking a sweat.
Performance Numbers Don't Lie ๐
CPU Performance
- Single Core: 1165 points
- Multi Core: 2347 points
Honestly, these Geekbench scores are... well, they're okay. Not amazing, not terrible. For comparison, a modern desktop CPU would demolish these numbers, but for VPS hosting? It's competitive enough.
I/O Performance
The disk I/O averaged 498.3 MB/s across three runs:
- Run 1: 476 MB/s
- Run 2: 521 MB/s
- Run 3: 498 MB/s
That's actually pretty solid! ~~Most budget VPS providers give you like 200-300 MB/s~~, so this is refreshing.
Network Speed Test Results ๐
This is where things get interesting:
Location | Upload | Download | Latency |
---|---|---|---|
Speedtest.net | 951 Mbps | 892 Mbps | 12ms |
Los Angeles | 907 Mbps | 860 Mbps | 45ms |
Dallas | 926 Mbps | 875 Mbps | 33ms |
New York | 889 Mbps | 846 Mbps | 19ms |
London | 476 Mbps | 434 Mbps | 88ms |
Singapore | 213 Mbps | 180 Mbps | 258ms |
Tokyo | 318 Mbps | 297 Mbps | 180ms |
Holy cow! ๐ Those US speeds are actually impressive. Getting 900+ Mbps consistently across major US cities? That's legit good connectivity. The international speeds drop off pretty hard though - Singapore and Tokyo are rough.
What Can You Actually Use This For? ๐ ๏ธ
Based on my testing, this VPS is perfect for:
โ Great For:
- Small to medium WordPress sites
- Development environments
- Regional US-focused applications
- File hosting/storage
- Email servers
- Light database work
โ Not So Great For:
- High-traffic websites (CPU will bottleneck)
- International audience (latency issues)
- CPU-intensive applications
- Gaming servers
- Heavy video processing
Real World Usage Experience ๐ญ
I've been running a few WordPress sites on this thing, and it handles about 1000-1500 daily visitors without any hiccups. Page load times are decent - around 2-3 seconds for most pages.
The uptime has been solid too. In 3 weeks of testing, I had maybe one brief network hiccup that lasted like 10 minutes? Not bad at all.
One thing that bugged me though - the control panel is kinda clunky. It works, but it feels like it's from 2015. Minor complaint, but worth mentioning.
Pricing Breakdown ๐ฐ
Here's what you're looking at cost-wise:
Plan | CPU | RAM | Storage | Bandwidth | Price/Month |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basic | 1 Core | 2GB | 25GB | 1TB | $9.99 |
Standard | 2 Core | 4GB | 50GB | 2TB | $19.99 |
Premium | 4 Core | 8GB | 100GB | 4TB | $39.99 |
Business | 8 Core | 16GB | 200GB | 8TB | $79.99 |
Prices are approximate and may vary - check their website for current rates
The Standard plan (which I tested) at $19.99/month is pretty reasonable for what you get. Not the cheapest, but not highway robbery either.
Cancellation & Refunds (Sort Of) ๐
AccuWeb offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is standard industry practice. However, there are some catches:
- Setup fees are non-refundable
- Domain registration fees aren't included
- You need to cancel within 30 days of signup
- Monthly plans have different terms than annual ones
The refund process took about 5-7 business days when I tested it with a different account. Not instant, but not terrible either.
FAQ Section ๐โโ๏ธ
Q: Is AccuWeb good for beginners?
A: Yeah, it's pretty beginner-friendly. The control panel isn't the prettiest, but it gets the job done. Their support is decent too.
Q: How's the customer support?
A: Mixed bag honestly. Live chat is hit or miss - sometimes you get someone helpful, sometimes... not so much. Ticket support is more reliable but slower.
Q: Can I upgrade/downgrade my plan?
A: Yes, but there might be some downtime involved. They don't do seamless migrations like some providers.
Q: What about backups?
A: They offer backup services, but it's an additional cost. You'll want to set up your own backup solution too, just to be safe.
Q: Is the network actually reliable?
A: In my testing, yes. Uptime was solid, but international connectivity isn't great if that matters to you.
Q: How does it compare to DigitalOcean?
A: DO has better documentation and tooling, but AccuWeb's raw performance is competitive. Depends on what you value more.
Q: Can I install custom software?
A: Yep, you get root access so you can install whatever you want (within reason).
Q: What payment methods do they accept?
A: Credit cards, PayPal, and some other options. Pretty standard stuff.
Q: Is there a setup fee?
A: Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Depends on current promotions. Usually around $10-15 when there is one.
The Bottom Line ๐
Overall Rating: 7.5/10 โญโญโญโญโญโญโญโชโชโช
This AccuWeb Chicago VPS is... solid. Not groundbreaking, not terrible. It's the Honda Civic of VPS hosting - reliable, affordable, gets you where you need to go.
Pros:
- Excellent US network connectivity
- Decent price point
- Good I/O performance
- Reliable uptime
- 30-day money back guarantee
Cons:
- Aging CPU architecture
- Poor international speeds
- Clunky control panel interface
- Support can be inconsistent
Would I recommend it? If you're targeting US audiences and need something reliable without breaking the bank, absolutely. For international projects or high-performance applications, you might want to look elsewhere.
The 2-core Intel Xeon setup handles most small to medium workloads just fine. Just don't expect miracles, and you'll be happy with what you get.
This review is brought to you by VPSJudge - we offer real-world VPS hosting reviews, benchmark tests, and expert comparisons to help you choose the right provider.