Dell PowerEdge R740 Specifications
The R740 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 | 2U 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) | 1.5 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 | 8x3.5", 8x2.5", or 16x2.5" (chassis dependent) |
| RAID Controllers | S140 (SW), H330, H730P, H740P (8 GB NV cache), HBA330 |
| PCIe Slots | Up to 8x PCIe 3.0 (full height, full length available) |
| Network | NDC with 1GbE, 10GbE, or 25GbE options |
| Management | iDRAC9 with Lifecycle Controller (Basic/Express/Enterprise) |
| Power Supply | Hot-swap 1+1 redundant (495W to 2400W, 8 options) |
| GPU Support | Up to 3x 300W double-width or 6x 150W single-width |
| FPGA Support | Up to 4x Intel Arria 10 GX |
| Boot Options | BOSS M.2 RAID1, IDSDM MicroSD, Internal USB 3.0, PXE |
| Dimensions | 86.8mm (H) x 482mm (W) x 715.5mm (D) |
Memory types include RDIMM, LRDIMM, and NVDIMM-N (persistent memory with battery backup, up to 192 GB). The R740 supports Dell Fault Resilient Memory mode for protecting VMware ESXi kernel memory and ADDDC for runtime DRAM failure correction.
R740 Chassis Options at Enterasource
The Dell R740 is available in three chassis configurations. Each determines the number and size of front drive bays.
| Chassis | Front Drive Bays | Max Raw Capacity | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8x3.5-inch LFF | 8x 3.5" SAS/SATA | 96 TB (8x 12 TB) | Bulk storage, nearline, backup targets |
| 8x2.5-inch SFF | 8x 2.5" SAS/SATA | ~30 TB | Compute-focused with moderate storage |
| 16x2.5-inch SFF | 16x 2.5" SAS/SATA | ~61 TB | Balanced compute and high-IOPS storage |
All drives are hot-swappable. The R740 does not support rear drive bays — for expanded storage beyond 16 bays, see the Dell PowerEdge R740xd.
Every R740 at Enterasource is configured to order. Select your chassis, processors, memory, drives, RAID controller, networking, GPU, 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 R740 vs R740xd vs R640 — Choosing the Right 14th Gen Server
All three are 14th Generation PowerEdge servers sharing the same Intel Xeon Scalable processors and DDR4 memory platform. The differences are form factor, storage capacity, and GPU expandability.
| Feature | R640 (1U) | R740 (2U) | R740xd (2U Extended) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form Factor | 1U Rack | 2U Rack | 2U Rack |
| Max Front Drive Bays | 10x 2.5" or 4x 3.5" | 16x 2.5" or 8x 3.5" | 24x 2.5" or 12x 3.5" |
| Mid/Rear Bays | 2x 2.5" rear (optional) | None | Up to 4x 3.5" mid + 4x 2.5" rear |
| Total Max Drives | 12 | 16 | 32 |
| PCIe Slots | Up to 3 (low profile) | Up to 8 (full height/length) | Up to 8 (reduced in some configs) |
| GPU Support | 3x 75W single-width (T4) | 3x 300W double-width or 6x 150W | Limited (non-NVMe backplane only) |
| Max PSU | 1600W | 2400W | 2400W |
| Rack Density | 42 per 42U rack | 21 per 42U rack | 21 per 42U rack |
| DIMM Slots / Max RAM | 24 / 3 TB | 24 / 3 TB | 24 / 3 TB |
Choose the R640 when rack density is the priority — virtualization farms, web clusters, and edge deployments where every rack unit counts.
Choose the R740 for the best balance of compute, storage, and GPU expandability — virtualization with GPU passthrough, database hosting, VDI, and AI inference workloads requiring double-width GPUs.
Choose the R740xd when storage capacity is the primary requirement — software-defined storage (vSAN, Ceph), data lakes, backup/archival, and workloads needing more than 16 drive bays.
Ideal Workloads for the Dell R740
The R740 is Dell's recommended platform for workloads that need more expandability than a 1U server but do not require the extreme storage density of the R740xd.
Virtualization (VMware ESXi, Hyper-V, Proxmox VE): Up to 56 cores and 3 TB RAM provide high VM density. Eight PCIe slots support multiple NICs for network segmentation. Dell Fault Resilient Memory mode protects the hypervisor kernel. BOSS card keeps the hypervisor boot separate from data drives.
Database Hosting (SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL): High memory capacity with NVDIMM-N for persistent in-memory data protection. PERC H740P with 8 GB NV cache accelerates write-intensive database workloads. Up to 16 drive bays for RAID 10 data tier configurations.
VDI and GPU-Accelerated Workloads: The R740 supports up to three 300W double-width GPUs (NVIDIA Tesla V100, P100) or six 150W single-width GPUs (NVIDIA T4, M10). This makes it the 14th Gen platform of choice for VMware Horizon, Citrix Virtual Apps, and GPU-accelerated rendering.
AI/ML Inference: With Intel DL Boost (2nd Gen Xeon), GPU support, and up to 4 Intel Arria 10 GX FPGAs, the R740 handles inference workloads at the edge or in the data center.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a refurbished Dell R740 cost?
Pricing for a refurbished Dell PowerEdge R740 depends on the chassis configuration, processor selection, memory capacity, drives, and GPU options. Use the configurator on this page to select your components and request a quote. Enterasource builds every R740 to order with a 2-year warranty and free ground shipping to the lower 48 states.
What is the difference between the Dell R740 and R740xd?
Both are 14th Gen 2U servers with the same processors, memory, and iDRAC9 management. The R740 supports up to 16x 2.5-inch or 8x 3.5-inch drive bays with up to 8 PCIe slots and full GPU support (3x 300W double-width). The R740xd extends storage to up to 24x 2.5-inch or 12x 3.5-inch front bays, plus mid-bay and rear options for up to 32 total drives. Choose the R740 for balanced compute and GPU workloads. Choose the R740xd for storage-heavy deployments.
What is the difference between the Dell R740 and R640?
Both are 14th Gen servers with identical processor and memory platforms (24 DIMM slots, 3 TB max). The R740 is 2U with up to 16 drive bays, 8 PCIe slots, and support for 300W double-width GPUs. The R640 is 1U with up to 10 drive bays, 3 low-profile PCIe slots, and support for only 75W single-width GPUs. Choose the R740 for GPU workloads and expandability. Choose the R640 for maximum rack density.
What generation is the Dell R740?
The Dell PowerEdge R740 is a 14th Generation (14G) server, launched in 2017. It uses 1st and 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors with the Intel C620 chipset. The 13th Gen predecessor is the R730; the 15th Gen successor is the R750.
Is the Dell R740 compatible with VMware ESXi?
Yes. The R740 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 for dedicated hypervisor boot. The R740 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 R740 compatible with Proxmox VE?
Yes. Proxmox VE runs on Debian Linux, which is compatible with R740 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, 16 drive bays, and 8 PCIe slots for GPU passthrough, the R740 is well-suited for Proxmox deployments. iDRAC9 provides hardware monitoring independent of the guest OS.
Is the Dell R740 good for VDI?
Yes. The R740 is Dell's recommended platform for VDI. It supports up to three 300W double-width GPUs (NVIDIA Tesla V100, P100) or six 150W single-width GPUs (NVIDIA T4, M10) for GPU-accelerated virtual desktops. Combined with up to 56 cores and 3 TB RAM, the R740 delivers high user density for VMware Horizon, Citrix Virtual Apps, and Microsoft RDS environments.
Browse all Dell PowerEdge servers available at Enterasource.
