DELL PowerEdge R540 2U rack server 2x Xeon 5118 2.3GHz 12-core 64GB H730P 8x 3.5" trays iDRAC9 2x 750W

Dell PowerEdge R540 dual Xeon server

The Dell PowerEdge R540 is a 2U rack server powered by two Intel Xeon Gold 5118 processors, each running at 2.3 GHz with 12 cores. It comes with 64 GB of DDR4 registered ECC memory installed across four slots, leaving room for expansion up to 384 GB. The PERC H730P controller with 2 GB cache supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50 and 60. Eight 3.5-inch hot-swap trays accept SATA or SAS drives, and dual 750 W platinum power supplies provide redundancy. iDRAC9 Enterprise enables full remote management.

Suits virtualization hosts and database nodes

This configuration fits teams running virtualised workloads, database instances, or file and application services that benefit from dual-socket compute and large memory headroom. The 16 DIMM slots and 384 GB ceiling allow significant RAM growth without a chassis change. Buyers who need GPU compute density should look elsewhere. Organisations requiring only a single processor or a smaller 1U form factor will find this platform overspecified.

PERC H730P RAID controller with 2 GB cache

The storage subsystem centres on the Dell PERC H730P controller, which delivers 12 Gb/s SAS and SATA connectivity and battery-backed write caching. It handles RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50 and 60 plus pass-through mode, giving flexibility for performance or redundancy. Eight front-accessible 3.5-inch bays let you populate the capacity and speed profile the workload demands. Confirm your drive selection matches the SAS/SATA interface before ordering.