Dell PowerEdge R740 2U Rack Server

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.

Browse all Dell PowerEdge servers available at Enterasource.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Dell R740 still worth buying?

Yes — the R740 is worth buying as the balanced 14th Generation 2U, and it is still the right pick for GPU-attached workloads. It supports up to three 300W double-width GPUs or six 150W single-width cards — more double-width capacity than the newer 15th Generation R750, which tops out at two — alongside dual Intel Xeon Scalable processors for up to 56 cores, 24 DDR4 DIMM slots, and up to eight PCIe 3.0 slots including full-height, full-length. The generational limits are PCIe 3.0 bandwidth and a 2933 MT/s memory ceiling. Choose the R740xd instead if you need more than 16 drive bays. Every R740 is built to order with a 2-year warranty included.

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. 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. Our Proxmox hardware requirements guide covers sizing an R740 as a Proxmox host — core count, ARC and OSD memory, HBA choice and where PVE should boot from. Subscriptions and support are available directly from Enterasource as an authorized Proxmox reseller.

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.