The R760xd2 is Dell’s storage-optimised 2U two-socket server: twelve 3.5-inch bays at the front, twelve more in a mid-chassis drawer and four at the rear — 28 in all — for file and object storage, video capture and streaming. This page maps what Dell documents, including the compromises behind that density: 185 W processors, Gen4-only PCIe and an 837 mm chassis.
2U Rack1 or 2 sockets4th Gen Xeon Scalable5th Gen Xeon ScalableiDRAC9
Our read of Dell’s documentation: where the R760xd2 is strong, and the limits worth knowing before you spec one.
Strengths
+Twenty-four 3.5-inch bays inside 2U — twelve at the front, twelve in a mid-bay drawer — plus a rear module for four 3.5-inch SAS/SATA drives or NVMe instead (4 × 2.5-inch in carriers, 2 × U.2 or 4 × E3.S).
+Dell quotes 616 TB raw with 28 drives, and its drive list runs to 22 TB for 3.5-inch SAS and SATA.
+Rear SAS/SATA drives can join the same RAID pools as the front ones, and Dell’s controller table rates the HBA465i for 28 drives through an expander.
+A clear step from the R740xd2: DDR5 instead of DDR4, UPI at 16 GT/s instead of 10.4, five Gen4 slots instead of two Gen3, and GPU options where there were none.
+Seven supply models, the largest 1800 W, with −48 V DC and 277 VAC/HVDC variants among them.
Watch-outs
!Processors stop at 185 W, and with 3.5-inch or carrier-NVMe rear drives only 125 W and 150 W parts are supported.
!PCIe runs at Gen4 only — Dell says the system does not support Gen5 speeds, even with E3.S Gen5 drives at the rear.
!Memory speed is set by the processors: every SKU in Dell’s table runs DDR5 at 4000–4800 MT/s, whatever the DIMM rating.
!Long and heavy: 872.74 mm to the PSU handles and up to 46.3 kg fully populated, on stab-in rails that extend only partially.
!GPUs work in one layout only (Configuration 3 in Dell’s thermal tables) and at no more than 30°C; 96 GB DIMMs carry a 30°C limit too.
Processors15 SKUs
Cores / CPU8–32
DIMM slots16
Drive layouts6
Max bays28
GPUsup to 2
PSU options7 · to 1,800 W
02 — Processors
15 supported processors, mapped
Fifteen Xeon Scalable SKUs are listed: ten from the 4th Gen family, led by the 32-core 6428N, and five from 5th Gen, led by the 28-core 5512U. TDP stops at 185 W, well short of the 250 W the R760xs allows, and the list includes three N-suffix parts (6428N, 5418N, 5411N) and two U-suffix parts (5412U, 5512U). Each appears on the chart by core count and power.
Processor landscape — cores × TDP
15 SKUs · 2 families
4th Gen Xeon Scalable 105th Gen Xeon Scalable 5Bubble size = L3 cache · hover a bubble for the full SKU
Processor explorer
filter · sort · compare
Processor
Cores / threads
Base
L3 cache
TDP
W / core
Memory
Intel Xeon Gold 6428N
32 / 64
1.8 GHz
60 MB
185 W
5.8
DDR5-4800
Intel Xeon Gold 5512U
28 / 56
2.1 GHz
52.5 MB
185 W
6.6
DDR5-4800
Intel Xeon Gold 5418Y
24 / 48
2 GHz
45 MB
185 W
7.7
DDR5-4400
Intel Xeon Gold 5412U
24 / 48
2.1 GHz
45 MB
185 W
7.7
DDR5-4400
Intel Xeon Gold 5418N
24 / 48
1.8 GHz
45 MB
165 W
6.9
DDR5-4400
Intel Xeon Gold 5411N
24 / 48
1.9 GHz
45 MB
165 W
6.9
DDR5-4400
Intel Xeon Silver 4516Y+
24 / 48
2.2 GHz
45 MB
185 W
7.7
DDR5-4400
Intel Xeon Silver 4416+
20 / 40
2 GHz
38 MB
165 W
8.3
DDR5-4000
Intel Xeon Gold 6426Y
16 / 32
2.6 GHz
38 MB
185 W
11.6
DDR5-4800
Intel Xeon Gold 5416S
16 / 32
2 GHz
30 MB
150 W
9.4
DDR5-4400
Intel Xeon Silver 4514Y
16 / 32
2 GHz
30 MB
150 W
9.4
DDR5-4400
Intel Xeon Silver 4410Y
12 / 24
2 GHz
30 MB
150 W
12.5
DDR5-4000
Intel Xeon Silver 4510
12 / 24
2.4 GHz
30 MB
150 W
12.5
DDR5-4400
Intel Xeon Gold 5415+
8 / 16
2.9 GHz
23 MB
150 W
18.8
DDR5-4400
Intel Xeon Silver 4509Y
8 / 16
2.6 GHz
23 MB
125 W
15.6
DDR5-4400
Every SKU lists UPI at 16 GT/s except the 5512U, shown as N/A. Dell limits single-processor systems to Configuration 1, 2A and 2B.
The processor table’s memory-capacity column reads 4 TB for every SKU; that is not this 16-slot server’s ceiling, which the spec sheet puts at 1.5 TB.
Turbo is marked only as present, with no boost clock given.
Intel QuickAssist Technology is listed as an option.
03 — Memory
16 DIMM slots, 8 per processor
Memory is DDR5 RDIMM only: 16 slots, eight per socket, filled one DIMM per channel, reaching 1.5 TB with 96 GB modules. Dell lists modules rated at 4800, 5600 and 6400 MT/s, but its processor table puts every SKU at 4000–4800 MT/s.
Capacity with every slot filled
by DIMM size
Rated memory speed
from the processor table
Processor family
Up to
4th Gen Xeon Scalable
4800 MT/s
5th Gen Xeon Scalable
4800 MT/s
Dell’s documents give three ceilings: the technical guide says up to 6400 MT/s depending on the processor, while the spec sheet lists speeds up to 5600 MT/s and then notes that the processors hold the system to 4800 MT/s. The processor table supports the lowest figure.
5600 MT/s modules are designated for 5th Gen processors.
Every configuration using 96 GB DIMMs is held to a 30°C inlet, and Configuration 3 needs DDR5 DIMM blanks.
04 — Storage
6 drive-bay layouts, up to 28 bays
Twelve 3.5-inch bays at the front and twelve behind them in a mid-bay drawer appear in every configuration on Dell’s internal-storage list; the rear module adds four 3.5-inch drives or NVMe in one of three forms. The rear choice also decides processor TDP, GPU support and ambient limits.
Headline layouts
front panel view
Front panel
Rear module
The 28-drive maximum: 12 front and 12 mid-bay drives, shown together here as the front, plus four 3.5-inch at the rear. This is Dell’s Configuration 1 — processors of 125 W or 150 W only.
SAS/SATANVMeSAS/SATA + NVMe
Controllers & boot
HBA355i Adapter — HBA. Value tier, 12Gb SAS internal, PERC 11 family
HBA465i Adapter — HBA. Value tier, 24Gb SAS internal, PERC 12 family; 16 direct-attached / 28 via expander
PERC H755 Adapter — RAID, 8GB cache. Value Performance tier, PERC 11; 8GB NV cache; RAID 0/1/5/6/10/50/60
PERC H355 Adapter — RAID. Value Performance tier listing, PERC 11; no cache; RAID 0/1/10
PERC H965i Adapter — RAID, 8GB cache. PERC 12; 8GB NV cache; RAID 0/1/5/6/10/50/60
PERC H965e — RAID, 8GB cache. External PERC 12; 8GB NV cache; restricted to slot 3 in configuration 2
BOSS-N1 (M.2) — boot
The layouts above combine the 12 front and 12 mid bays; the spec sheet gives each group up to 264 TB, and 88 TB for four rear 3.5-inch drives.
Controllers are adapter cards — H355, H755 and H965i for RAID, HBA355i and HBA465i for pass-through — and the spec sheet reserves PCIe slot 5 for the internal one, although the guide’s controller introduction says the adapter PERC uses no PCIe slot. There is no S160 software RAID option.
Dell’s controller table allows 16 drives per controller direct-attached, and 28 for the HBA465i or 50 for the H755 and HBA355i through a SAS expander; the H355 is rated for up to 32.
Every configuration needs HDD blanks in empty bays.
BOSS-N1 carries two hot-swappable M.2 NVMe drives. Dell’s thermal notes put a 30°C limit on the 960 GB version in Configurations 2 and 3, while its general restriction list applies 30°C to both the 480 GB and 960 GB M.2 options.
Every documented layout
6 with drive bays
2.5-inch3.5-inchEDSFF (E1.S / E3.S)
05 — Accelerators & I/O
GPUs, PCIe and networking
GPUs are a narrow option here. Dell’s feature table allows two 75 W single-wide cards, one 75 W plus one 150 W single-wide, or one 180 W double-wide card, but only in Configuration 3 and at up to 30°C. The guide names the low-profile NVIDIA A2, and its acoustic tests include builds with an A30. Configuration 3 only · 2 × 75 W SW, 75 W + 150 W SW, or 1 × 180 W DW · 30°C · L-type heat sink and GPU shroud required.
NVIDIA A2 (LP)
single-wide
up to 2
NVIDIA A30
double-wide
up to 1
I/O topology
2 sockets
The processors have PCIe 5.0 controllers, but Dell states the R760xd2 runs PCIe at Gen4 only. Up to five slots are available — low-profile, or full-height on the Configuration 3 risers — and how many remain depends on the rear drive module.
Network adapters Dell lists
12 options
Adapter
Ports
Form
Broadcom 4 x 1 GbE BT OCP 3.0
4 × 1GbE
OCP 3.0
Intel 4 x 1 GbE BT OCP 3.0
4 × 1GbE
OCP 3.0
Broadcom 2 x 10 GbE BT OCP 3.0
2 × 10GbE
OCP 3.0
Broadcom 4 x 10 GbE BT OCP 3.0
4 × 10GbE
OCP 3.0
Intel 2 x 10 GbE BT OCP 3.0
2 × 10GbE
OCP 3.0
Intel 4 x 10 GbE BT OCP 3.0
4 × 10GbE
OCP 3.0
Mellanox 2 x 25 GbE SFP28 OCP 3.0
2 × 25GbE
OCP 3.0
Broadcom 2 x 25 GbE SFP28 OCP 3.0
2 × 25GbE
OCP 3.0
Broadcom 4 x 25 GbE SFP28 OCP 3.0
4 × 25GbE
OCP 3.0
Intel 2 x 25 GbE SFP28 OCP 3.0
2 × 25GbE
OCP 3.0
Intel 4 x 25 GbE SFP28 OCP 3.0
4 × 25GbE
OCP 3.0
Broadcom BCM5720 2 x 1 GbE LOM
2 × 1GbE
LOM
Dell’s rear-view figures show the trade: five low-profile slots with no rear drives, 2 × U.2 or 4 × E3.S; three with four rear 3.5-inch or carrier-NVMe drives; and full-height slots only in layouts without the four-bay rear module.
The OCP feature table quotes up to 100 GbE, but the listed OCP cards and the NIC port table stop at 25 GbE.
PCIe cards are limited to cooling Tier 5 (300 LFM at 55°C), and the rear OCP needs optics rated above 85°C.
The H965e external PERC is restricted to slot 3 in Configuration 2.
06 — Power & cooling
7 power supplies, 700–1,800 W
A pair of 60 mm hot-plug supplies runs 1+1, chosen from seven: AC models of 700 W, 1100 W, 1400 W (Platinum or Titanium) and 1800 W, plus 1100 W for −48 V DC and 1400 W for 277 VAC or 336 V DC. The 600 W and 800 W units offered on the R760xs are not on this list.
AC277 VAC / HVDC−48 V DC
On 100–120 V only the three 1100 W and 1400 W AC models run, each derated to 1050 W; the 700 W and 1800 W models are high-line only.
C13 cords serve the 700 W, 1100 W and 1400 W AC models and the 1800 W model needs C15; the 1100 W −48 V DC supply connects through a LOTES APOW0097 plug, and the 277 VAC/336 VDC model uses an APP 2006G1 cord.
Dell’s acoustic tests run from 35 dB idle for a 12-drive, single-processor build to 66 dB at full load in 35°C air for the 28-drive software-defined-storage build.
Fresh-air, A3 and A4 operation all require both supplies and exclude BOSS-N1, GPUs and the rear drive module.
07 — Management, security & OS
Run it, secure it, choose the OS
Management
iDRAC9 with Enterprise and Datacenter licence options
iDRAC Direct (front micro-USB)
iDRAC RESTful API with Redfish, IPMI and RACADM CLI
iDRAC Service Module
OpenManage Enterprise with Power Manager, Service and Update Manager plugins
CloudIQ for PowerEdge
OpenManage integrations for VMware vCenter, Microsoft System Center and Windows Admin Center
Data at Rest Encryption (SEDs, local or external key management)
System Lockdown (iDRAC9 Enterprise or Datacenter)
Secure Erase
TPM 2.0 FIPS, CC-TCG certified; TPM 2.0 China NationZ
Operating systems
Canonical Ubuntu Server LTS
Microsoft Windows Server with Hyper-V
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
VMware ESXi
08 — Compare
R740xd2 → R760xd2
The R760xd2 against the R740xd2 that preceded it, taken from the comparison table in Dell’s R760xd2 technical guide. Dell’s documents hold no successor comparison for this model.
2nd Gen Xeon ScalablePowerEdge R740xd2
4th / 5th Gen Xeon ScalablePowerEdge R760xd2
Processors
2 × 2nd Gen Xeon Scalable · up to 22 cores, 140 W
2 × 4th or 5th Gen Xeon Scalable · up to 32 cores, 185 W
UPI
10.4 GT/s
16 GT/s
Memory
16 × DDR4 RDIMM · up to 3200 MT/s
16 × DDR5 RDIMM · up to 6400 MT/s (processor-dependent)
Drive bays
Front up to 24 × 3.5" · rear up to 2 × 3.5"
Front 12 + mid 12 × 3.5" · rear 4 × 3.5", 2 × U.2 or 4 × E3.S
Controllers
PERC H740P or HBA330
PERC 12: H965i, HBA465i · PERC 11: HBA355i, H755, H355
PCIe
Up to 2 × Gen3
Up to 5 × Gen4
GPU
None
2 × 75 W SW, 75 W + 150 W SW, or 1 × 180 W DW
Power
750 W, 1100 W
700–1800 W · 1100 W −48 V DC · 1400 W 277 VAC / HVDC
Related models: the R760xs and R760 are 2U servers on the same Xeon generations with more PCIe and processor headroom, the R7725xd is the AMD EPYC machine Dell describes as its most storage-dense offering, and the R570 and R7615 complete the comparison. The bars chart each model’s recorded limits.
This modelSiblings and successorEach value from that model’s own verified spec file · bars scale per column
Three capacity-first builds: a backup repository plus two workloads Dell targets with the R760xd2, object storage and video surveillance. Each respects the rule that 3.5-inch rear drives allow only 125 W or 150 W processors, and uses only parts our configurator permits on this model.
Backup & recovery
560 TB backup repository
Twenty-eight 20 TB drives give 560 TB raw for a backup repository behind a PERC H755 with 8 GB of cache. Dell rates the H755 for 50 drives through a SAS expander, and rear SAS/SATA drives can share RAID pools with the front ones. The 150 W 4514Y is among the processors Configuration 1 allows.
2 × Xeon Silver 4514Y — 16 cores @ 2 GHz, 150 W each
16 × 32 GB DDR5-4800 RDIMM — 512 GB (up to 4400 MT/s with this processor)
28 × 20 TB 3.5-inch SATA 7.2K — 560 TB raw (12 front, 12 mid, 4 rear)
PERC H755 adapter, 8 GB NV cache
BOSS-N1 boot pair (2 × M.2 NVMe, RAID 1)
Broadcom 2 × 25GbE SFP28 OCP 3.0
1400 W Titanium hot-plug supplies (1+1)
Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS · ProSupport 5 years
With 3.5-inch rear drives Dell supports only 125 W and 150 W processors. The rear module is excluded in fresh-air, A3 and A4 operation.
File and object storage heads Dell’s list of target workloads for this server. The HBA465i passes all 28 drives straight to the storage software — Dell’s table gives it 28 drives through an expander — and a four-port 25GbE OCP card carries client and replication traffic.
2 × Xeon Silver 4510 — 12 cores @ 2.4 GHz, 150 W each
16 × 16 GB DDR5-4800 RDIMM — 256 GB (up to 4400 MT/s with this processor)
28 × 12 TB 3.5-inch SATA 7.2K — 336 TB raw
HBA465i adapter (24 Gb SAS, non-RAID)
BOSS-N1 boot pair (2 × M.2 NVMe, RAID 1)
Intel 4 × 25GbE SFP28 OCP 3.0
1400 W Platinum hot-plug supplies (1+1)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 · ProSupport Plus 5 years
The rear OCP needs optical transceivers rated above 85°C. Processors are held to 150 W with four rear 3.5-inch drives.
Video capture and surveillance is one of Dell’s three named workloads for the R760xd2. A single 16-core 5416S keeps the build lean, and Dell allows single-processor systems in Configuration 1 — the four-rear-3.5-inch layout used here — with eight DIMMs filling one per channel.
1 × Xeon Gold 5416S — 16 cores @ 2 GHz, 150 W
8 × 32 GB DDR5-4800 RDIMM — 256 GB (up to 4400 MT/s with this processor)
28 × 8 TB 3.5-inch SATA 7.2K — 224 TB raw
PERC H755 adapter, 8 GB NV cache (RAID 6)
BOSS-N1 boot pair (2 × M.2 NVMe, RAID 1)
Intel 2 × 10GbE BASE-T OCP 3.0
1100 W Titanium hot-plug supplies (1+1)
Windows Server 2025 · ProSupport 3 years
Single-processor support is limited to Configurations 1, 2A and 2B, and Dell’s one-processor rear views show fewer PCIe slots. Every configuration needs HDD blanks in unused bays.
For capacity-first storage where DDR5 and newer processors are not essential, a re-certified 3.5-inch PowerEdge from Dell’s 14G or 13G line is the obvious alternative, with fewer bays per rack unit.
14G · re-certified
PowerEdge R740xd
2U · 2 × Xeon Scalable
24 DIMM slots · up to 3 TB DDR4
12 × 3.5" or 24 × 2.5" bays
iDRAC9
Twelve 3.5-inch bays and more memory slots — a sound backup or object node where 28-drive density is not needed.
Up to 5 × Gen4 · low profile, or full height on Configuration 3 risers · slot 5 for the internal PERC
OCP
1 × OCP 3.0 SFF, x8 Gen4 · 1, 10 or 25 GbE cards
LOM
2 × 1GbE (Broadcom BCM5720)
GPU
Configuration 3 only · up to 2 × 75 W SW, 75 W + 150 W SW, or 1 × 180 W DW
Power
Supplies
Up to two, 60 mm, hot-plug, 1+1 redundant
AC options
700 W Titanium (200–240 V) · 1100 W Titanium · 1400 W Platinum or Titanium · 1800 W Titanium (200–240 V)
277 VAC / HVDC
1400 W Titanium
−48 V DC
1100 W, −48 to −60 V DC
Ports & video
Front
1 × USB 2.0 · 1 × iDRAC Direct (micro-USB) · no front VGA listed
Rear
1 × USB 2.0 · 1 × USB 3.0 · 1 × VGA · dedicated iDRAC port · 2 × 1GbE LOM
Internal
1 × USB 3.0 (optional)
Video
Integrated Matrox G200, 16 MB
Environment
ASHRAE A2
10–35°C up to 900 m, de-rated 1°C per 300 m above
ASHRAE A3
5–35°C continuous, 35–40°C for up to 10% of annual runtime · no BOSS, GPU or rear drives
ASHRAE A4
Adds 40–45°C for up to 1% of annual runtime · processors below 185 W · same exclusions
12 — FAQ
R760xd2 questions, answered from the documentation
How many drives does the Dell PowerEdge R760xd2 hold?
Up to 28: twelve 3.5-inch bays at the front, twelve more in a mid-bay drawer and four 3.5-inch bays at the rear. The rear can instead take four 2.5-inch NVMe drives in 3.5-inch carriers, two U.2 NVMe drives or four E3.S NVMe drives. Dell quotes 616 TB raw with 28 × 22 TB drives.
What is the maximum memory of the R760xd2?
Sixteen DDR5 RDIMM slots, eight per processor, give up to 1.5 TB with 96 GB modules, and those 96 GB DIMMs bring a 30°C inlet limit. The processors Dell lists run memory at 4000–4800 MT/s, so faster-rated DIMMs do not raise the speed.
Which processors does the R760xd2 support?
Fifteen Xeon Scalable SKUs: ten 4th Gen parts with up to 32 cores (the 6428N) and five 5th Gen parts with up to 28 (the 5512U, which has no UPI speed listed). TDPs run from 125 W to 185 W, and with four rear 3.5-inch or carrier-NVMe drives only the 125 W and 150 W parts are supported.
Can the R760xd2 take GPUs?
Only in the layout Dell’s thermal tables call Configuration 3, with two rear 2.5-inch drives, and at up to 30°C. The envelope is two 75 W single-wide cards, one 75 W plus one 150 W single-wide, or one 180 W double-wide card; the guide names the low-profile NVIDIA A2.
How many PCIe slots does the R760xd2 have?
Up to five, all PCIe Gen4 — Dell states the system does not run Gen5 speeds. Slot 5 is dedicated to the internal storage controller, and fitting four rear 3.5-inch drives cuts the low-profile slots to three.
Which power supplies does it use?
A 1+1 pair of hot-plug supplies drawn from seven models: 700 W, 1100 W, 1400 W Platinum, 1400 W Titanium and 1800 W for AC, 1100 W for −48 V DC and 1400 W for 277 VAC/HVDC. Fresh-air, A3 and A4 operation all require both supplies to be fitted.
How big and heavy is the R760xd2?
It is 2U (86.8 mm) high and 481.6 mm wide, and deep: 837 mm to the PSU surface and 872.74 mm to the PSU handles, with Dell’s spec sheet quoting 907.74 mm. Fully loaded it weighs up to 46.3 kg, or 23.72 kg without drives and supplies.
How does the R760xd2 differ from the R760xs?
The R760xs is the general-purpose 2U on the same processor generations, with up to 12 × 3.5-inch or 24 × 2.5-inch bays, six PCIe slots including two Gen5, processors to 250 W and 685.78 mm to the PSU handles. The R760xd2 gives up the Gen5 slots and hotter processors for 28 × 3.5-inch bays in a chassis 186.96 mm longer to the handles.
What changed from the R740xd2?
DDR5 instead of DDR4, processors up to 32 cores and 185 W instead of 22 cores and 140 W, UPI at 16 GT/s instead of 10.4, five Gen4 slots in place of two Gen3, GPU options, and rear bays that grow from two 3.5-inch to four. The chassis is 837 mm deep against 810.26 mm.
Is the Dell PowerEdge R760xd2 end of life?
Dell’s R760xd2 guide carries no model-wide end-of-sale or end-of-service date. Its service appendix covers Post Standard Support, which can prolong hardware coverage for as many as five years past the first seven years of ProSupport. Current dates are in our end-of-life checker.
Sources & verification
Where these figures come from
Dell PowerEdge R760xd2 Technical Guide (June 2026, Rev. A07) — Tables 1–2 (overview, R740xd2 comparison), 3 (processors), 4–6 (memory), 7–10 and internal storage configuration list (storage), 11–13 (OCP), 14–16 and 27 (power), 17–18 (acoustics), 22–24 (dimensions, weight, NIC ports), 29–42 (environment, thermal restrictions); Figures 2, 3 and 13 (images).
Specifications are extracted from Dell’s published documents and independently re-checked line by line. Configurations are quote-based; availability and exact options are confirmed at quotation. Last reviewed 2026-09-11.
