DELL PowerEdge R740xd 2U rack server 2× Xeon Gold 5118 2.3GHz 12-core 512GB DDR4 H730P 12× 8TB HDD

Storage-Dense 2U Server

The Dell PowerEdge R740xd is a 2U rack server built for workloads that demand high internal capacity. It ships with two Intel Xeon Gold 5118 processors, each running at 2.3 GHz with 12 cores, and 512 GB of DDR4 2400 MHz registered ECC memory across 16 modules. Twelve 3.5-inch enterprise hard drives provide 8 TB each, managed by a PERC H730P controller with 2 GB cache. Dual 750 W platinum power supplies and iDRAC9 Enterprise complete the package for virtualisation or software-defined storage clusters.

SATA Throughput and RAID Limits

The storage controller connects via a 12 Gb/s SAS and SATA interface, but the installed drives operate at 6 Gb/s SATA with a 7.2 K spindle speed. This caps sustained sequential throughput well below the controller's peak, so random I/O performance depends heavily on the chosen RAID level. The H730P supports RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50 and 60 plus pass-through, yet parity-based arrays will feel the mechanical latency of the 12 drives. Network I/O uses two 1 GbE and two 10 Gb SFP+ ports on the X520/I350 daughter card.

Memory Slots and Power Phases

The motherboard offers 24 DDR4 slots, of which 16 are populated with 32 GB modules, leaving eight free for expansion up to the 3 TB maximum. Both CPU sockets are filled, so no further processor upgrades are possible without removing an existing unit. The chassis requires a rack with 2U clearance and standard square-hole rails, which are included. Verify that your facility can supply redundant feeds for the dual 750 W supplies and that your top-of-rack switches accept SFP+ transceivers for the 10 Gb links.