DELL PowerEdge R740xd2 2U rack server 2x Xeon Platinum 8160 2.1GHz 24C 512GB DDR4 26-bay H330 iDRAC9 2x 1100W

Storage-dense 2U server

The Dell PowerEdge R740xd2 is a 2U rack server built for data-intensive workloads that demand high storage density. It ships with two Intel Xeon Platinum 8160 processors, each running at 2.1 GHz with a 3.7 GHz turbo frequency and 24 cores. The system includes 512 GB of DDR4-2666 ECC registered memory across 16 slots and a Dell PERC H330 storage controller. Twenty-six 3.5-inch drive trays provide extensive internal capacity for SAS and SATA drives.

Suits dense storage and backup roles

This server fits software-defined storage clusters, big data analytics, backup repositories and media archives where maximum drive count in a 2U footprint is the priority. The dual 1100 W platinum power supplies and iDRAC 9 Enterprise management support continuous operation and remote administration. Organisations needing more than two processors, more than 1 TB of memory, or a form factor smaller than 2U should consider alternative platforms.

Twenty-six 3.5-inch drive bays

The defining specification is the 26-bay 3.5-inch chassis, which sets the storage ceiling for this model. The PERC H330 controller manages SAS and SATA devices across all trays, while the dual-port 10/25 Gb SFP28 OCP card and dual-port 1 GbE LOM handle network connectivity. Buyers must match their drive selection and capacity planning to this bay count and controller combination.