Dell PowerEdge Server Power Supplies

Dell PSU options by server generation

Dell changes its PSU lineup with each server generation, so match the supply to the server as well as the wattage. These are the AC ratings Dell's spec sheets and technical guides list:

Choosing the wattage

Size the supply to the configuration, not to the server model alone. Dell's Enterprise Infrastructure Planning Tool (EIPT, at dell.com/calc) estimates typical and peak draw for a configured PowerEdge and grades each PSU option: full redundancy keeps full performance after one supply fails, while fault-tolerant redundancy may throttle the server until the failed supply is replaced. Input voltage matters as much: in Dell's own R750 example, 1100W and 1400W supplies are limited to 1050W on 110V low-line power and a 2400W supply to 1400W.

Redundancy policy and hot spare

iDRAC sets how a pair of supplies shares the load. Its redundancy policy is either not redundant, where the server turns off if a supply stops, or input power redundant, which keeps the server running through the loss of one input circuit when the two supplies sit on separate circuits. Hot spare, also set in iDRAC, puts one supply to sleep while the other carries the load; Dell's R740xd manual wakes it when the active supply passes 50 percent of its rated wattage and sleeps it again below 20 percent.

Pairing and redundancy

Install supplies of the same wattage. Dell's R750 guide explains that when two mismatched PSUs are present at POST only the larger is enabled and a mismatch warning appears, and that a supply hot-added later stays off unless its wattage matches the first one. Where one part number covers several servers, check that your model is among them.

For sizing, see our guides to R740 power draw, R750 power draw and the R760's supply options, and the servers themselves are under Dell PowerEdge servers. Each PSU ships under an Enterasource warranty, its term given on the listing. Compare HPE ProLiant power supplies or all server power supplies.

PowerEdge power supply questions

How do I choose the right wattage for my PowerEdge?

Model the exact configuration in Dell's EIPT and pick the smallest supply it marks for full redundancy, so the server keeps full performance if one supply fails. Then check the input voltage: on 110V low-line power Dell limits its 1100W and 1400W supplies to 1050W of output. Buy a matched pair, since Dell enables mismatched supplies only partly or not at all.

Can I mix two different PSUs in one PowerEdge?

No. Dell's R750 guide enables only the larger supply at POST when two wattages are fitted, and its R740 manual rules out mixing supplies from earlier PowerEdge generations even at the same rating, mixing AC and DC supplies, or pairing supplies with different labels such as EPP and non-EPP. Fit two supplies of the same part family, wattage and efficiency.

What does a blinking amber PSU light mean?

A fault in that supply. Dell's R740 manual reads the handle light this way: green means valid input and a working supply, blinking amber a problem with the PSU, and no light no input power. A supply that blinks green five times and turns off after being hot-plugged signals a mismatch; replace only the supply whose light is blinking.