DELL PowerEdge R740 2U rack server 2x Silver 4210R 10C 2.4GHz 64GB DDR4 8x 1.92TB SAS SSD H730P

2U rack server for dense compute

The Dell PowerEdge R740 fits two Intel Silver 4210R processors, each with 10 cores at 2.4 GHz, into a 2U chassis. Sixty-four gigabytes of DDR4 memory ship as four 16 GB modules running at 2666 MT/s. Eight 1.92 TB SAS SSDs and an H730P RAID controller provide high-throughput local storage for virtualisation or database workloads. iDRAC9 Enterprise enables full remote management.

PCIe Gen 3 and 10 GbE network limits

Up to eight PCIe Gen 3 slots are available for additional controllers, accelerators or network cards. The onboard Intel X550 adapter delivers two 10 Gb RJ45 ports and two 1 Gb RJ45 ports for mixed-speed networking. Gen 3 bandwidth caps lane throughput at 8 GT/s, so newer Gen 4 or Gen 5 add-in cards will operate at Gen 3 speeds. The 10 Gb RJ45 interfaces require Cat 6a or better cabling to reach full distance.

Check rack depth, power and drive compatibility

The 2U form factor demands a rack with sufficient depth for the chassis and included rails. Dual 1100 W redundant power supplies need matching PDU outlets and appropriate circuit capacity. All eight 2.5-inch bays are populated with SAS SSDs; adding different drive types requires removing existing units. No optical drive is present, so OS installation must use USB, network boot or iDRAC virtual media.