DELL PowerEdge R940 3U rack server 4× Xeon Gold 5120 2.2GHz 14-core 256GB DDR4 8× 800GB SSD

Four-socket 3U rack server

The Dell PowerEdge R940 is a 3U rack server built around four Intel Xeon Gold 5120 processors, each running at 2.2 GHz with 14 cores. It ships with 256 GB of DDR4 registered ECC memory across eight 32 GB modules and a Dell PERC H730P storage controller with battery-backed cache. Eight 800 GB SATA SSDs occupy the 2.5-inch drive bays, while an Intel X520/I350 daughter card provides two 1 GbE and two 10 Gb SFP+ ports. Dual 1600 W platinum power supplies, iDRAC9 Enterprise, rails and a front bezel complete the configuration.

Suits dense compute workloads

This platform suits organisations running memory-intensive databases, virtualisation hosts or analytics clusters that benefit from 56 total cores and a 6 TB maximum memory ceiling. The four-socket design and 48 DIMM slots allow substantial vertical scaling within a single 3U chassis. Buyers who need GPU acceleration, a smaller 1U or 2U form factor, or a single-socket server with lower power draw should evaluate alternative platforms.

56 cores and 6 TB memory limit

The decisive specification is the combination of four 14-core Xeon Gold 5120 CPUs delivering 56 threads and a 6 TB DDR4 memory capacity across 48 slots. This core count and memory ceiling determine whether the server can handle the intended workload density without requiring a larger cluster.