DELL PowerEdge R730xd 2U Rack Server 2x Xeon E5-2699 v4 2.2GHz 22-Core 128GB DDR4 24x 300GB SAS H730

Dense 2U compute and storage node

The Dell PowerEdge R730xd packs two Xeon E5-2699 v4 processors, each running at 2.2 GHz with 22 cores, into a 2U rack chassis. 128 GB of DDR4 registered ECC memory is installed across eight 16 GB modules. Twenty-four front-accessible 2.5-inch bays hold 300 GB 10K SAS drives managed by a PERC H730 controller with 1 GB cache. Dual 750 W platinum power supplies and iDRAC8 Enterprise remote management complete the package.

Suits workloads that need high core counts

Virtualisation hosts, database nodes and HPC data tiers benefit from the 44 total cores and the 24-bay SAS layout. The quad-port X520/I350 daughter card provides two 1 GbE and two 10 Gb SFP+ links for cluster traffic. Buyers who need solid-state latency or larger single-drive capacity should evaluate other platforms. The system maxes at two processors and 1.5 TB of memory, so heavier scale-up demands will require a different chassis.

24-bay 2.5-inch SAS backplane with H730 RAID

The defining constraint is the 24-bay 2.5-inch SAS backplane paired with the PERC H730 controller supporting RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50 and 60. Only 2.5-inch SAS or SATA drives fit the front bays and the installed 300 GB 10K spindles occupy every slot. Expansion beyond 24 drives needs external enclosures. Match your drive-type and capacity plan to this bay count before purchase.