DELL PowerEdge R730XD 2U rack server 2x E5-2630v3 2.4GHz 64GB DDR4 H730

Purpose-built storage density

The Dell PowerEdge R730XD is a 2U rack server designed to hold up to 12 x 3.5" hot-plug SAS or SATA drives, delivering up to 52TB of raw capacity behind a single Dell Perc H730 RAID controller that supports RAID 0/1/5/6/10/50/60. It ships with two Intel Xeon E5-2630v3 eight-core processors running at 2.4GHz, 64GB of DDR4 memory across 24 DIMM slots, and dual 750W redundant power supplies, making it a compact platform for archive, backup or software-defined storage workloads. No operating system or drive trays are included.

Fit and alternatives

This server suits teams that need maximum 3.5-inch bay count in a 2U form factor and can work within the 64GB memory ceiling of the installed CPUs. Buyers who require more than 64GB of RAM, more than six PCIe 3.0 expansion slots, or native 10GbE networking without adding a daughter card should evaluate other platforms. The Matrox G200 graphics and single DVD-ROM drive limit its use for graphical or media-rich applications.

Deciding specification

The single specification that determines suitability is the 12-bay 3.5-inch hot-plug chassis combined with the H730 controller’s 12Gbps SAS/SATA support; if the workload demands that exact bay count and RAID feature set in 2U, this model matches, otherwise a different chassis or controller tier will be required.