Dell
Dell PowerEdge R740 384GB RAM 8X 400GB SSD (Renewed)
Eight 400GB SSDs behind the H730P cache-backed RAID controller give this renewed R740 the low-latency storage throughput that spinning-disk server configurations fundamentally cannot deliver.
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Overview
Unleash Efficiency with the Dell PowerEdge R740 Server
The Dell PowerEdge R740 server delivers exceptional performance and scalability for demanding applications. Configured with high-performance components and reliable storage, this server is perfect for businesses needing a robust solution for virtualization, databases, or high-traffic websites.
Specifications:
- Brand: Dell
- Model: PowerEdge R740
- Form Factor: 8 x 2.5 Hot Plug
- Processor: Silver 4110 Eight Core 2.1Ghz
- Memory: 384GB RAM
- Storage: 8X 400GB SSD
- Raid Controller: H730P
- Condition: Renewed
Pros & Cons
👍 Pros
- H730P controller's 2GB battery-backed write cache provides both a write performance buffer and data integrity protection absent in H330-equipped configurations.
- 8x 400GB SSD storage array delivers IOPS and latency characteristics that spinning-disk configurations cannot approach, directly reducing database query times and VM storage wait.
- Silver 4110's Skylake-SP architecture includes AVX-512 instruction support, enabling hardware-accelerated execution of compression, encryption, and scientific compute workloads.
- 384GB DDR4 ECC RAM covers medium-scale virtualization density with 24 DIMM slots available for future expansion to the platform's 3TB maximum.
- 2U hot-plug 2.5-inch bay configuration in the R740 chassis supports higher drive density per rack unit than 3.5-inch large-form-factor designs.
👎 Cons
- Single Silver 4110 processor (8 cores / 16 threads) is the throughput ceiling — the R740 is a dual-socket platform, and a single-CPU configuration leaves the second socket's PCIe lanes, memory channels, and core count unused.
- 400GB per SSD yields 3.2TB raw capacity — adequate for OS and application data but constrained for large dataset storage without supplemental NAS or SAN.
- Silver 4110 at 2.1GHz base clock is not a high-frequency chip; workloads with low thread count and high single-core dependency will expose this ceiling.
- Renewed condition means SSD write endurance history is unknown — enterprise SSDs have finite TBW ratings and used units may have consumed a substantial portion of that budget.
- No GPU configured in the base spec; GPU-dependent workloads require additional hardware investment and potentially a chassis power budget review.
Frequently Asked Questions
What processor is in the R740 384GB configuration and what workloads is it optimized for?
The Intel Xeon Silver 4110 is a Skylake-SP 8-core processor running at 2.1GHz base with Turbo to 3.0GHz. The Skylake-SP architecture adds AVX-512 support over the prior Broadwell-EP generation, which benefits scientific computing, compression workloads, and certain database operations that can leverage 512-bit vector instructions.
What throughput does the 8x 400GB SSD array deliver under the H730P controller?
The H730P controller includes a 2GB DRAM write cache with battery backup, which absorbs burst write I/O and smooths latency spikes. In a RAID 10 configuration across 8 SSDs, expect aggregate sequential read throughput in the 2–4GB/s range and significantly better random IOPS than any 7.2K or 10K spinning-disk alternative. The actual ceiling depends on the SSD interface (SAS vs SATA) and whether the drives are enterprise-grade.
How does 384GB of RAM in this R740 compare to the minimum for large-scale virtualization?
384GB is sufficient for medium-to-large VMware or Hyper-V clusters hosting 20–40 VMs with 8–16GB allocations each. It is below the 768GB+ range needed for large in-memory database deployments, but the R740 platform supports up to 3TB RAM across 24 DIMM slots, leaving substantial upgrade headroom if workloads scale.
What is the difference between the H730P in this unit versus the H330 in lower-spec R730/R740 configurations?
The H730P includes a 2GB NVRAM write cache backed by a supercapacitor or battery unit, which the H330 lacks entirely. This cache absorbs write bursts and prevents data loss on unclean shutdown. For database and virtualization workloads, the H730P delivers materially better sustained write performance and data integrity guarantees than the entry-tier H330.
What does "Renewed" mean for this server and what should I verify before purchasing?
Renewed indicates third-party refurbishment and testing — not a Dell factory recertification. The warranty terms, testing depth, and component replacement practices vary by reseller. Verify remaining SSD drive health (percentage of rated write endurance consumed), iDRAC access for hardware health logs, and the specific warranty coverage before deployment in production.
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