DELL PowerEdge R740xd2 26 Bay 3.5" 2U Rack Server 2x Xeon Gold 6230 2.1GHz 20 Core 64GB DDR4 HBA330

Storage density

The Dell PowerEdge R740xd2 is a 2U rack server built for data-intensive workloads that demand high storage capacity in a compact footprint. It ships with twenty-six 3.5-inch drive trays and a Dell PERC HBA330 controller providing 12Gb/s SAS and SATA connectivity. Dual Intel Xeon Gold 6230 processors deliver twenty cores each at 2.1GHz with a 3.9GHz turbo frequency. Sixty-four gigabytes of DDR4-2666 ECC registered memory is installed across four modules.

Workload fit

This platform suits organisations running software-defined storage, big data analytics, backup repositories or media archives that benefit from dense 3.5-inch drive bays and redundant 1100-watt platinum power supplies. The HBA330 controller operates in non-RAID mode, so environments requiring hardware RAID offload will need a different storage controller. Buyers who need a smaller rack footprint or front-mounted 2.5-inch bays should evaluate other form factors.

Deciding specification

The twenty-six 3.5-inch drive trays define the maximum raw storage capacity this chassis can hold. Every drive bay is populated with a tray ready for SAS or SATA hard drives or SSDs, and the HBA330 presents all devices to the operating system without hardware RAID abstraction. Confirm that your storage design fits within this tray count and controller mode before purchase.