DELL PowerEdge R740 2U rack server 2× Xeon Gold 6148 20-core 2.4 GHz 64 GB DDR4 8× 600 GB SAS H730P

Dual-socket 2U rack server

The Dell PowerEdge R740 is a 2U rack server equipped with two Intel Xeon Gold 6148 processors, each running at 2.4 GHz with 20 cores and a 3.7 GHz turbo frequency. It ships with 64 GB of DDR4 2666 MHz registered ECC memory across four 16 GB modules. The system includes a PERC H730P 2 GB SAS/SATA RAID controller with battery backup and eight 600 GB 10K SAS 2.5-inch drives. A quad-port network daughter card provides two 1 GbE and two 10 Gb SFP+ connections, while iDRAC9 Enterprise enables remote management.

Upgrade from single-socket or older 2U platforms

This configuration replaces single-socket servers or earlier 2U systems that lack the core count, memory bandwidth or PCIe lane capacity needed for virtualization clusters, database workloads or GPU-accelerated tasks. The jump is worth it when workloads demand up to 40 total cores, support for up to 3 TB of DDR4 across 24 DIMM slots, or the ability to add accelerator cards in a 2U footprint. The H730P controller supports RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50 and 60 plus pass-through mode for flexible storage topologies.

Verify rack depth, power

Confirm your rack can accommodate a 2U chassis with sliding rails and that your PDUs deliver sufficient capacity for dual 750 W platinum power supplies. Ensure you have SFP+ transceivers and cabling for the 10 Gb ports if you plan to use them. The system maxes out at two processors, so no further CPU expansion is possible beyond the installed pair. Memory upgrades require DDR4 registered ECC modules compatible with the Intel C620 chipset.