Description

The Dell PowerEdge R740 is a versatile 2U, two-socket rack server engineered for organizations that require a combination of high processing performance, large memory capacity, extensive storage options, and expansion flexibility.

Powered by the Intel Xeon Scalable processor family, the R740 can be configured with two processors and is designed to handle resource-intensive enterprise workloads. Its 2U chassis provides significantly more internal expansion space than Dell’s 1U platforms, making it particularly suitable for configurations requiring multiple storage drives, PCIe cards, or accelerator hardware.

The R740 is an excellent choice for virtualization, databases, HPC, AI/analytics, software-defined storage, VDI, cloud infrastructure, and business-critical applications.

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Key Features

• Brand: Dell
• Model: PowerEdge R740
• Form Factor: 2U Rack Server
• CPU Sockets: 2
• Processor: Up to 2 × Intel Xeon Scalable processors
• Memory: DDR4 ECC RDIMM/LRDIMM
• Memory Slots: 24 × DIMM
• Maximum Memory: Up to 3TB
• Memory Speed: Up to 2933 MT/s, configuration dependent
• Storage: SAS / SATA / SSD / NVMe
• Drive Options: Up to 16 × 2.5-inch or up to 8 × 3.5-inch drives, configuration dependent
• RAID: Dell PERC H330, H730P, H740P, HBA330 and other supported controllers
• Boot Storage: BOSS, configuration dependent
• Expansion: PCIe Gen 3
• Networking: 1GbE / 10GbE / 25GbE and other adapter options
• GPU Support: Supported GPU configurations
• Remote Management: iDRAC9 with Lifecycle Controller
• Security: Secure Boot, TPM and Dell hardware security features
• Power: Redundant hot-plug power supplies
• Primary Applications: Virtualization, Databases, HPC, AI/Analytics, VDI & Enterprise Applications

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Intel Xeon Scalable Processing

The R740 supports up to two Intel Xeon Scalable processors.

Depending on the generation and specific configuration, supported processors can provide substantial multi-core performance for demanding enterprise applications.

The dual-socket architecture makes the R740 suitable for:

• Virtualization
• Database servers
• High-performance computing
• Enterprise applications
• VDI
• Cloud infrastructure
• Data analytics
• Software-defined storage

Organizations can select processors based on core count, clock speed, cache, and workload requirements.

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Up to 3TB DDR4 Memory

The R740 provides 24 DDR4 DIMM slots and supports up to 3TB of memory in supported configurations using appropriate high-capacity DIMMs.

Large memory configurations are ideal for:

• Virtual machine consolidation
• Large databases
• In-memory databases
• Analytics
• HPC
• VDI
• Enterprise applications

ECC memory provides enhanced data integrity and reliability for continuous server operation.

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Flexible Storage Configurations

One of the major advantages of the R740 is its broad storage flexibility.

Depending on the chassis configuration, it can support:

• 2.5-inch SAS HDD
• 2.5-inch SATA HDD
• SAS SSD
• SATA SSD
• NVMe SSD
• 3.5-inch SAS/SATA drives

Configurations can support up to 16 × 2.5-inch drives or up to 8 × 3.5-inch drives, depending on the selected chassis and backplane.

This makes the R740 suitable for both:

High-capacity storage and high-performance all-flash/NVMe environments.

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NVMe Storage

Selected R740 configurations support NVMe SSDs for workloads requiring high throughput and low latency.

NVMe is especially useful for:

• Databases
• Virtualization
• Analytics
• High-performance applications
• Transaction processing
• Software-defined storage

The number of supported NVMe drives depends on the chassis, backplane, controller and configuration.

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Dell PERC RAID

The PowerEdge R740 supports a wide range of Dell PERC RAID controllers, including configurations such as:

• PERC H330
• PERC H730P
• PERC H740P
• HBA330

RAID configurations can provide:

• Data redundancy
• Drive fault tolerance
• Storage performance optimization
• Centralized storage management
• Enterprise storage monitoring

The appropriate controller should be selected according to the storage technology and workload requirements.

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BOSS Boot Storage

Supported R740 configurations can use Dell’s Boot Optimized Storage Solution (BOSS) for dedicated operating-system storage.

Dedicated boot devices allow the primary drive bays to remain available for:

• Application data
• Database storage
• Virtualization datastores
• High-capacity storage

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PCIe Expansion

The R740 provides multiple PCIe Gen 3 expansion slots, allowing substantial flexibility for additional hardware.

Supported expansion devices can include:

• 10GbE network adapters
• 25GbE network adapters
• Fibre Channel HBAs
• SAS controllers
• Storage adapters
• GPU accelerators
• Other PCIe devices

The 2U chassis provides additional space and power capacity for expansion compared with compact 1U platforms.

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GPU and Accelerator Support

The R740 supports selected GPU and accelerator configurations, making it suitable for workloads that benefit from hardware acceleration.

Potential applications include:

• Artificial intelligence
• Machine learning
• Deep learning
• Data analytics
• Video processing
• Scientific computing
• HPC
• VDI

GPU support depends on the specific riser, power supply, cooling and chassis configuration.

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Enterprise Networking

The R740 supports a broad range of networking options.

Depending on configuration, it can support:

• 1GbE
• 10GbE
• 25GbE
• Fibre Channel
• Other PCIe-based network adapters

Multiple network interfaces can be dedicated to:

• Production
• Management
• Backup
• Storage
• Virtualization

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iDRAC9 Remote Management

The Dell Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 9 (iDRAC9) provides comprehensive remote server management.

Administrators can remotely:

• Monitor hardware health
• View system inventory
• Configure hardware
• Manage firmware
• Control server power
• Troubleshoot hardware
• Access remote console features
• Deploy operating systems
• Perform lifecycle management

Integration with Dell OpenManage tools provides centralized management for larger server deployments.

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Enterprise Security

The PowerEdge R740 includes multiple security and reliability features designed for enterprise environments.

Depending on configuration, capabilities include:

• Secure Boot
• TPM
• System Lockdown
• Secure firmware updates
• Cryptographically signed firmware
• Secure Erase
• Hardware-based security controls

These features help protect the server infrastructure and reduce the risk of unauthorized configuration or firmware changes.

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Redundant Hot-Plug Power Supplies

The R740 supports redundant hot-plug power supply configurations in several capacities.

PSU requirements depend on:

• Processor selection
• Memory configuration
• Number of drives
• PCIe cards
• GPUs/accelerators
• Networking hardware

Redundant power supplies can improve system availability by allowing a failed PSU to be replaced without shutting down the server when configured appropriately.

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2U Rack Design

The 2U chassis provides additional room for storage, expansion cards, cooling and accelerator hardware.

The R740 is therefore particularly suitable for data-center environments where higher expansion capability is more important than the minimum possible rack footprint.

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Ideal Applications

Virtualization

The R740’s dual processors, large memory capacity and flexible storage make it an excellent virtualization platform.

Database Servers

Large memory configurations and high-performance SSD/NVMe storage provide a strong foundation for database workloads.

High-Performance Computing

Multi-core Xeon processing, substantial memory and GPU support make the R740 suitable for selected HPC workloads.

AI & Analytics

Supported GPU configurations can accelerate AI, machine-learning and analytics workloads.

VDI

High CPU and memory density allows the R740 to support large virtual desktop environments.

Enterprise Applications

The R740 can host:

• ERP
• CRM
• Business applications
• File services
• Collaboration platforms
• Monitoring systems
• Backup infrastructure

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Technical Specifications

Note: Exact processor generation, CPU model, memory capacity, drive-bay configuration, NVMe support, RAID controller, PCIe risers, GPU compatibility, networking and PSU capacity depend on the specific R740 configuration/SKU.

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Key Benefits

Powerful Dual-Socket Architecture: Supports two Intel Xeon Scalable processors for demanding multi-threaded workloads.

Large Memory Capacity: Up to 3TB DDR4 memory supports large-scale virtualization, databases and analytics.

Extensive Storage Flexibility: Supports multiple SAS, SATA and NVMe configurations.

Advanced RAID: Dell PERC controllers provide enterprise-grade storage protection and management.

GPU Ready: Selected configurations support GPUs and accelerators for AI, analytics, HPC and VDI.

Strong Expansion Capability: Multiple PCIe slots provide flexibility for networking, storage and accelerator hardware.

iDRAC9 Management: Enables remote monitoring, configuration and troubleshooting.

Redundant Power: Hot-plug redundant PSUs help maintain availability.

2U Enterprise Platform: Provides substantial internal expansion while remaining suitable for standard data-center racks.

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Product Summary

The Dell PowerEdge R740 is a versatile 2U dual-socket enterprise rack server designed for organizations requiring high processing performance, large memory capacity, flexible storage, and extensive expansion capabilities.

With support for dual Intel Xeon Scalable processors, up to 3TB DDR4 memory, SAS/SATA/NVMe storage, Dell PERC RAID controllers, PCIe expansion, supported GPU accelerators, redundant hot-plug power supplies, and iDRAC9 remote management, the R740 is an excellent platform for virtualization, databases, HPC, AI/analytics, VDI, cloud infrastructure, and demanding enterprise applications.