Dell PowerEdge R940 Servers

The Dell PowerEdge R940 is Dell’s most powerful and scalable 4-socket, 3U rack server designed to drive mission-critical workloads that demand extreme performance, high availability, and maximum memory density. Built to handle intensive in-memory databases, ERP systems, large-scale virtualization, and real-time analytics, the R940 is a foundational platform for enterprises seeking predictable performance and uncompromising scalability. With support for up to four Intel Xeon Scalable processors and 48 DIMMs delivering massive memory throughput, the R940 is engineered to accelerate business insights and reduce latency for demanding applications. Whether powering large SAP HANA deployments, financial modeling platforms, or high-performance private clouds, the R940 delivers exceptional compute, memory, and I/O capabilities. Its high resiliency and advanced management features ensure that enterprise environments remain secure, operational, and agile—at any scale.

Performance

The Dell PowerEdge R940 supports up to four Intel Xeon Scalable processors, each offering up to 28 cores for a total of 112 physical cores and 224 threads, enabling rapid parallel processing of compute-heavy workloads. With support for up to 205W TDP CPUs and Intel Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX-512), the R940 is optimized for data analytics, scientific modeling, and financial simulations. Designed for low-latency applications and real-time responsiveness, the system’s four-socket architecture and Intel UPI (Ultra Path Interconnect) allow for faster inter-processor communication, minimizing bottlenecks in NUMA-aware applications. The R940 delivers uncompromising performance for enterprise applications that rely on fast data processing and high CPU throughput.

Memory and Scalability

The R940 features 48 DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 6TB of RAM using LRDIMMs or Intel Optane Persistent Memory modules. With speeds up to 2933 MT/s, this vast memory capacity is ideal for large in-memory databases such as SAP HANA or Oracle. The inclusion of Intel Optane PMem enables persistent storage-like memory functionality, allowing faster recovery times and greater memory economics for memory-intensive workloads. With a highly scalable memory architecture and NUMA-aware design, the R940 is built to eliminate memory bottlenecks and support rapidly expanding data environments. Its robust memory profile makes it an ideal platform for virtualization consolidation and complex analytics workloads.

Storage Flexibility

The Dell PowerEdge R940 supports a wide variety of storage configurations:

• Up to 12 x 3.5” drives or 24 x 2.5” drives, with SATA, SAS, and NVMe SSD/HDD options
• Integrated BOSS (Boot Optimized Storage Subsystem) with dual M.2 SSDs for reliable OS deployment
• Optional NVMe support for ultra-low latency and high-speed access to transactional data
• Multiple PERC RAID controllers for date redundancy (RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60)
  
  

Whether deployed in an environment requiring massive capacity or ultra-fast access, the R940’s modular storage options allow organizations to align storage performance with application needs. It’s also well-suited for software-defined storage and enterprise backup scenarios.

I/O and Expandability

The PowerEdge R940 is equipped with up to 13 PCIe Gen 3.0 slots, delivering substantial expansion for GPUs, high-speed networking, or storage controllers. It supports up to 4 GPUs (single-width) or 2 double-width GPUs, enabling compute acceleration for AI inference, VDI, and HPC tasks. Networking is customizable through LOM (LAN on Motherboard), NDC (Network Daughter Card), or OCP NIC 3.0 options with speeds up to 25GbE. This high expandability allows businesses to future-proof the system as demands increase. From accelerating AI models to scaling enterprise networks, the R940 provides the I/O headroom needed to keep pace with innovation.

Virtualization and Workload Optimization

The R940 is ideal for large-scale virtualization and workload consolidation, capable of supporting hundreds of VMs or containers on a single chassis. It integrates seamlessly with major hypervisor platforms including VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, Red Hat Virtualization, and Citrix XenServer, enabling private cloud, VDI, and software-defined environments. The high memory capacity and multi-socket processing make it a go-to platform for hosting Tier 1 applications and databases. The server also supports advanced virtualization features such as VM-level QoS, NUMA optimization, and live migration for zero-downtime workloads.

Management and Automation

Equipped with iDRAC9 with Lifecycle Controller, the R940 delivers robust remote management, automation, and orchestration tools. Dell’s OpenManage Enterprise enables centralized monitoring and proactive alerting, allowing IT teams to manage thousands of nodes from a single pane of glass. RESTful API (Redfish) and scripting compatibility allow easy integration with DevOps workflows and configuration-as-code environments. Firmware rollback, automated compliance, and hardware telemetry reduce manual intervention and improve overall infrastructure uptime. Secure, efficient, and fully automated, the R940 simplifies ongoing operations in complex enterprise environments.

Energy Efficiency

Despite its 3U form factor and four-socket power, the R940 is optimized for energy efficiency with high-efficiency (Platinum and Titanium-rated) power supplies, intelligent thermal controls, and automated fan tuning. Dynamic power capping and workload-aware thermal design ensure reduced power draw during off-peak usage. These features help enterprises manage data center energy consumption while meeting aggressive performance targets. When deployed at scale, the R940’s efficiency contributes to a lower total cost of ownership (TCO).

Reliability and Availability

Designed for 99.999% uptime, the R940 offers a robust set of resiliency features:

• Hot-swappable drives, fans, and power supplies
• Redundant BIOS and hypervisor boot options
• Fault-resilient memory and predictive diagnostics
• Secure Boot, System Lockdown, and BIOS recovery
  

These features ensure continuous availability for mission-critical systems and enterprise applications. Coupled with Dell ProSupport and SupportAssist, organizations receive proactive service and reduced downtime risk across all deployments.

Key Features at a Glance:

• Compute Power: Up to 4 Intel Xeon Scalable processors (up to 112 cores total)
• Memory Capacity: 6TB DDR4 RAM with Optane PMem support across 48 DIMM slots
• Storage Options: Up to 24 x 2.5” or 12 x 3.5” SAS/SATA/NVMe drives + M.2 boot options
• I/O Expandability: 13 PCIe Gen 3.0 slots; GPU-ready (up to 4 single-width GPUs)
• Virtualization Ready: Ideal for large VM farms, in-memory databases, and private cloud
• Management Tools: iDRAC9, OpenManage Enterprise, and Redfish-compliant APIs
• Energy Efficiency: Platinum/Titanium power supplies, thermal-aware chassis design
• Reliability: Redundant components, predictive diagnostics, Secure Boot & BIOS recovery
  

Business Value

The Dell PowerEdge R940 delivers enterprise-class performance, uptime, and scalability for organizations running their most demanding, mission-critical workloads. It enables businesses to consolidate applications, reduce latency, and unlock new levels of insight through real-time analytics, all while maintaining exceptional reliability. With its high-density memory, multi-socket architecture, and rich expansion capabilities, the R940 is ideal for organizations undergoing digital transformation, deploying advanced databases, or scaling private cloud infrastructure. Offering unmatched performance in a 3U form factor, the R940 is a strategic investment for enterprises looking to optimize operational agility and long-term ROI.