Dell PowerEdge R640 1U Rack Server

Dell PowerEdge R640 Specifications

The R640 is a 14th Generation (14G) Dell PowerEdge rack server supporting 1st and 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors in a dual-socket configuration.

Specification	Details
Form Factor	1U Rack
Processors	1 or 2x Intel Xeon Scalable (Gen 1 and Gen 2)
Max Cores	28 per socket, 56 total
Memory Slots	24x DDR4 (12 per CPU, 6 channels per CPU)
Max Memory (RDIMM)	1,536 GB (1.5 TB) with 64 GB modules
Max Memory (LRDIMM)	3 TB with 128 GB modules
Memory Speed	Up to 2933 MT/s (1 DPC, 2nd Gen Xeon)
Drive Bays	4x3.5", 8x2.5", 10x2.5", or 10x NVMe (chassis dependent)
RAID Controllers	S140 (SW), H330, H730P, H740P (8 GB NV cache), HBA330
PCIe Slots	Up to 3x PCIe 3.0 x16
Network	NDC with 1GbE, 10GbE, or 25GbE options
Management	iDRAC9 with Lifecycle Controller (Basic/Express/Enterprise)
Power Supply	Redundant hot-plug PSUs (495W, 750W, 1100W, or 1600W)
GPU Support	Up to 3x NVIDIA T4 (single-width, 70W)
Boot Options	BOSS M.2 RAID1, IDSDM MicroSD, Internal USB 3.0, PXE
Dimensions	42.8mm (H) x 482mm (W) x 722-773mm (D)

Memory types supported include RDIMM, LRDIMM, NVDIMM-N (persistent memory with battery backup), and Intel Optane DC Persistent Memory (DCPMM) for workloads requiring massive addressable memory.

R640 Chassis Options at Enterasource

The Dell R640 is available in four chassis configurations. Each one determines the number and type of front drive bays, rear drive support, and chassis depth.

Chassis	Front Drive Bays	Rear Bays	Max Raw Capacity	Best For
4x3.5-inch LFF	4x 3.5" SAS/SATA	None	64 TB	Nearline storage, cost-effective bulk capacity
8x2.5-inch SFF	8x 2.5" SAS/SATA/NVMe	None	76.8 TB	Balanced compute and storage, shorter rack depth
10x2.5-inch SFF	10x 2.5" SAS/SATA (up to 8 NVMe)	Up to 2x 2.5" rear	92+ TB	Maximum storage flexibility in 1U
10x2.5-inch NVMe	10x 2.5" NVMe (CPU direct-attach)	None	64 TB	Maximum storage IOPS, no RAID overhead

All drives are hot-swappable across every chassis variant. The 10x2.5-inch NVMe chassis uses CPU direct-attach, bypassing the RAID controller entirely for the lowest possible storage latency.

Every R640 at Enterasource is configured to order. Select your chassis, processors, memory, drives, RAID controller, networking, and iDRAC license, then our team assembles, tests, and ships your server with a 2-year warranty and free ground shipping to the lower 48 states.

Dell R640 vs R650 — 14th Gen vs 15th Gen

The R650 is the direct 15th Generation successor to the R640 in Dell's 1U rack server lineup.

Feature	R640 (14th Gen)	R650 (15th Gen)
Processors	1st/2nd Gen Xeon Scalable (Skylake/Cascade Lake)	3rd Gen Xeon Scalable (Ice Lake)
Max Cores Per CPU	28	40
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0 (2x bandwidth per lane)
DIMM Slots	24 (12 per CPU, 6 channels)	32 (16 per CPU, 8 channels)
Max DDR4 Speed	2933 MT/s (1 DPC)	3200 MT/s
Max RAM (RDIMM)	1.5 TB	2 TB
Max RAM (LRDIMM)	3 TB	8 TB
Persistent Memory	Intel Optane DCPMM Gen 1 (up to 7.68 TB total)	Intel Optane PMem 200 Series (up to 12 TB)
Max NVMe Bays	10	12
RAID Controllers	PERC H330/H730P/H740P	PERC H745/H755/H755N
BOSS Card	BOSS-S1 (M.2 SATA, 120/240 GB)	BOSS-S1 or BOSS-S2 (M.2 SATA, 240/480 GB)
Networking	NDC (dedicated PCIe 3.0 x8 slot)	2x 1GbE LOM + OCP 3.0 slot
Cooling	Air cooling only	Air + optional Direct Liquid Cooling
Refurbished Price	Lower	Higher

Choose the R640 when PCIe 3.0 bandwidth meets your workload requirements and DDR4 pricing favors higher-capacity configurations. Choose the Dell PowerEdge R650 when PCIe Gen 4 devices — such as newer NVMe SSDs or network adapters — are central to your deployment, when you need more than 28 cores per socket, or when 8 memory channels per CPU benefits your application.

Dell R640 vs R740 — 1U vs 2U

The Dell PowerEdge R740 is the 2U counterpart to the R640, sharing the same 14th Generation Intel Xeon Scalable platform with identical processor and memory support.

Feature	R640 (1U)	R740 (2U)
Form Factor	1U Rack	2U Rack
Processors	1st/2nd Gen Xeon Scalable, up to 28 cores	Same
DIMM Slots / Max RAM	24 slots, up to 3 TB	24 slots, up to 3 TB
Max Front Drive Bays	10x 2.5" or 4x 3.5"	16x 2.5" or 8x 3.5"
PCIe Slots	Up to 3 (all low profile)	Up to 8 (low profile + full height)
GPU Support	Up to 3x 75W single-width (T4)	Up to 3x 300W double-width or 6x 150W single-width
FPGA Support	1x Intel Arria 10 GX	Up to 4 FPGAs
Max PSU Wattage	1600W	2000W
Thermal Headroom	Tighter (1U cooling constraints)	More airflow for high-TDP configs
Rack Density	42 servers per 42U rack	21 servers per 42U rack

Choose the R640 when rack density is the priority: virtualization farms, web server clusters, and edge deployments where every rack unit counts. Choose the R740 when you need more PCIe expansion, double-width GPU support, or additional drive bay capacity beyond 10 bays. See also the Dell PowerEdge R740xd for maximum storage density in 2U.

Why Buy a Refurbished Dell PowerEdge R640

The R640 remains one of the most widely deployed 1U enterprise servers in production today. Buying refurbished from Enterasource gives you the same enterprise-grade hardware at a significantly lower cost than purchasing new.

Every R640 goes through Enterasource's multi-point testing process before it ships: hardware diagnostics on all components, firmware verification, and a final systems check. Each server is backed by a 2-year Enterasource warranty with direct support from our team in Irvine, California.

As a configure-to-order seller, Enterasource lets you spec exactly the server you need. Select your chassis variant, processor pair, memory capacity, drives, RAID controller, networking, and management license. We assemble it, test it, and ship it with free ground shipping to the lower 48 states.

Browse all Dell PowerEdge servers available at Enterasource.

Frequently Asked Questions

What processors does the Dell R640 support?

The R640 supports 1st and 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors in the LGA 3647 socket, including Bronze 3100-series, Silver 4100/4200-series, Gold 5100/5200/6100/6200-series, and Platinum 8100/8200-series CPUs. Maximum configuration is two processors with up to 28 cores each (56 cores total).

What is the maximum RAM for the Dell R640?

With standard DDR4 LRDIMM modules, the R640 supports up to 3 TB across 24 DIMM slots (128 GB per slot). With Intel Optane DC Persistent Memory (DCPMM) combined with DDR4, the total addressable memory reaches up to 7.68 TB.

How many drive bays does the Dell R640 have?

It depends on the chassis configuration. The R640 is available with 4x3.5-inch, 8x2.5-inch, 10x2.5-inch, or 10x2.5-inch NVMe drive bays. The 10x2.5-inch SFF chassis also supports an optional 2x2.5-inch rear bay, bringing the total to 12 drive bays in a 1U server.

Is the Dell R640 compatible with VMware ESXi?

Yes. The R640 is on the VMware Hardware Compatibility List and supports ESXi 6.0, 6.5, 6.7, and 7.0. It includes Intel VT-x and VT-d for hardware-assisted virtualization, Dell Fault Resilient Memory mode for ESXi kernel protection, and BOSS card support to keep the hypervisor boot separate from data drives. The R640 is also compatible with Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix Hypervisor, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, Canonical Ubuntu Server, and Oracle Linux.

Is the Dell R640 compatible with Proxmox VE?

Yes. Proxmox VE runs on Debian Linux, which is compatible with R640 hardware. The Intel Xeon Scalable processors include VT-x and VT-d required for KVM/QEMU virtualization. With up to 56 cores, 3 TB RAM, and 10 NVMe drive bays, the R640 provides strong virtualization density in a 1U form factor. iDRAC9 provides hardware monitoring and remote management independent of the guest OS. Proxmox VE subscriptions come directly from Enterasource as an authorized Proxmox reseller — we license and install PVE on the R640 before it ships, so the server arrives on the Proxmox Enterprise repository rather than the no-subscription one.

How much does a refurbished Dell R640 cost?

Pricing for a refurbished Dell PowerEdge R640 depends on the chassis configuration, processor selection, memory capacity, and storage options. Enterasource builds every R640 to order, so you pay only for the specs you need — with a 2-year warranty and free ground shipping to the lower 48 states included.

What generation is the Dell R640?

The Dell PowerEdge R640 is a 14th Generation (14G) server, launched in 2017. It uses the Intel C620 (Lewisburg) chipset with 1st and 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors. The 13th Gen predecessor is the R630; the 15th Gen successor is the R650.