DELL PowerEdge R540 2U 8x3.5" 2x Xeon Gold 5118 2.3GHz 12C 256GB DDR4 H740P
A 2U rack server with dual 12‑core Xeon Gold 5118 CPUs, 256GB DDR4 ECC memory and a PERC H740P RAID controller supporting eight 3.5″ drive bays
- ProcessorIntel Xeon
- Installed RAM256 GB
- Installed SSDNo
- Processor core count12-Core Processor
- Operating systemNo
- Processor socketLGA 3647
- Dual 12-core Xeon Gold 5118 CPUs at 2.3 GHz base and 3.2 GHz turbo
- 256 GB DDR4 2666 MHz registered ECC memory across 16 slots, expandable to 384 GB
- PERC H740P 8 GB RAID controller supports RAID 0/1/5/6/10/50/60
- Eight 3.5-inch SAS/SATA drive bays with hot-swap trays, drives not included
- iDRAC9 Enterprise remote management plus dual 750 W platinum redundant power supplies
Dual Xeon 2U Server for Virtualisation and Databases
The Dell PowerEdge R540 is a 2U rack server built around two Intel Xeon Gold 5118 processors. Each CPU provides twelve cores at 2.3 GHz with a 3.2 GHz turbo frequency. The system ships with 256 GB of DDR4 registered ECC memory across sixteen slots, expandable to 384 GB. A PERC H740P controller with 8 GB cache manages up to eight 3.5-inch SATA or SAS drives in multiple RAID modes.
Suited for Virtualisation Hosts
This configuration targets organisations running hypervisors, database engines or file services that benefit from high core counts and large memory capacity. The eight drive bays and hardware RAID controller support redundant arrays for uptime-critical data. Buyers needing more than two processors or memory beyond 384 GB should evaluate larger platforms, as the R540 maxes out at two sockets and the stated memory ceiling.
Eight 3.5-Inch Bays with Hardware RAID Controller
The chassis provides eight hot-swap trays for 3.5-inch SATA or SAS drives and includes the PERC H740P RAID card supporting RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50 and 60 plus pass-through. No drives are installed, so buyers must supply their own media. This bay count and controller combination determines whether the server fits a given storage footprint.
How it compares
Measured against everything we stock in Rack & Tower Servers, at today’s prices. Recalculated every night.
- Price $1,603.99
- Cheaper than about 57% of the 17,641 comparable items (median $1,910.99).
- Installed RAM 256 GB
- Higher than about 60% of the 15,103 comparable items (median 128 GB).
- Processor core count 12-Core Processor
- Lower than about 60% of the 7,955 comparable items (median 16).
New to this? Buying server hardware with crypto — what to check, what it costs to pay, and what is never asked for.
Specifications
| Product | |
|---|---|
| Brand name | DELL |
| Product line | PowerEdge R740 |
| Model name | R540 |
| Product type | Rack |
| Processor | |
| Processor | Intel Xeon |
| Processor core count | 12-Core Processor |
| Processor socket | LGA 3647 |
| Processor speed | 2.3 GHz |
| Installed CPUs | 2 |
| Max supported CPUs | 2 |
| Memory | |
| Installed RAM | 256 GB |
| Maximum RAM capacity | 384 GB |
| Memory slot count | 16 |
| Storage | |
| Installed SSD | No |
| Installed storage | None |
| Disk controller | Dell Perc H740P 8 GB Controller |
| Drive interface | SATA/SAS |
| Supported RAID levels | RAID 0/1/5/6/10/50/60 |
| Optical drive | 0 |
| Connectivity | |
| Network controller | Integrated Dell 2 × 1GbE Dual Port Ethernet Adapter |
| Ports & slots | |
| Network ports | 2 x Ports |
| Expansion card slots | 0 |
| Management interface | 0 |
| Power | |
| Hot-swap redundant PSU | Yes |
| Size & build | |
| Rack height | 2U |
| Software | |
| Operating system | No |
Questions about this item
Will the included Ready Rails fit a standard 4-post rack for this 2U chassis?
The supplied Ready Rails are designed for the PowerEdge R540 2U form factor and mount in a standard 4-post rack; verify your rack depth before installation.
What is the correct order for seating the two Xeon Gold 5118 processors and the 8x 32GB DDR4 modules during first build?
Install both Xeon Gold 5118 CPUs into the LGA 3647 sockets first, then populate the 16 DDR4 slots with the eight 32GB registered ECC modules following the silkscreen channel guide.
When should the PERC H740P 8GB controller battery be replaced?
The H740P 8GB controller uses a replaceable battery-backed cache; plan to swap the battery module every 3-5 years or when iDRAC9 Enterprise reports a degraded battery status.
More in Rack & Tower Servers
Similar items
HPE ProLiant ML350 Gen10 8SFF rack server 2x Xeon Silver 4214R 64GB DDR4
- Xeon
- 2.4 GHz
Lenovo ThinkSystem ST650 V3 Tower Server Xeon Silver 4410Y 32GB 7D7A1007NA
- Workstation
- Tower
HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 2x Xeon Gold 6148 256GB DDR4 rack server
- Xeon
- 2.4 GHz
AVGPC 2U 24-Bay 2x Xeon 4310 128GB DDR4 1TB NVME 2x 8TB SSD
- 128 GB
- 1 TB
HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen9 8SFF 2× Xeon E5-2680v4 384GB DDR4
- Xeon
- 2.4 GHz





