DELL PowerEdge R730 2U Rack Server 2x Xeon E5-2660 v3 2.6GHz 10 Core 128GB DDR4 2x 400GB SSD H730

Dual Xeon E5-2660 v3 2U Server

This Dell PowerEdge R730 is a 2U rack server built for midsize and large enterprises running virtualisation, databases or high-performance computing. Two Intel Xeon E5-2660 v3 processors deliver 20 cores at 2.6 GHz with 3.3 GHz turbo, while 128 GB of DDR4 registered ECC memory across 24 slots provides capacity for dense virtual machines. The PERC H730 controller with 1 GB cache supports RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50 and 60 for flexible storage layouts.

Hot-swap drive bays and iDRAC8 Enterprise

Eight 2.5-inch hot-swap bays accept SATA or SAS drives so failed disks can be replaced without downtime. The iDRAC8 Enterprise module gives full remote console, power control and firmware update access over a dedicated network port, reducing the need for physical visits to the rack. Rails and a front bezel are included, so the unit slides into a standard 2U space and locks in place. The only common snag is forgetting to cable the iDRAC port separately from the data ports during initial racking.

1.5 TB memory ceiling and dual 750 W supplies

The platform scales to 1.5 TB of DDR4 when all 24 slots are populated with larger modules, giving plenty of headroom for growing workloads. Two 750 W platinum-efficiency power supplies run in redundant mode, so a single supply failure does not interrupt operation. Storage headroom ends at the eight-bay chassis; workloads that need more than eight drives must attach external enclosures. Buyers who need GPU acceleration or more than two processors should look at a different platform.