Refurbished Dell PowerEdge R830 16-Bay 2.5", configured to order: Dell's 13th-generation 2U four-socket rack server, built on the Intel Grantley platform with up to four Intel Xeon E5-4600 v4 processors, up to 88 cores, and up to 48 DDR4 DIMM slots feeding as much as 3 TB of memory. The 16-Bay chassis is the higher-density storage configuration of the R830, pairing four-socket scale-up compute with sixteen 2.5" hot-swap SAS/SATA front bays in a 2U envelope.

What makes the R830 worth knowing is the form factor. Four-socket compute usually means a 4U flagship (the R920, R930, and later R940). The R830 puts four sockets into 2U using the Processor Expansion Module (PEM), which is the right call when you need four-socket licensing economics or core density but want roughly twice the rack efficiency of a 4U platform. We reach for the 16-Bay specifically when local storage density matters alongside that compute: dense virtualization hosts, Oracle RAC nodes, mid-tier in-memory databases, and SQL Server consolidation where per-core licensing rewards the E5-4600 v4 high-frequency parts.

To configure a build, call our team at 1-800-778-1545 or use the quote form on this page. Every R830 we ship carries a 180-day warranty and completes a 12+ hour burn-in across every populated socket, memory channel, and drive bay before it leaves the bench. Volume pricing applies at 5 units and up, and our account team returns formal B2B quotes within 24 hours.

Where the R830 Fits in the Family

The R830 occupies an unusual slot in Dell's 13th-generation lineup: it is the only four-socket platform of its generation that fits in 2U. Every other 13th-gen four-socket Dell is 4U (the R930 flagship), and the mainstream rack servers below it (R630, R730) are two-socket machines on the E5-2600 v3/v4 platform. The R830 is purpose-built around the Processor Expansion Module, which lets the chassis start as a two-socket server using the 24 motherboard DIMM slots and scale to four sockets and 48 DIMM slots when the PEM riser is added.

Within the R830 family there are two chassis: this 16-Bay 2.5" configuration and the lower-density 8-Bay. The 16-Bay is the one we treat as the reference build because most R830 buyers pairing four-socket compute with local storage want the spindle count. The 8-Bay companion makes sense when eight SFF drives cover the requirement and acquisition cost is the priority. Above the R830 sits the R930, Dell's 4U four-socket flagship with E7-8800 v4 processors, 96 DIMM slots, and a 12 TB memory ceiling; the R930 is the platform when you need more than 3 TB of memory or the absolute maximum core count.

Storage - 16 2.5" Bays

The 16-Bay chassis presents sixteen 2.5" SAS/SATA hot-swap front bays. This is the dense SFF configuration of the R830. The platform is SFF-only: there is no 3.5" LFF chassis option, and the front backplane is SAS/SATA only. There is no front-bay NVMe on the R830; the only PCIe flash path is an add-in NVMe card consuming a PCIe slot, which is rare in practice. If you need front NVMe or LFF capacity drives, that is a signal to look at a different platform (see the alternatives below).

Drive support spans 15K and 10K SAS HDDs, 7.2K nearline SAS, and the full SAS/SATA SSD range, so you can build cost-optimized capacity tiers or all-flash datastores in the same chassis.

Common 16-Bay configurations

• 16 x 1.92 TB SAS SSD: volume dense-virtualization build. Roughly 21 TB usable at RAID 60 with a hot spare. A strong VM host with substantial local datastore.
• 16 x 3.84 TB SAS SSD: higher-capacity virtualization or database datastore, roughly 45 TB usable at RAID 60.
• 16 x 1.6 TB Mixed-Use SAS SSD: write-intensive duty (SQL Server tempdb, transaction logs, write-heavy VDI) where endurance matters more than raw capacity.
• 2 x SSD boot mirror + 14 x SSD data: all-flash with a front-bay RAID 1 boot pair and fourteen data drives.

Boot

The R830 predates the BOSS module (a 14th-gen feature), so there is no dedicated M.2 boot card. Two boot paths are common: a front-bay RAID 1 SSD mirror (consumes two of the sixteen bays, leaving fourteen for data), or the Internal Dual SD Module (IDSDM), a mirrored pair of SD cards that keeps all sixteen front bays free for data on ESXi or Hyper-V hosts. For hypervisor-only deployments we usually quote IDSDM; for general-purpose OS installs we quote the front-bay mirror.

Storage Controllers

The R830 uses the same 13th-gen PERC family as the R630 and R730, in the Mini Mono (mini-PERC) slot plus PCIe add-in options. We do not quote software RAID for production; the S130 chipset option is dev/test only.

• PERC H730P (2 GB NV cache, battery-backed): the production default. Full RAID 0/1/5/6/10/50/60 across the 16-bay array, and the controller we quote for write-intensive or mixed workloads where the cache earns its keep.
• PERC H730 (1 GB cache, battery-backed): the budget-aware choice. Fine for read-heavy or modest write workloads; on a dense write-heavy array the H730P is worth the difference.
• PERC H330 (no cache): entry-tier hardware RAID for light workloads or where the array is mostly pass-through.
• 12 Gbps SAS HBA (pass-through): the non-RAID option for software-defined storage stacks (vSAN, Storage Spaces Direct, Ceph, ZFS) that want raw disk.
• PERC H830 (external): for attaching an external SAS storage shelf beyond the sixteen internal bays.

Note the R830 lineup stops at the H730P. There is no PERC H740P or HBA330 here; those are 14th-gen controllers and do not apply to this platform.

Processors

The R830 runs two or four Intel Xeon E5-4600 v4 (Broadwell-EP) processors on the LGA 2011-3 socket and the Intel C612 chipset. Two-socket builds use the motherboard sockets only; four-socket builds require the Processor Expansion Module, which carries the third and fourth sockets and their 24 DIMM slots. The earlier E5-4600 v3 (Haswell-EP) parts are platform-compatible, but we quote v4 for any current deployment.

Common E5-4600 v4 choices

• E5-4669 v4 (22 cores, 2.2 GHz, 135W): the maximum-core part. Four sockets total 88 cores and 176 threads, for the densest consolidation.
• E5-4667 v4 (18 cores, 2.2 GHz, 135W): high core count with strong clocks; 72 cores across four sockets. A common dense-virtualization pick.
• E5-4650 v4 (14 cores, 2.2 GHz, 105W): the volume balanced part. 56 cores across four sockets at a more forgiving TDP.
• E5-4640 v4 (12 cores, 2.1 GHz, 105W): cost-effective mid-tier, and the floor for full-speed 2400 MT/s memory.
• E5-4620 v4 (10 cores, 2.1 GHz, 105W): the entry part for buyers who need four-socket scale more than per-socket performance.

Memory speed depends on the CPU. The E5-4640 v4 and higher run DDR4 at 2400 MT/s; the E5-4620 v4 and below cap at 2133 MT/s. If memory bandwidth is load-bearing for your workload, specify the E5-4640 v4 or higher.

Heatsink and population notes. All four sockets in a 2U chassis at 105 to 135W each is a real thermal load; we ship four-socket builds with the high-performance heatsinks and verify fan population. When scaling a two-socket R830 to four sockets later, the added CPUs should match the installed pair (same SKU and stepping where possible); mixed-SKU four-socket builds run but are not ideal.

Memory

The R830 carries 24 DDR4 DIMM slots on the motherboard for the two onboard sockets, and the Processor Expansion Module adds 24 more for a total of 48 when fully configured. Each socket has four memory channels with three DIMMs per channel. The platform takes RDIMMs or LRDIMMs; do not mix the two types, and UDIMMs are not supported.

Maximum memory is 3 TB using 64 GB LRDIMMs across all 48 slots. Speed runs up to 2400 MT/s on the E5-4640 v4 and higher, 2133 MT/s below that. Intel Optane Persistent Memory is not supported; PMem arrived with Cascade Lake on Dell's 14th-gen platforms, so it is not part of the R830 conversation.

Practical memory configurations

• 512 GB (16 x 32 GB RDIMM, two-socket): a sensible starting point for a build that will add the PEM later.
• 1.5 TB (24 x 64 GB LRDIMM, four-socket): the volume four-socket configuration. Strong for dense virtualization at 50 to 100 VMs per host or a mid-tier in-memory database.
• 3 TB (48 x 64 GB LRDIMM, four-socket, fully populated): the maximum, for deployments that genuinely target the 3 TB ceiling.

Networking and PCIe Expansion

Network connectivity comes from a Dell rack Network Daughter Card (rNDC), which does not consume a PCIe slot. The R830 rNDC options are the Broadcom 5720 quad-port 1GbE, the Broadcom 57800S with two 10GbE BASE-T plus two 1GbE, and the Broadcom 57800S with two 10GbE SFP+ plus two 1GbE. For most four-socket workloads we quote the 10GbE rNDC and add 25GbE on a PCIe NIC if the workload warrants it.

The chassis provides seven PCIe Gen3 slots across three risers, with one slot dedicated to the storage controller. The usable budget covers additional 10/25GbE NICs, a Fibre Channel HBA for SAN connectivity, the PERC H830 or a 12 Gbps SAS HBA for external storage, and the occasional PCIe NVMe card. The exact slot layout depends on whether the PEM is installed, so we confirm the riser configuration against your expansion list at quote time.

GPU Support

The R830 is not a GPU platform, and we are direct about that. Its PCIe risers, power design, and 2U thermal envelope are built for four-socket compute and memory density, not for double-width accelerators. There is no factory GPU enablement kit of the kind the R730 and R740 offer. A single-width, low-power card is physically possible in a spare slot, but if GPU acceleration is a real workload requirement, the R830 is the wrong chassis. For GPU compute, the R730 (13th gen) or R740 (14th gen) are the right platforms, and we are happy to quote those instead.

Management - iDRAC8 Generation

The R830 ships with iDRAC8 and Lifecycle Controller. iDRAC8 Express is the default; we recommend iDRAC8 Enterprise for any production deployment because it adds remote KVM, virtual media, and full out-of-band power and hardware management. Lifecycle Controller handles firmware updates and driver staging, and the platform integrates with Dell OpenManage and is IPMI 2.0 compliant. iDRAC Quick Sync (the NFC bezel option) is available for at-the-rack mobile management.

Relative to the iDRAC9 on Dell's 14th-gen servers, iDRAC8 lacks the Silicon Root of Trust hardware boot-integrity feature and System Lockdown mode. For most refurbished four-socket deployments that is not a blocker, but if firmware integrity attestation is a procurement requirement, it is a real difference to weigh.

Power and Cooling

The R830 takes two hot-plug redundant power supplies, and both units must match. The options are 750W Platinum, 1100W, and 1600W Platinum, all auto-ranging. The 1600W unit is the volume specification for any four-socket build: four CPUs at 105 to 135W each, plus full memory, sixteen active drives, and PCIe expansion, approaches or passes 1100W under load. The 750W units are appropriate only for lighter two-socket configurations.

Four CPUs in 2U is a genuine cooling load. The chassis manages it with high-airflow fans, but datacenter ambient temperature matters; warm-aisle deployments should account for the thermal headroom and verify rack PDU capacity for two 1600W supplies per server.

Physical Specs & Platform Notes

• Form factor: 2U rack chassis, sixteen 2.5" SFF front bays, mounted on Dell ReadyRails II sliding rails for tool-less installation in four-post square-hole or unthreaded round-hole racks.
• PCIe expansion: seven PCIe Gen3 slots across three risers (two x16 full-height, one x8 full-height, three x8 half-height, plus a dedicated controller slot), with the exact layout dependent on PEM installation.
• Parts availability: the 13th-gen platform is mature and broadly serviceable, but the R830 installed base is smaller than the volume R630/R730 line, so E5-4600 v4 CPUs and PEM-specific parts are thinner on the secondary market. We stock against that.
• Accessories we recommend: the optional LCD bezel for at-a-glance status and physical security, the ReadyRails II rail kit, the tool-less cable management arm, and IDSDM SD cards if you are booting a hypervisor off SD.
• Platform notes: no front-bay NVMe (SAS/SATA backplane only), no BOSS module, no Optane PMem; PEM upgrades should match the existing CPU pair; four-socket builds require the 1600W PSUs and high-performance heatsinks.

Our Assessment

Where it excels: The R830 16-Bay is the right answer when you need four-socket scale and rack density at the same time. It is well suited to dense virtualization hosts running 100-plus VMs per node, Oracle RAC nodes where per-server core count drives licensing economics, mid-tier in-memory databases that fit inside 3 TB (SAP HANA mid-tier, large caches, real-time analytics), SQL Server consolidation on the high-frequency E5-4600 v4 parts, and HPC compute nodes where 2U-per-four-sockets beats a rack full of 4U flagships.

Where to look instead: If two sockets cover the workload, the four-socket premium is not worth paying and the two-socket Dell PowerEdge R630 10-Bay 2.5" saves real money. If you need more than 3 TB of memory or maximum four-socket core count, step up to the Dell PowerEdge R930 24-Bay 2.5" 4U flagship. If iDRAC9 platform currency or PCIe Gen4 is a requirement, the 14th-gen Dell PowerEdge R840 8-Bay 2.5" is the four-socket path forward.

Bottom line: For a buyer who needs four-socket compute, up to 3 TB of memory, and dense SFF storage in a space-efficient 2U chassis, the R830 16-Bay is the cost-correct 13th-gen call in 2026, and it undercuts a comparable 4U four-socket build on both rack space and acquisition price. It is the platform for the team that has sized the workload at four sockets and 3 TB or less and wants to stop paying for a 4U footprint they do not need.

Where the R830 Fits in 2026

In 2026 the R830 is a mature, well-understood refurbished platform two generations behind current Dell hardware. The 14th-gen four-socket line (R840, R940) brought Xeon Scalable CPUs, DDR4 at higher speeds, NVMe, BOSS, and iDRAC9; the 15th and 16th generations advanced further. Dell ProSupport on the 13th-gen line has reached end-of-service, so third-party maintenance is the standard production support path for these servers now.

None of that disqualifies the R830 for the right buyer. Four-socket E5-4600 v4 compute with 3 TB of memory still runs production virtualization, databases, and analytics perfectly well, and at refurbished pricing the value proposition against a new four-socket server is substantial. The honest framing: buy the R830 when the workload is sized and stable and the budget rewards proven hardware over platform currency; choose 14th-gen or newer when firmware-integrity features, NVMe, or longer vendor support windows are procurement requirements.

Honest Limitations

• 3 TB memory ceiling. The R830 tops out at 3 TB across 48 slots with 64 GB LRDIMMs. For more memory at four-socket scale, the R930 (12 TB) is the platform.
• SFF-only, SAS/SATA-only storage. No LFF chassis, no front-bay NVMe. Capacity-drive and NVMe-front workloads belong on a different platform.
• DDR4 2400 MT/s ceiling. Memory bandwidth tops out below 14th-gen platforms; for bandwidth-bound workloads the gap is real.
• iDRAC8, not iDRAC9. No Silicon Root of Trust, no System Lockdown. A weigh-it factor for compliance-sensitive procurement.
• 1600W PSUs required for four-socket builds. The 750W units only cover two-socket configurations; plan rack PDU capacity for two 1600W supplies per server.
• Four-socket cooling is demanding. Four 105 to 135W CPUs in 2U need sustained airflow; warm-ambient rooms should account for the headroom.
• Thinner parts pool than R630/R730. The smaller installed base means E5-4600 v4 CPUs and PEM-specific FRUs are less abundant on the secondary market.
• No direct 14th-gen 4-socket-in-2U successor. Dell moved four-socket consolidation to the R840 (2U) and R940 (3U) on the Scalable platform rather than continuing the exact R830 envelope; the R830 remains the unique 13th-gen answer for four sockets in 2U.

Workload Fit

Where to Look Instead

• Lower-density companion: the Dell PowerEdge R830 8-Bay 2.5" is the same platform with eight fewer bays, for builds where eight SFF drives are enough and cost is the priority.
• Same-generation flagship: the Dell PowerEdge R930 24-Bay 2.5" and the lower-storage Dell PowerEdge R930 4-Bay 2.5" are the 4U four-socket flagships with E7-8800 v4 CPUs, 96 DIMM slots, and a 12 TB ceiling.
• Two-socket step down: the Dell PowerEdge R630 10-Bay 2.5" is the 13th-gen two-socket workhorse for workloads that do not need four sockets.
• 14th-gen step up: the Dell PowerEdge R840 8-Bay 2.5" is the four-socket Scalable platform with iDRAC9, NVMe, and BOSS; the Dell PowerEdge R940 24-Bay 2.5" is the 3U scale-up flagship above it.
• Cross-vendor counterpart: the HPE ProLiant DL560 Gen9 8-Bay 2.5" is the comparable Grantley four-socket platform on the HPE side.

Ready to Configure?

Tell us your workload (virtualization, Oracle RAC, SAP HANA, SQL Server, HPC), target socket count (two or four), CPU SKU preference, memory capacity, drive count and type, RAID requirement, networking speed (10 or 25GbE), and quantity. For four-socket builds, let us know whether four sockets is the production target from the start or a planned scale-up via the PEM, and we will specify motherboard CPU population and the PEM accordingly. If you would like a side-by-side R830-versus-R930 comparison, say so and we will return both with formal pricing so the 2U-versus-4U and 3-TB-versus-12-TB decisions are grounded in current cost.

Every R830 ships after the 12+ hour burn-in described above and is covered by a 180-day warranty, with 1-Year, 2-Year, and 3-Year premium options available. Volume pricing applies at 5 units and up. Call 1-800-778-1545 or use the quote form on this page, and our account team will respond within 24 hours.