{"product_id":"dell-poweredge-r330-4-bay-3-5-chassis","title":"Dell PowerEdge R330 4-Bay 3.5\" Drives [13th Gen]","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Dell PowerEdge R330 4-Bay 3.5\" is the refurbished, large-form-factor configuration of Dell's 13th generation entry-tier rack server. One Intel Xeon E3-1200 v5 or v6 processor, four 3.5\" hot-swap bays, and a compact 1U chassis make it a capacity-first machine for the small-site file, backup, and bulk-storage roles that do not need a dual-socket platform.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike the rest of this platform it is deliberately modest: four cores, four DIMM slots, a 64 GB memory ceiling, and four drive bays. The value is in matching that envelope to a workload that genuinely fits it, rather than paying for headroom you will not use. We are clear below about where the limits sit and when a newer or larger platform is the better buy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo configure a build, call 1-800-778-1545 or request a quote online. Every R330 leaves our bench after a 12+ hour burn-in and a 40-point inspection, ships backed by our 180-day warranty, and qualifies for volume pricing on orders of 5 units or more.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhen 4 Bays of 3.5\" Is the Right Choice\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe R330 4-Bay 3.5\" is the large-form-factor member of Dell's 13th generation entry line. It is the same single-socket E3 platform as the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dell-poweredge-r330-8-bay-2-5-chassis\"\u003eR330 8-Bay 2.5\"\u003c\/a\u003e; the difference is the front backplane. Four 3.5\" hot-swap bays instead of eight 2.5\" bays is a choice about storage character, not compute. Pick the 4-Bay when you want bulk capacity from a few high-capacity nearline disks at the lowest cost per terabyte; pick the 8-Bay when you want more spindles, SSDs, or 10k and 15k SAS for IOPS. Everything behind the backplane (processor, memory, management, power, expansion) is identical between the two, and each of those is covered in full below.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eStorage - 4 3.5\" Bays\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFour 3.5\" SAS\/SATA hot-swap bays sit across the front. The backplane takes 3.5\" nearline SAS and SATA disks for capacity, with 2.5\" drives mounting via 3.5\" hybrid carriers where you need SSDs or faster SAS. This is a capacity chassis, not an IOPS chassis: four spindles is a deliberately small count, sized for bulk storage rather than parallel throughput.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a capacity guide, four 16 TB nearline SAS drives give about 64 TB raw, and four 20 TB drives reach roughly 80 TB raw. With only four bays, RAID 6 (two parity drives) and RAID 10 are the sensible production levels; both leave you about half the raw total as usable space. We do not recommend RAID 5 on large nearline drives here, because a four-drive RAID 5 leaves only a single drive of redundancy and rebuild windows on high-capacity disks are long enough to be a real risk.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBoot device:\u003c\/strong\u003e as across this platform there is no BOSS card. With only four bays, surrendering one to a boot drive is expensive, so the internal dual SD module (IDSDM) is the configuration we recommend: it mirrors two SD cards for a resilient hypervisor or OS boot and keeps all four bays free for data. A RAID 1 SSD pair in the front bays is the alternative, but on a four-bay chassis that is a quarter of your capacity gone to the operating system.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eStorage Controllers\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe R330 uses Dell's PERC9 controller generation in a dedicated internal slot, and it accepts PCIe PERC cards only. It does not take the Mini Monolithic (Mini-PERC) controllers used by the larger PowerEdge chassis, so do not source a Mini-PERC for this server.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePERC S130 (software RAID):\u003c\/strong\u003e chipset-based RAID through the Intel C236. Fine for dev, test, and very light mirrored roles. Not a production recommendation for write-sensitive arrays.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePERC H330:\u003c\/strong\u003e entry hardware RAID, no cache. Adequate for simple mirrors and read-oriented capacity arrays on a budget.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePERC H730 (1 GB cache, battery-backed):\u003c\/strong\u003e the production default, and the one we recommend for a four-drive nearline RAID 6. The battery-backed write cache materially helps write performance and rebuild behavior on large spinning disks.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePERC H830:\u003c\/strong\u003e external SAS, for attaching an external JBOD enclosure when four internal bays are not enough capacity. Not for the internal backplane.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrder the controller you need up front.\u003c\/strong\u003e Per Dell's documentation, converting from software RAID (S130) to a hardware PERC after the fact is not a supported path on this platform. If you intend to run hardware RAID in production, specify the H330 or H730 at configuration time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eProcessors\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA single LGA1151 socket on the Intel C236 chipset takes one Intel Xeon E3-1200 v5 (Skylake) or v6 (Kaby Lake) processor: up to four cores and eight threads, clocks up to roughly 3.9 GHz, and a maximum 80 W TDP. Entry Core i3, Pentium, and Celeron parts also fit, but for a server role the Xeon E3 is the sensible floor because it carries ECC support and the full server feature set.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor SKU selection, the E3-1230 v6 (four cores, eight threads, 3.5 GHz, 72 W) is the sensible default for a general capacity-server role. The E3-1220 v6 (four cores, no Hyper-Threading) trims cost for the lightest file and backup duties, while the E3-1270 v6 and E3-1280 v6 push clocks toward 3.8 to 3.9 GHz for the few workloads that benefit from single-threaded speed. v5 and v6 parts are drop-in compatible on this board, and we quote v6 by default when available.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo points to keep straight. This is single-socket by design, so there is no second CPU and no second set of memory channels to balance. And four cores is the hard ceiling: a capacity server rarely needs more, but if your role is also core-bound, the dual-socket R430 or a newer generation is the place to look.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eMemory\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFour DDR4 DIMM slots, ECC UDIMM only, up to 2400 MT\/s, for a 64 GB maximum (four 16 GB modules). State this plainly because it trips buyers up: the E3-1200 v5\/v6 memory controller does not support RDIMM or LRDIMM. Registered memory will not work here. Order ECC unbuffered DIMMs, not the registered modules you would put in an R430 or R630.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe common populations are 16 GB (2x 8 GB), 32 GB (4x 8 GB or 2x 16 GB), and the 64 GB ceiling (4x 16 GB). Populate in matched pairs, and remember there is no path beyond 64 GB on this controller. For a file or backup server, 16 to 32 GB is usually plenty; reserve the full 64 GB for cases where caching or a co-resident application needs it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eNetworking and PCIe Expansion\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNetworking is two onboard 1GbE LOM ports (RJ45). Unlike the mainstream PowerEdge lines, the R330 has no Network Daughter Card slot, so there is no mezzanine route to 10GbE. If you need faster networking (for a backup target moving large nightly volumes, for instance), you spend one of the PCIe slots on an add-in NIC.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExpansion is two PCIe 3.0 slots plus one dedicated internal slot for the PERC storage controller, all low-profile and half-length in the 1U chassis. There is no PCIe Gen4 on this platform. Plan the two general slots against your actual needs: a 10GbE NIC and an external SAS HBA will use both.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eGPU Support\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe R330 does not support GPUs. The 1U entry chassis has no GPU-capable riser, no supplemental accelerator power, and an 80 W CPU thermal envelope built for light compute. A capacity server has no reason to carry one, but it is worth stating clearly so nobody plans around it. If you do need accelerator capacity, look at a GPU-capable tower or 2U platform such as the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dell-t640-8-bay-3-5-chassis\"\u003eDell PowerEdge T640 tower\u003c\/a\u003e, which our account team can spec to your requirements.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eManagement - iDRAC8 Generation\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRemote management is iDRAC8 with Lifecycle Controller. iDRAC8 Express is the default and covers IPMI 2.0, sensor monitoring, and basic remote control; iDRAC8 Enterprise is the upgrade that adds the full virtual console, virtual media, and vFlash SD support (8 GB or 16 GB). For a server in a closet or remote site, which a capacity box often is, specify Enterprise so you get true lights-out access.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo honest notes. This is iDRAC8, not iDRAC9, so it predates the iDRAC9 security baseline and conveniences like Quick Sync 2; the remote experience is a generation behind a 14th gen machine. The platform supports an optional TPM 1.2 or 2.0 module for Secure Boot and compliance frameworks, which we include when required. Systems management integrates with Dell OpenManage Essentials, Mobile, and Power Center.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003ePower and Cooling\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe R330 takes up to two 350 W hot-plug power supplies in a 1+1 redundant configuration. A single 350 W PSU runs the system non-redundant (1+0) with a blank in the empty bay; a matched pair gives supply redundancy. Both PSUs must match in type and output. The thermal envelope is modest, sized for the 80 W single-socket CPU and four 3.5\" drives, which draw a little more at spin-up than 2.5\" disks but remain comfortably within the supply.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eConfiguration\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003ePSU Recommendation\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eEst. Peak Draw\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLight (entry E3, two LFF disks, partial RAM)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2x 350W (1+1)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~110W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTypical (quad-core E3, four nearline disks, full RAM)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2x 350W (1+1)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~170W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLoaded (quad-core E3, four disks, add-in NIC and HBA)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2x 350W (1+1)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~220W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven loaded, the chassis stays well within a single 350 W supply, so the second PSU is there for redundancy rather than capacity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003ePhysical Specs \u0026amp; Platform Notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eForm factor:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1U rack chassis, roughly 677 mm deep with the redundant power supply and bezel. The LFF backplane carries four 3.5\" bays. Fits a standard 4-post rack.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePCIe expansion:\u003c\/strong\u003e two PCIe 3.0 slots (low-profile, half-length) plus one dedicated internal slot for the PERC controller. No riser-driven expansion beyond that.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eParts availability:\u003c\/strong\u003e the 13th generation ecosystem is mature and parts are abundant on the secondary market. Dell ProSupport has ended for this platform, so third-party maintenance is the standard production support path in 2026.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAccessories we recommend:\u003c\/strong\u003e ReadyRails II sliding rails for tool-less 4-post mounting, the optional cable management arm, and the internal dual SD module (IDSDM) for boot so you keep all four bays for data. An optional LCD bezel is available where front-panel diagnostics matter.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePlatform notes:\u003c\/strong\u003e PCIe PERC cards only (no Mini-PERC); software-RAID-to-hardware-RAID conversion is not a supported after-the-fact upgrade; no BOSS and no NVMe; memory is ECC UDIMM only. Specify storage and memory at order time.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eOur Assessment\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhere it excels:\u003c\/strong\u003e The R330 4-Bay 3.5\" is at its best as a capacity-first server for small sites: a file server backed by a few large nearline disks, a backup or staging target, a media or document store, or a branch server where bulk storage matters more than spindle count. With ECC memory, hardware RAID, iDRAC management, and 1+1 power, it brings real production discipline to roles that would otherwise land on a tower or NAS appliance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhere to look instead:\u003c\/strong\u003e If you need IOPS rather than terabytes, the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dell-poweredge-r330-8-bay-2-5-chassis\"\u003eR330 8-Bay 2.5\"\u003c\/a\u003e gives you more, smaller, faster drives on the same platform. If the workload is core-bound or wants more than 64 GB, the same-generation dual-socket \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dell-poweredge-r430-lff-chassis\"\u003eR430\u003c\/a\u003e brings Xeon E5 processors and registered memory. For a current-generation entry platform with iDRAC9 and newer CPUs, the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dell-poweredge-r340-4-bay-3-5-chassis\"\u003eR340 4-Bay\u003c\/a\u003e (14th gen) and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dell-poweredge-r350-4-bay-lff-build-your-own\"\u003eR350 4-Bay\u003c\/a\u003e (15th gen) are the direct successors. For lighter, lower-cost roles, the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dell-poweredge-r230-4-bay-3-5-chassis\"\u003eR230 4-Bay\u003c\/a\u003e is the smaller entry option.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBottom line:\u003c\/strong\u003e Buy the R330 4-Bay 3.5\" when you have a defined capacity role that fits inside four cores, 64 GB, and four large disks, and you want enterprise serviceability at an entry price. It is an honest, cost-effective choice for SMB and remote-office bulk storage and for expanding an existing R330 LFF footprint. It is the wrong choice if you expect to grow into heavier compute, more memory, or higher IOPS; in that case buy the headroom now rather than replacing the platform later.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eHonest Limitations\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOnly four drive bays. This is a capacity chassis, not a high-spindle or high-IOPS one.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHard 64 GB memory ceiling across four DIMM slots, ECC UDIMM only. Registered (RDIMM or LRDIMM) memory is not supported.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFour-core maximum. The platform cannot grow for core-bound workloads.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eiDRAC8, not iDRAC9. The management generation and its security baseline trail 14th gen and newer machines.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNo BOSS, no NVMe, PCIe Gen3 only, and onboard networking limited to 1GbE (faster NICs consume a PCIe slot).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSoftware RAID cannot be field-upgraded to hardware RAID later; the controller must be specified up front.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDell ProSupport has ended; production support relies on third-party maintenance.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWorkload Fit\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eThis server is right for\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eConsider alternatives for\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFile servers backed by large nearline disks\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHigh-IOPS or transactional storage\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBackup, staging, and archive targets\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDense virtualization and high VM counts\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMedia and document stores\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIn-memory databases and analytics\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRemote office \/ branch office bulk storage\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGPU compute, inferencing, or transcoding\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCost-per-terabyte capacity roles\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWorkloads needing many fast spindles or SSDs\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eExpanding an existing R330 LFF footprint\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAny workload needing more than 4 cores or 64 GB\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhere to Look Instead\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/dell-poweredge-r330-8-bay-2-5-chassis\"\u003eDell PowerEdge R330 8-Bay 2.5\"\u003c\/a\u003e - the small-form-factor companion on the same platform, for more spindles and SSD or fast-SAS IOPS.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/dell-poweredge-r230-4-bay-3-5-chassis\"\u003eDell PowerEdge R230 4-Bay 3.5\"\u003c\/a\u003e - the smaller, lower-cost 13th gen entry server for the lightest roles.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/dell-poweredge-r430-lff-chassis\"\u003eDell PowerEdge R430 4-Bay 3.5\"\u003c\/a\u003e - the same-generation dual-socket step-up, with Xeon E5 cores and registered memory when four cores and 64 GB are not enough.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/dell-poweredge-r340-4-bay-3-5-chassis\"\u003eDell PowerEdge R340 4-Bay 3.5\"\u003c\/a\u003e - the 14th generation successor with iDRAC9, Xeon E-2100 and E-2200, and BOSS boot.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/dell-poweredge-r350-4-bay-lff-build-your-own\"\u003eDell PowerEdge R350 4-Bay 3.5\"\u003c\/a\u003e - the 15th generation successor on Xeon E-2300 with PCIe Gen4.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eReady to Configure?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTell us your capacity target and quantity and we will return a tailored R330 4-Bay build, along with R340 and R350 comparison pricing, within 24 hours. Call 1-800-778-1545 or request a quote online. Every unit ships after a 12+ hour burn-in and a 40-point inspection, is backed by our 180-day warranty, and qualifies for volume pricing on orders of 5 units or more.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dell","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45951274811591,"sku":"BP-012002","price":351.04,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0748\/4493\/0247\/files\/server-design-lab-dell-poweredge-r330-4-bay-35-drives-970054.png?v=1765539695","url":"https:\/\/wholesaleservers.com\/products\/dell-poweredge-r330-4-bay-3-5-chassis","provider":"Wholesale Servers","version":"1.0","type":"link"}