DELL PowerEdge R730 2U rack server 2x Xeon E5-2660 v3 2.6GHz 10-core 64GB DDR4 8x 1.2TB SAS H730

Purpose-built 2U server

The Dell PowerEdge R730 is a 2U rack-mount server designed for midsize and large enterprises running virtualised workloads, databases or high-performance computing nodes. Dual Intel Xeon E5-2660 v3 processors deliver twenty cores at 2.6 GHz with 3.3 GHz turbo, while 64 GB of DDR4 registered ECC memory and eight 1.2 TB 10K SAS drives provide capacity and throughput for demanding applications. The PERC H730 controller supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50 and 60.

Fit and alternatives

This configuration suits IT teams that need dense compute and redundant power in a standard rack footprint, with quad-port 1 GbE and 10 Gb SFP+ networking plus iDRAC8 Enterprise for remote management. Buyers who require more than 1.5 TB of memory, additional processor sockets beyond the two installed, or storage interfaces other than SAS and SATA should evaluate different platforms. The 24 DIMM slots and eight 2.5-inch drive bays define the internal expansion ceiling.

Deciding specification

The PERC H730 1 GB RAID controller with battery-backed cache determines which drive types and RAID modes are available, making it the single component that confirms whether this server matches the storage architecture. With support for SAS and SATA drives across multiple RAID levels and pass-through mode, the controller dictates both data protection options and maximum drive count. Verify that the required RAID topology and drive protocol align with this controller before purchase.