The Dell PowerEdge R750xs 8-Bay 3.5" Hot-Swap is the LFF capacity-tier configuration of Dell's 15th gen cost-optimized 2U platform: eight large-format hot-swap bays for high-capacity NL-SAS or SATA drives, on the dual-socket-capable R750xs Ice Lake architecture. Up to 160 TB raw at 8 x 20 TB NL-SAS, with 15th gen platform currency at value-tier 2U economics. This is the R750xs configuration for smaller-scale capacity workloads: branch-office NAS, modest backup targets, departmental file servers, and entry-tier Ceph capacity nodes, where the 12-Bay R750xs LFF is more capacity than the deployment needs.

This page covers what changes at the 8-bay LFF chassis. The shared platform detail (the dual-socket-capable Ice Lake architecture, 16 DIMM slots, PCIe Gen4 expansion, and the R750xs versus R750 envelope comparison) is documented on the canonical R750xs 8-Bay 2.5" page. As a 15th gen platform the R750xs is no longer sold factory-new by Dell; Wholesale Servers stocks it refurbished and fully tested, as the cost-correct alternative to the R540 LFF predecessor or to stepping up to the R750 flagship.

To spec an R750xs LFF build, call 1-800-778-1545 or use the quote form on this page; we respond within 24 hours. Every unit ships after a 12+ hour burn-in that exercises every drive bay, memory channel, and PCIe slot, and carries our standard 180-day warranty, with 1-Year, 2-Year, and 3-Year Premium options available. Volume pricing applies at 5 units and above.

When 8 LFF Bays Is the Right Capacity Tier

The 8-bay LFF chassis is the lower-capacity rung of the R750xs storage line. It exists for the deployment where eight large drives cover the requirement and twelve would be over-provisioned. Eight 3.5" front bays for SAS or SATA spinning drives (or 3.5" SAS SSDs in the rare case where 3.5" flash makes sense), with no NVMe path: the LFF backplane is purpose-built for capacity-per-bay, not latency. The compute envelope underneath is the full R750xs platform, which is what separates this from a pure storage appliance: for converged nodes that run NAS plus deduplication and compression, or Ceph plus client workloads, the dual-socket-capable Ice Lake compute is meaningful. Where eight LFF bays is too few, the 12-Bay 3.5" is the next rung; where 1U density matters more than bay count, the R650xs 4-Bay 3.5" is the companion platform.

Storage - 8 LFF Bays

Eight 3.5" SAS/SATA hot-swap front bays. The 8-bay LFF backplane is SAS/SATA only; there is no NVMe path on this chassis.

• NL-SAS HDD (up to 20 TB): the primary use case. 8 x 20 TB is 160 TB raw, roughly 120 TB usable at RAID 6 with one hot spare. Excellent sequential throughput, modest random IOPS. For branch NAS, small backup targets, and warm-tier storage at sub-200 TB deployment sizes.
• SAS HDD (10K / 15K RPM): higher random IOPS at lower per-drive capacity, for workloads that need better random performance than NL-SAS without paying for SSD.
• Mixed SAS SSD plus NL-SAS: 1 to 2 SAS SSDs in select bays as a hot tier, 6 to 7 NL-SAS HDDs for capacity. Useful for NAS deployments where frequently-accessed data benefits from an SSD tier.

An optional 2 x 2.5" rear drive kit adds a small flash tier or a dedicated swap and log location without consuming a front bay. BOSS-S1 (a PCIe add-in card carrying two mirrored M.2 SATA SSDs in hardware RAID 1) handles OS boot, keeping all 8 LFF front bays available for data.

Storage Controllers

RAID 6 is the non-negotiable default on large NL-SAS drives here, and the controller choice follows from that:

• PERC H755 (8 GB flash-backed cache): the recommended controller for this chassis. RAID 6 with battery-backed write cache is what large-capacity NL-SAS needs, and the H755 is the right answer for production NAS and backup arrays.
• PERC H745 (4 GB flash-backed cache): the lower-cache alternative where the array is read-dominant.
• PERC H355 / H345: RAID 0, 1, and 10 only. They do not do RAID 5 or RAID 6, so they are not appropriate for a parity-protected capacity array on this chassis; for RAID 6 the H755 or H745 is required.
• HBA355i (pass-through): required for Ceph, ZFS, and other software-defined storage that wants raw drives. Presents the disks directly to the OS with no RAID controller in the data path.
• S150 software RAID: chipset software RAID, for very entry-tier configurations only.

We do not quote RAID 5 on 14 TB and larger NL-SAS without an explicit customer override: at 18 to 20 TB, single-drive rebuilds can exceed 24 hours, and RAID 5 leaves the array exposed to a second-drive failure for that entire window.

Processors

Dual 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable (Ice Lake-SP) processors on socket LGA 4189, Silver and Gold tier up to 32 cores per socket. The top-bin Platinum 8380 (40 cores) is not supported; that is reserved for the R750 flagship, and the 32-core ceiling is a genuine platform validation limit. On an LFF storage node, CPU is rarely the bottleneck. A single Silver 4310 or 4314 covers a straightforward NAS or archive target; step to a Gold 5318Y or 6338N when the node also runs dedup, compression, or erasure coding, which are CPU-bound. Single-socket is the common pattern on a storage box; the second socket is available for converged compute but is not a standard field upgrade, so decide socket count at procurement. Both sockets must carry matching CPUs.

Memory

16 DDR4 DIMM slots: 8 per CPU, one DIMM per channel, 8 channels per socket, registered ECC only, DDR4-3200. Maximum is 1 TB with 16 x 64 GB RDIMM, and there is no Optane PMem support (that is an R750 flagship feature). For an LFF NAS or backup target, size memory to the workload: 128 to 256 GB for file-system cache on a straightforward NAS, 256 to 512 GB where dedup-aware backup software keeps a large in-memory hash table. The 1 DPC topology means there is no second-DIMM-per-channel expansion path later, so populate to the target at procurement.

Networking and PCIe Expansion

The R750xs uses OCP NIC 3.0, the 15th gen shift away from the rNDC mezzanine of the 13th and 14th gen platforms. One OCP 3.0 slot plus the PCIe Gen4 expansion slots. For a production LFF NAS, 25 GbE is the standard recommendation; 10 GbE is acceptable for smaller branch deployments, and 100 GbE is worth it only on high-concurrency or high-throughput backup targets. Eight spinning drives will not saturate 100 GbE on their own.

PCIe expansion is up to 6 slots (5 Gen4 plus 1 Gen3), all low-profile. On this chassis the budget is rarely tight: a 25 GbE OCP, the RAID controller, and the BOSS-S1 card leave headroom. Place any Gen4 adapter so it avoids the single Gen3 slot.

GPU Support

This is not a GPU platform, and an LFF capacity chassis is the last place to put one. The value-tier power and PCIe budget supports at most a single-width 75W card (an NVIDIA A2 or L4) for incidental transcode, but there is no thermal or slot headroom for compute GPUs, and a storage node rarely wants one. For GPU compute, the R750 or the purpose-built R750xa is the right platform.

Management - iDRAC9 Generation

iDRAC9 Enterprise is the production recommendation, the same enhanced 15th gen iDRAC9 used across the R650 and R750: Active Health System, Secured Component Verification, iDRAC Direct via front-panel micro-USB, and Quick Sync 2.0. A hardware Silicon Root of Trust validates firmware at boot, with Secure Boot, signed firmware updates, and System Lockdown on the Enterprise and Datacenter tiers. TPM 2.0 is standard, and the Lifecycle Controller handles agent-free deployment and firmware management. For a storage node that often runs lights-out, the iDRAC9 remote console and drive-health telemetry are the day-to-day operational surface.

Power and Cooling

The 8-bay LFF configuration draws less peak power than the SFF SSD variants, because spinning HDDs are lower power per drive than SAS SSDs at sustained load and the 8-bay count keeps aggregate drive power modest. Available PSU tiers are 600W, 800W, 1100W, and 1400W Platinum or Titanium.

Both PSUs must match; mixed wattages are not supported. Standard fans cover all LFF configurations on this chassis.

Physical Specs and Platform Notes

• Form factor: 2U rack, standard 19-inch mount, chassis depth roughly 28 inches. Verify rack depth at quote time.
• PCIe expansion: up to 6 slots (5 Gen4 plus 1 Gen3), low-profile. Slot pressure is low on an LFF storage build.
• Parts availability: strong. The 15th gen platform sits inside active Dell ProSupport coverage, with excellent supply of CPUs, DIMMs, PERC controllers, PSUs, and LFF carriers.
• Accessories we recommend: the B21 2U sliding rail kit (shared across R550 / R750xs / R760), an optional security bezel, the BOSS-S1 boot card, and the optional 2 x 2.5" rear drive kit for a flash tier.
• Platform notes: a fully populated 8 x 20 TB LFF chassis carries roughly 16 lbs of rotating media and exceeds 60 lbs total, so a two-person lift is recommended. Eight active HDDs generate noticeable noise and vibration; this is a data-center-placement box, not an office-floor one.

Our Assessment

Where it excels: branch and departmental NAS, entry-tier backup targets, small Ceph capacity nodes, and archive storage where 15th gen platform currency matters and eight LFF bays (roughly 80 to 120 TB usable at RAID 6) covers the requirement. It fills the gap between the 1U R650xs 4-Bay LFF, which is undersized for mid-tier capacity, and the 12-Bay R750xs, which is over-provisioned for a smaller target.

Where to look instead: for pure cost-primary bulk storage on a short lifecycle, the 14th gen R540 8-Bay 3.5" delivers equivalent spinning-disk performance at meaningfully lower acquisition cost. For more capacity per node, step to the R750xs 12-Bay 3.5"; for the flagship envelope (32 DIMM slots, more PCIe, larger PSUs) alongside LFF capacity, the R750 12-Bay 3.5". For SFF SSD or NVMe instead of capacity HDDs, the R750xs 8-Bay 2.5" is the platform.

Bottom line: this is the 15th gen 2U value-tier LFF platform for small-to-mid capacity storage. The 15th gen premium over the R540 earns its place when ProSupport coverage, converged compute on the storage node, or platform lifecycle alignment matter; for lowest-cost short-lifecycle storage, the R540 remains a valid call and we will quote both.

Honest Limitations

• Same R750xs envelope constraints. 16 DIMM slots, 1 TB RDIMM ceiling, 32-core CPU cap, no Optane PMem, BOSS-S1 as an add-in card.
• No NVMe path on the LFF backplane. For NVMe on the R750xs, the SFF chassis variants are required.
• Long RAID rebuilds on large drives. 18 to 20 TB NL-SAS rebuilds can exceed 24 hours. RAID 6 is mandatory at this drive size, and a hot spare is strongly recommended.
• Spinning-disk performance ceiling. Eight NL-SAS HDDs deliver strong sequential throughput but limited random IOPS, typically 100 to 200 aggregate. Random-IOPS workloads belong on an SFF SSD chassis.
• 3.5" SAS SSD is rarely the right call. Per-TB cost is far higher than 2.5" SAS SSD; if SSD is the requirement, the 8-Bay 2.5" SFF chassis is the right platform.
• Modest capacity ceiling. 8 x 20 TB (160 TB raw) is the upper bound. For larger capacity tiers, the 12-Bay R750xs or an R750 chassis is the right call.
• Acoustic and weight profile. Eight active HDDs are loud, and a full chassis exceeds 60 lbs. Data-center placement and a two-person lift apply.

Workload Fit

Where to Look Instead

• Need 12 LFF bays? The R750xs 12-Bay 3.5" adds 50 percent more capacity per node.
• Need SFF drives or NVMe? The R750xs 8-Bay 2.5" brings the Universal Backplane with NVMe.
• Need the dual-socket flagship for LFF capacity? The R750 12-Bay 3.5" is the flagship envelope.
• Cost-primary at 14th gen? The R540 8-Bay 3.5" or R540 12-Bay 3.5" (Cascade Lake, lower cost).
• Need 1U LFF capacity? The R650xs 4-Bay 3.5" is the 1U companion platform.

Ready to Configure?

Tell us your capacity target, workload type (NAS, backup, Ceph, or archive), memory target, network speed requirement, and quantity. We respond within 24 hours and will quote both the R750xs 8-Bay LFF and the R540 8-Bay LFF for a generational cost comparison where relevant. Volume pricing applies at 5 units and above.

Every Wholesale Servers R750xs ships after a 12+ hour burn-in test covering every drive bay, memory channel, and PCIe slot. Standard 180-day warranty included, with 1-Year, 2-Year, and 3-Year Premium warranty options available. Call 1-800-778-1545 or use the quote form on this page to start a configuration.