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Dell PowerEdge R540 2U rack server, silver front bezel, eight 3.5-inch drive bays, rack rails visible

DELL

DELL PowerEdge R540 2U rack server 2× Xeon Gold 5118 2.3 GHz 12-core 256 GB DDR4 8× 4 TB SAS HBA330

SKU CH-F9KJ-4QCYZ

2U rack server with dual 12-core Xeon Gold 5118 CPUs, 256 GB DDR4 ECC memory, eight 4 TB 7.2 K SAS drives on an HBA330 controller, dual 750 W platinum PSUs and iDRAC9 Enterprise remote management

  • ProcessorIntel Xeon
  • Installed RAM256 GB
  • Installed SSDNo
  • Processor core count12-Core Processor
  • Operating systemNo
  • Type of memoryDDR4
  • Dual Xeon Gold 5118 processors provide 12 cores each at 2.3 GHz base with 3.2 GHz turbo
  • 256 GB DDR4 2666 MHz registered ECC memory across 16 slots supports up to 1 TB capacity
  • PERC HBA330 12 Gb/s SAS/SATA controller in pass-through mode manages eight drive bays
  • Eight 4 TB 7.2 K SAS 3.5" enterprise drives deliver 32 TB raw storage capacity
  • iDRAC 9 Enterprise enables remote management with dual 750 W 80+ Platinum hot-swap power supplies

Dell PowerEdge R540 2U Rack Server

The Dell PowerEdge R540 is a 2U rack server built for data-intensive workloads. It ships with dual Intel Xeon Gold 5118 processors, each offering 12 cores at 2.3 GHz with a 3.2 GHz turbo frequency. The system includes 256 GB of DDR4 2666 MHz registered ECC memory across eight 32 GB modules. Eight 3.5-inch 4 TB SAS hard drives running at 7.2K RPM provide 32 TB of raw storage capacity.

Suits Virtualization and Database Hosting

This configuration suits IT teams deploying virtualization clusters, database servers, or high-capacity file storage. The HBA330 controller operates in pass-through mode only, so buyers who need hardware RAID levels such as RAID 5 or RAID 6 should look at a PERC RAID card instead. The dual 750 W platinum power supplies and iDRAC9 Enterprise enable resilient remote management for lights-out operations.

12Gb/s SAS HBA330 Pass-Through Controller

The storage controller is a Dell PERC HBA330 providing 12 Gb/s SAS and SATA connectivity in pass-through mode. It presents each drive directly to the operating system without hardware RAID abstraction. This single specification determines whether the server fits software-defined storage stacks such as ZFS or vSAN, or whether a hardware RAID controller is required for the deployment.

How it compares

Measured against everything we stock in Rack & Tower Servers, at today’s prices. Recalculated every night.

Price $2,424.99
Pricier than about 59% 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).

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Specifications

Product
Brand nameDELL
Product linePowerEdge
Model nameR540
Product typeRack
Processor
ProcessorIntel Xeon
Processor core count12-Core Processor
Processor socketLGA 3647
Processor speed2.3 GHz
Processor detailsGold 5118
Installed CPUs2
Max supported CPUs2
Memory
Installed RAM256 GB
Type of memoryDDR4
Maximum RAM capacity1 TB
Memory slot count16
Storage
Installed SSDNo
Installed storage8 × 4 TB 7.2K SAS
Disk controllerDell Perc HBA330 Controller
Drive interfaceSAS
Supported RAID levelsNone
Connectivity
Network controller1x Dell EMC Integrated Dual Port Network Daughter Card - 2x 1 Gigabit RJ45 Ports,
Ports & slots
Network ports2 x Ports
Management interfaceRJ 45
Power
Hot-swap redundant PSUYes
Size & build
Rack height2U
Software
Operating systemNo
More details
Management controllerDell EMC 14G PowerEdge iDRAC 9 Enterprise License

Questions about this item

Should I pick this 8-bay 2U server with 256 GB DDR4 or a smaller configuration for virtualization?

This unit ships with 256 GB across eight 32 GB DDR4 modules and leaves eight DIMM slots free for expansion up to 1 TB.

What does the 3.2 GHz turbo figure mean when the server runs a steady database workload?

Each Xeon Gold 5118 can boost from 2.3 GHz to 3.2 GHz under thermal headroom, giving short bursts of extra single-thread speed before settling at base clock.

How does the HBA330 controller affect the 12 Gb/s SAS drives in daily use?

The PERC HBA330 presents the eight 7.2K SAS disks in pass-through mode, so the 12 Gb/s link speed is available but RAID functions must be handled by software or the OS.

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