Dell PowerEdge R740xd Specifications
The R740xd is a 14th Generation (14G) Dell PowerEdge rack server optimized for storage-dense workloads, sharing the same processor and memory platform as the R740.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | 2U Rack (storage-optimized) |
| 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) |
| Front Drive Bays | 24x 2.5" or 12x 3.5" (chassis dependent) |
| Mid-Bay Drives | Up to 4x 3.5" or 4x 2.5" |
| Rear Drive Bays | Up to 2x 3.5" or 4x 2.5" |
| Total Max Drives | 32 (2.5") or 18 (3.5") |
| Universal Slots | 12x 2.5" supporting SAS/SATA/NVMe interchangeably |
| RAID Controllers | S140 (SW), H330, H730P, H740P (8 GB NV cache), HBA330, H840 (external) |
| PCIe Slots | Up to 8x PCIe 3.0 (reduced in some storage configs) |
| 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) |
| GPU Support | Up to 3x 300W DW (24x 2.5" non-NVMe chassis only) |
| Boot Options | BOSS M.2 RAID1, IDSDM MicroSD, Internal USB 3.0, PXE |
| Dimensions | 86.8mm (H) x 482mm (W) x 715.5mm (D) |
The R740xd's universal drive slots are the key storage feature — 12 of the 24 front 2.5-inch bays accept SAS, SATA, or NVMe drives interchangeably, enabling mixed storage tiers (NVMe cache + SAS capacity) in a single chassis without separate backplanes.
R740xd Chassis Options at Enterasource
The Dell R740xd is available in multiple chassis configurations, each designed for different storage density requirements.
| Chassis | Front Bays | Mid Bays | Rear Bays | Total Drives | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24x2.5" SFF | 24x 2.5" SAS/SATA | 4x 2.5" | 4x 2.5" | Up to 32 | Maximum drive count, SDS, HCI |
| 24x2.5" NVMe | 24x 2.5" NVMe | — | — | 24 | All-flash, max IOPS |
| 12+12 Universal | 12x 2.5" SAS + 12x 2.5" NVMe | — | — | 24 | Tiered storage (NVMe cache + SAS data) |
| 12x3.5" LFF | 12x 3.5" SAS/SATA | 4x 3.5" | 2x 3.5" or 4x 2.5" | Up to 18 | Bulk capacity, nearline, archival |
All drives are hot-swappable. GPU support is available only on the 24x 2.5-inch non-NVMe chassis — mid-bay and rear-bay configurations typically preclude GPU installation due to riser space conflicts.
Every R740xd at Enterasource is configured to order. Select your chassis, processors, memory, drives, RAID controller, and networking, then our team assembles, tests, and ships your server with a 2-year warranty and free ground shipping to the lower 48 states.
Dell R740xd vs R740 — When to Choose Extended Storage
Both are 14th Generation 2U servers sharing the same processor, memory, iDRAC9, and RAID platform. The difference is storage capacity and GPU tradeoffs.
| Feature | R740xd | R740 |
|---|---|---|
| Max Front Drive Bays | 24x 2.5" or 12x 3.5" | 16x 2.5" or 8x 3.5" |
| Mid-Bay Drives | Up to 4x 3.5" or 4x 2.5" | None |
| Rear Drive Bays | Up to 2x 3.5" or 4x 2.5" | None |
| Total Max Drives | 32 (2.5") or 18 (3.5") | 16 (2.5") or 8 (3.5") |
| Max Raw Capacity | 184+ TB | 96 TB (3.5") or 61 TB (2.5") |
| Universal Slots | 12 (NVMe/SAS/SATA mixed) | None |
| GPU Support | 24x 2.5" non-NVMe chassis only | All chassis configurations |
| GPU + Mid/Rear Drives | Cannot have both | N/A |
| Processors | Same | Same |
| DIMM Slots / Max RAM | Same (24 / 3 TB) | Same (24 / 3 TB) |
| PCIe Slots | Up to 8 (reduced in some configs) | Up to 8 |
Choose the R740xd when storage capacity is the primary requirement — software-defined storage, data lakes, backup targets, and workloads needing more than 16 drive bays. The universal slots enable NVMe + SAS mixed tiering in a single chassis.
Choose the R740 when you need balanced compute, storage, and GPU expandability — virtualization with GPU passthrough, VDI, AI inference, and general-purpose workloads where 16 drive bays is sufficient and full GPU support in all chassis configurations is required.
R740xd for Software-Defined Storage
The R740xd is Dell's 14th Gen platform of choice for software-defined storage deployments that require high drive counts and mixed storage tiers.
Ceph: The R740xd's universal slots enable the ideal Ceph architecture in a single chassis. Use 12 NVMe drives in universal slots for the OSD journal/WAL tier and 12 SAS drives for the OSD data tier. With up to 32 drives, 3 TB RAM, and dual Xeon Scalable processors per node, each R740xd provides dense Ceph storage capacity.
VMware vSAN: Dell certified the R740xd as a vSAN Ready Node. Universal slots support NVMe cache tier + SAS/SATA capacity tier in one server. All-flash vSAN configurations use the 24x NVMe chassis for maximum IOPS.
Dell VxFlex (ScaleIO): The R740xd is part of the VxFlex Ready Node program, supporting hyper-converged, storage-only, and compute-only node types with automated lifecycle management.
Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct (S2D): The mixed NVMe + SAS configuration maps directly to S2D's tiered storage model — NVMe for cache, SAS for capacity.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many drive bays does the Dell R740xd have?
The R740xd supports up to 32 total drives in a 2U chassis: 24 front 2.5-inch bays + 4 mid-bay 2.5-inch + 4 rear 2.5-inch. In 3.5-inch configurations, it supports up to 18 drives: 12 front + 4 mid-bay + 2 rear. Twelve of the 24 front 2.5-inch bays can be universal slots supporting SAS, SATA, or NVMe interchangeably.
What is the difference between the Dell R740 and R740xd?
Both are 14th Gen 2U servers with the same processors, memory, and management. The R740 supports up to 16x 2.5-inch or 8x 3.5-inch front drives with no mid/rear bays but full GPU support in all configurations. The R740xd extends storage to up to 24x 2.5-inch or 12x 3.5-inch front drives plus mid-bay and rear options for up to 32 total drives, with universal NVMe/SAS slots for tiered storage. GPU support on the R740xd requires the 24x 2.5-inch non-NVMe chassis.
What is the difference between the R740xd and R740xd2?
The R740xd supports up to 24x 2.5-inch or 12x 3.5-inch front drives. The R740xd2 is a separate model optimized for maximum 3.5-inch capacity — it supports up to 24x 3.5-inch front drives in a 2U chassis, nearly doubling the 3.5-inch drive count. Choose the R740xd for mixed 2.5-inch/NVMe storage. Choose the R740xd2 for extreme bulk storage and archival requiring maximum 3.5-inch density.
Is the Dell R740xd good for Ceph?
Yes. The R740xd is well-suited for Ceph deployments. Its universal slot support allows mixed NVMe + SAS configurations for Ceph's tiered storage architecture — NVMe drives for the OSD journal/WAL tier and SAS drives for the OSD data tier in a single chassis. With up to 32 drives, 3 TB RAM, and dual Xeon Scalable processors per node, the R740xd provides dense, cost-effective Ceph storage nodes.
What generation is the Dell R740xd?
The Dell PowerEdge R740xd is a 14th Generation (14G) server using 1st and 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors. The 13th Gen predecessor is the R730xd. The 15th Gen storage-oriented successor is the R750, which consolidates R740 and R740xd into one platform with up to 24 front bays.
Is the Dell R740xd compatible with VMware ESXi?
Yes. The R740xd is on the VMware Hardware Compatibility List and supports ESXi 6.0, 6.5, 6.7, and 7.0. Dell certified the R740xd as a vSAN Ready Node. It includes Intel VT-x and VT-d for hardware-assisted virtualization, Dell Fault Resilient Memory mode for ESXi kernel protection, and BOSS card for dedicated hypervisor boot. Also compatible with Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix Hypervisor, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, Canonical Ubuntu Server, and Proxmox VE.
How much does a refurbished Dell R740xd cost?
Pricing for a refurbished Dell PowerEdge R740xd depends on the chassis configuration, processor selection, memory capacity, drive count, and storage type (SAS, SATA, or NVMe). Use the configurator on this page to select your components and request a quote. Enterasource builds every R740xd to order with a 2-year warranty and free ground shipping to the lower 48 states.
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