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PowerEdge Product Group
Direct from
Development
© 2017 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved. Dell, EMC and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. Other trademarks may be trademarks of
their respective owners.
PowerEdge R740 Family of Servers
Tech Note by:
Tad Walsh
SUMMARY
The PowerEdge R740 rack
server family is comprised of
three members: R740, R740xd,
and R740xd2.
This tech note compares and
contrasts these three servers,
giving an overview of their
technical specifications and
capabilities, and calling out key
workloads for which they are
optimized.
Servers, optimized
Designing servers optimized for purpose and workload is part of the PowerEdge
design process. A highly-adaptable server like the PowerEdge R740 provides
extensive configuration flexibility, allowing it to be tailored to the specific
demands of a wide range of workloads. Yet even more differentiated designs in
the same 2-socket space are needed to meet the emerging demands of highly
data-intensive workloads. Thus we see additional servers (the PowerEdge
R740xd and R740xd2) in the same general space, in order to provide peak
capabilities for those data-abundant use cases.
PowerEdge R740
The PowerEdge R740 is a 2u rack server providing a balanced architectural
design for driving peak 2-socket performance and cost-efficient operation. It
supports up to two processors from the broad range of offerings in the Intel
Xeon Scalable Processor family; 24 DIMM slots for RDIMMs/LRDIMMs or
alternatively for up to 12 NVDIMMs; and up to eight PCIe Gen 3 I/O slots (one
of which will be taken by the PERC adapter). Large, front-accessible storage
capacity is provided by up to 16 x 2.5” SAS or SATA (HDD/SSD) drives, or up
to 8 x 3.5” SAS or SATA HDD. Furthermore, the innovative PowerEdge Boot
Optimized Storage Subsystem (BOSS) in the R740 offers up to two M.2 SSD’s
for the segregation of operating system from data.
The R740 offers broad configuration flexibility, allowing it to be tailored for the
requirements of a wide range of workloads and applications including OLTP,
Decision Support, XaaS, web tech, server virtualization, desktop virtualization
(VDI), and HPC. For users needing to drive application performance beyond
the 2-socket range, the R740 also supports numerous GPU and FPGA options,
enabling users to stay at the forefront of emerging application areas such as
ML/DL, AI, and business-oriented HPC.
In the realm of high availability features, the R740 offers multiple hot-plug power
supplies for full redundancy, and these power supplies can be chosen from a
range of wattages, allowing users to choose the appropriate type of power
supply based on the needs of their workloads and server configuration. Cooling
comes from up to six fully-redundant hot-plug fans.
Image 1: PowerEdge R740 (left) and PowerEdge R740xd (right). Yes, they look the same from
the outside.
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PowerEdge R740xd
The PowerEdge R740xd is a workload-optimized variant of the R740, where the “xd” stands for “extreme density” and
the meaning is “extreme internal storage density in a rack server”. Thus, the R740xd is a differentiated platform
excellent for data-heavy workloads like Software Defined Storage (SDS), Big Data (Hadoop, Data Analytics, etc.) and
various data-intensive HPC workloads. The R740xd offers similar processor and memory support as the R740, but
internal storage is considerably more in the R740xd: Up to 50% more front-accessible drives, either up to 24 x 2.5”
SAS or SATA (HDD/SSD) drives (vs. 16 in the R740), or up to 12 x 3.5” SAS or SATA HDD (vs. 8 in the R740). The
R740xd also offers NVMe SSD storage options, as well as mid-bay and rear-bay storage possibilities, as listed in its
Spec Sheet.
Similar to the R740, the R740xd also supports GPU and FPGA options for workload acceleration. Also like the R740,
the R740xd supports BOSS as well as hot-plug and fully redundant power supplies and fans. Systems management
for the R740xd is accomplished with Dell EMC OpenManage systems management solutions and/or integrated
solutions from partners, the same as for the R740 discussed above and the R740xd2 discussed below.
R740xd2
The PowerEdge R740xd2, as the nomenclature implies, is a variant of the R740xd, offering even greater internal
storage density, along with enhanced access to the additional internal storage drives. In an expandable chassis
(shown in Image 2 below), the R740xd2 supports up to 24 front-accessible 3.5” SAS/SATA HDD, or up to 16 x 3.5”
SAS/SATA HDD plus up to 8 x 2.5” SAS SSD. The chassis can be expanded as shown in the image while mounted in
a server rack, for ease of access and serviceability. Two additional drive bays are accessible from the rear of the
chassis, supporting up to 2 x 3.5” SAS/SATA HDD or up to 2 x 2.5” SAS SSD. Thus, the R740xd2 supports up to 26
drives (up to 24 front-accessible and up to 2 rear-accessible), plus an additional two M.2 BOSS SSD’s for operating
system segregation.
Image 2: PowerEdge R740xd2 showing chassis expanded for easy access to and serviceability of all drive bays.
Note also in the rear section that the fans are arranged horizontally across the breadth of the chassis, for smooth
airflow and highly efficient cooling.
The R740xd2 provides 16 DIMM slots for DDR4 RDIMMs, in contrast to both the R740 and R740xd which each
provide 24 memory slots. Thus, one can say that for achieving peak performance for computational workloads,
especially where avoiding becoming memory-bound is a concern, users should lean toward the R740 or R740xd. The
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R740xd2 is best positioned and used as an enterprise content server for data-abundant workloads. These workloads
include those involving unstructured data (Hadoop; Data Analytics); media retention and streaming; and Mail &
Messaging. For example, the R740xd2 can hold up to 500,000 hours of HD video content, making it a platform of
choice for video surveillance or online education. The R740xd2 is also excellent for Mail & Messaging, able to scale
up to 50,000 Microsoft Exchange 10GB mailboxes in a single 2u chassis.
Multi-Vector Cooling
Given that higher performance components and denser configurations can create challenges for server cooling,
PowerEdge Engineering developed Multi-Vector Cooling, which brings an innovative, new approach to server thermal
control. Implementing custom-designed heat sinks and fans, combined with sophisticated system layout and fan zone
mapping, Multi-Vector Cooling increases airflow and cooling through the chassis of PowerEdge 14G enterprise servers
including the R740 family. Multi-Vector Cooling optimizes fan operation in response to a range of parameters including
thermal state, fan power, airflow consumption, and acoustics. In addition, a new PCIe airflow customization capability
enables users to specify delivery of airflow to each PCIe slot. Links to more information about PowerEdge Multi-Vector
Cooling are available in the Notes section at the end of this tech note.
Built-in Security
To protect, detect and recover from cyber attacks, security is built into the PowerEdge server design (not bolted on
after the fact). The importance of server security can’t be overstated: cyber intrusions and attacks can result is
system and business downtime, last revenue, lost customers, corrupted data, the inability to comply with government
regulations for data protection, and damaged corporate reputation.
While much cybersecurity concern focuses on protecting the OS and applications, PowerEdge Engineering goes extra
miles to address the underlying server infrastructure including hardware and firmware. The Security Development
Lifecycle (SDL) model makes security an integral part of the PowerEdge server design process. This results in
innovative silicon-based security and cryptographic capabilities including Hardware Root of Trust; Secure Boot; Signed
Firmware Updates; Configuration and Firmware Drift Detection; and System Lockdown. Interested readers can find
more information about PowerEdge built-in security in the tech notes Security in Server Design, and Cyber-Resiliency
in Chipset and BIOS.
R740
R740xd R740xd2
Target
Workloads
Application performance and
acceleration:
Virtualization, cloud apps,
Web tech, HPC, XaaS
Application acceleration and
storage scalability:
SDS, service providers, big
data servers
Mid-to-large-scale data-intensive
workloads:
Media Streaming (Video Surveillance,
CDN) Exchange, SDS(S2D)
Processors
Intel Xeon Scalable processors – 28 cores (205W) per socket
Intel Xeon Scalable processors – 22
cores (140W) per socket
Memory
DDR4: Up to 24 x DDR4 Slots, RDIMMS/ LRDIMMS (3TB); up
to 12 NVDIMMs
16 DIMMs=512GB
Storage
16 x 2.5” or 8 x 3.5”
(max total 122.88TB for 2.5”
or 112TB for 3.5”)
24 x 2.5” or 12 x 3.5” either
SSD, HDD, or NVMe
max 184.32TB
4 x 3.5” or 2.5” 56TB
2 x 3.5 or 4 x 2.5” max
30.72TB
(max total 245.76TB for 2.5”
or 252TB for 3.5”)
Front drive bays: Up to 24 x 3.5” SAS/
SATA (HDD) max 336TB, or up 16 x
3.5” SAS/SATA (HDD) plus up to 8 x
2.5” SAS (SSD) max 285.44TB
Rear drive bays: Up to 2 x 3.5” SAS
SATA (HDD) max 28TB or up to 2 x
2.5” SAS (SSD) drives max 15.36TB
(max total 364TB for 26 3.5” or
313.44TB for hybrid configuration)
GPU
Up to three 300W GPU or up to six 150W GPU, or up to 4
FPGA
N/A
PCIe slots 8 8
5
Form factor
2U
2U
2U
Table 1: PowerEdge R740 family - Key features and targeted workloads
© 2017 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved. Dell, EMC and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries
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Conclusion
All 2-socket 2u rack servers are not the same. The three members of the PowerEdge R700 family provide users with
choice, allowing them to select the most appropriate IT resources for their key enterprise workloads. The powerful and
reliable R740 delivers peak 2-socket performance and features broad configuration flexibility, allowing it to be tailored
to the requirements of a wide range of workloads and applications. The R740xd is a workload-optimized variant of the
R740 and is excellent for data-heavy workloads and various data-intensive HPC workloads. The R740xd2 is best
positioned and used as an enterprise content server for data-abundant workloads. All of these servers deliver
PowerEdge Engineering differentiators including BOSS, Multi-Vector Cooling, built-in security, and simplified,
comprehensive systems management.
For further information:
Spec Sheets:
• PowerEdge R740 Spec Sheet: https://www.emc.com/collateral/software/data-sheet/poweredge-r740-spec-sheet.pdf
• PowerEdge R740xd Spec Sheet: https://i.dell.com/sites/csdocuments/Shared-Content_data-
Sheets_Documents/en/poweredge-r740xd-spec-sheet.pdf
• PowerEdge R740xd2 Spec Sheet: https://i.dell.com/sites/csdocuments/Product_Docs/en/poweredge-r740xd2-spec-
sheet.pdf
Tech notes:
• PowerEdge R740 Accelerates Microsoft SQL Server Performance https://downloads.dell.com/solutions/servers-solution-
resources/DfD%20-%20PowerEdge%20R740%20Accelerates%20Microsoft%20SQL%20Server%20Performance%20.pdf
• PowerEdge R740 SQL Server Performance with NV-DIMMs
https://www.dellemc.com/en-us/collaterals/unauth/briefshandouts/products/servers/direct_from_development_poweredge_r740_sql_server_performance_with_nvdimms.pdf
• PowerEdge R740xd2 for Video Surveillance
https://www.emc.com/en-us/collaterals/auth/briefshandouts/products/servers/poweredge_r740xd2_for_video_surveillance.pdf
• Security in Server Design
https://www.dellemc.com/resources/en-us/asset/briefshandouts/products/servers/direct_from_development_security_in_server_design.pdf
• Cyber-Resiliency at the Chipset and BIOS
https://downloads.dell.com/solutions/servers-solution-resources/Direct%20from%20Development%20-%20CyberResiliency%20In%20Chipset%20and%20BIOS.pdf
Tech talk videos:
• PowerEdge R740/R740xd tech talk video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdq4GLIqNKc&feature=youtu.be
• PowerEdge R740xd product video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COIk2GNnr2U
• PowerEdge R740xd2 tech talk video: https://youtu.be/_0pzlO5Lq2Y
© 2017 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved. Dell, EMC and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries
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