🖥️ Dell R260 vs HPE DL20 Gen11 vs Lenovo SR250 V3
AI-powered analysis across 20 matched specifications
Performance Overview
Scores based on quantifiable specification values (1-10 scale)
Detailed Specifications
| Specification | Dell PowerEdge R260 Dell PowerEdge | HPE ProLiant DL20 Gen11 HPE ProLiant | ThinkSystem SR250 V3 Lenovo ThinkSystem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key Metrics | |||
| Form Factor | 1U rack, short-depth (461 mm) | 1U rack-mountable | 1U Rack Server |
| Processor Socket Count | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Max Processor Cores | 12 | 12 | 8 |
| Max Memory Capacity | 128 GB | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| Max Memory Speed | 4400 MT/s | 4400 MT/s | 4400 MHz |
| Compute | |||
| Processor | One Intel Xeon 6300 series (up to 12 cores), Xeon E-2400 series (up to 8 cores), or Pentium G7400/G7400T | Intel Xeon 6300 series (up to 12 cores, 95W) or Pentium G7400; Xeon E-2400 option kits removed as obsolete | 1× Intel Xeon E-2400 / Xeon 6300, up to 8 cores, 95W TDP |
| Max Processor Speed | -- | Up to 3.7 GHz (Pentium G7400); up to 3.6 GHz on Xeon 6300 (6349P) | -- |
| Chipset | -- | Intel C262 | -- |
| Memory | |||
| Memory | DDR5 UDIMM (Unregistered ECC) / 4 DIMM slots / 128 GB DDR5 at 4400 MT/s | DDR5 UDIMM (ECC) / 4 DIMM slots / 128 GB DDR5 at up to 4400 MT/s | Up to 128 GB TruDDR5 ECC UDIMM, up to 4400 MHz (4 DIMM slots) |
| Storage | |||
| Storage Options | Up to 2 × 3.5" SAS/SATA (max 32 TB); or 6 × 2.5" hot-plug SAS/SATA (max 46.08 TB) | 4 SFF hot-plug (6 SFF with 2SFF kit) or 2 LFF hot-plug/non-hot-plug / SAS 12G, SATA 6G, NVMe U.3 (max 2, 2SFF kit only) | Up to 8× 2.5" hot-swap SAS/SATA, or 4× 3.5" hot-swap/simple-swap; 2× M.2 SATA (adapter in a PCIe slot) |
| Boot Device | BOSS-N1: HWRAID 2 × M.2 NVMe SSDs; or internal USB 3.0 | HPE NS204i-u NVMe hot-plug boot storage device | -- |
| Networking | |||
| Network | 2 × 1GbE LOM embedded | 4-port 1GbE embedded NIC; OCP 3.0 optional | 2 × 1GbE onboard + dedicated XCC port; 10/25GbE via PCIe adapters (no OCP slot) |
| GPU / Accelerators | |||
| GPU Support | N/A | -- | -- |
| Expansion / PCIe | |||
| PCIe Slots | 2 × PCIe Gen4 (Slot 1: x8/x8 HL LP; Slot 2: x16/x8 HL LP) | PCIe Gen5 | 2× PCIe Gen4 x8 (x8 riser) or 1× PCIe Gen5 x16 (x16 riser) |
| Management | |||
| Management | iDRAC9 (Redfish API, iDRAC Direct, Quick Sync 2) | HPE iLO 6 (embedded), HPE GreenLake Compute Ops Management | Lenovo XClarity Controller 2 (XCC2), Redfish |
| Power | |||
| Power Supply | 450W Platinum (non-redundant) or 700W Titanium (non-redundant) | 290W non-redundant, or Flex Slot 500W Platinum / 800W Titanium / 1000W Titanium hot-plug (1+1 with two) | 1 or 2× 800W Platinum/Titanium hot-swap (redundant with two); 300W fixed PSU withdrawn |
| Physical / Environmental | |||
| Dimensions (H×W×D) | 42.8 × 482 × 461 mm (1.68 × 18.97 × 18.15 in) | 43.2 × 434.6 × 378.4 mm (SFF) · 43.2 × 434.6 × 382.2 mm (LFF) | 43 × 434.4 × 561 mm (H×W×D) |
| Security | |||
| Security | Silicon Root of Trust, TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, Secured Component Verification | -- | TPM 2.0, Platform Firmware Resiliency (PFR), ThinkShield |
| Software & OS Compatibility | |||
| Operating Systems | Windows Server, RHEL, SLES, Ubuntu, VMware ESXi | Windows Server, RHEL, SLES, VMware ESXi, Ubuntu | Windows Server, RHEL, SUSE, Ubuntu, VMware ESXi |
| Warranty & Support | |||
| Warranty | 3-year ProSupport (varies by configuration) | 3/3/3 (3-year parts, 3-year labour, 3-year on-site) | 1- or 3-year CRU + Onsite NBD |
Expert Analysis
These three 1U single-socket servers share a common foundation — one Intel Xeon 6300, Xeon E-2400 or Pentium processor and four DDR5 UDIMM slots holding up to 128 GB, running at up to 4400 MT/s — but diverge in their design priorities. The Dell PowerEdge R260 and HPE ProLiant DL20 Gen11 both accept the 12-core Xeon 6377P, while the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR250 V3 stops at 8 cores. Depth varies too: the DL20 Gen11 is the most compact at 37.84 cm (SFF) or 38.22 cm (LFF), the R260 is 461.14 mm deep without its bezel (426.6 mm with the cabled PSU), and the SR250 V3 is 561 mm deep.
The HPE DL20 Gen11 has the most networking out of the box, with a four-port 1GbE embedded NIC, an OCP 3.0 slot and a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, and the widest power choice: a 290 W non-redundant supply, or 500 W, 800 W and 1000 W Flex Slot units that can be paired for 1+1 redundancy. Its storage tops out at six SFF bays with the 2SFF kit (up to two NVMe U.3 drives) or two LFF bays. The Lenovo SR250 V3 has the most drive bays — eight 2.5-inch or four 3.5-inch, up to 96 TB — plus two M.2 SATA drives on an adapter in a PCIe slot, but it has no OCP slot: two 1GbE ports are onboard and faster networking needs a PCIe adapter (the riser provides either two Gen4 x8 slots or one Gen5 x16 slot). It takes one or two 800 W hot-swap supplies, redundant when two are fitted; Lenovo has withdrawn the 300 W fixed supply. The Dell R260 has two 1GbE LOM ports, two PCIe Gen4 slots, up to six 2.5-inch or two 3.5-inch drives, and a non-redundant 450 W or 700 W supply.
The choice therefore turns on priorities. The DL20 Gen11 suits shallow racks and sites that want redundant power, four onboard 1GbE ports and an OCP slot; the SR250 V3 suits entry workloads that need more drive bays and can live with 8 cores; and the R260 suits Dell iDRAC9 estates that want the 12-core option and do not need redundant power supplies.
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