{"product_id":"dell-poweredge-t560-8-bay-3-5-chassis","title":"CONFIGURE \u0026 QUOTE - Dell PowerEdge T560 8-Bay 3.5\" Tower [16th Gen: New]","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe T560 8-Bay 3.5\" is the entry LFF configuration of Dell’s 16th gen tower platform: eight 3.5\" hot-swap bays instead of the canonical 12, with everything else about the platform identical. We deploy this variant when a buyer wants current-gen Sapphire Rapids or Emerald Rapids compute with bulk LFF storage but the workload only needs 8 spindles, not 12. Veeam backup repositories for smaller sites, single-server file servers, and ROBO virtualization hosts at offices where 8 large drives is genuinely enough are the typical fit.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you need more LFF capacity, look at the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dell-poweredge-t560-12-bay-3-5-chassis\"\u003eT560 12-Bay 3.5\"\u003c\/a\u003e instead. The cost delta is usually small relative to the per-bay capacity gain, and most customers who land here end up moving to the 12-Bay during quote.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhat’s Different About This Chassis\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eOnly one thing: 8 LFF bays instead of 12. Same motherboard, same processor support, same memory architecture, same RAID controller options, same OCP networking, same iDRAC9 management, same PSU lineup, same GPU envelope. This is the same platform with a less-populated front backplane.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhen the 8-Bay 3.5\" is the right call: \u003c\/strong\u003eBackup target with sub-100 TB raw capacity needs. ROBO file servers where 8 × 16 TB NL-SAS (128 TB raw, ~96 TB usable RAID 6) is comfortably more than the office’s data footprint. Small-business primary servers where the buyer is sizing for 5-year growth, not 10. The lower drive count also means fewer fans needed in the storage cage area, which marginally improves acoustics under bulk-storage workloads.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhen to step up to the 12-Bay 3.5\" instead: \u003c\/strong\u003eIf backup retention is growing year-over-year, if a future Veeam expansion is plausible, if RAID 60 is on the table (which wants more spindles), or if the buyer is hedging against capacity needs they can’t fully predict. Going from 8 to 12 bays costs less than upgrading the entire server in three years.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eProcessors, Memory, RAID, Networking, GPU, PSU, Management\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll shared with the T560 12-Bay 3.5\" canonical page. The processors are 4th Gen Sapphire Rapids and 5th Gen Emerald Rapids in the same socket (drop-in compatible, the modern equivalent of the 14th gen V1\/V2 pattern). Memory is 16 DDR5 RDIMM slots, 1.5 TB max, 4800 MT\/s on 4th gen \/ 5200 MT\/s on 5th gen. Top RAID pick is the PERC H965i (Series 12, 8 GB FBWC, tri-mode SAS4\/SATA\/Gen4 NVMe). Networking is OCP 3.0 plus 2 × 1 GbE LOM. Up to 6 PCIe slots. GPU envelope is up to 2 × 300W double-wide or 6 × 75W single-wide. PSU options span 600W to 2800W, all hot-swap redundant. Management is iDRAC9 Enterprise (NOT iDRAC10; iDRAC10 is 17th gen). Boot is BOSS-N1 (NVMe M.2 hardware RAID 1, hot-swap).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSee the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dell-poweredge-t560-12-bay-3-5-chassis\"\u003eT560 12-Bay 3.5\" page\u003c\/a\u003e for the full platform breakdown: specific CPU SKU recommendations, memory population guidance, RAID controller comparison, GPU thermal tradeoffs, and physical specs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eRAID Guidance for the 8-Bay LFF Array\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn 8 large-capacity spinning drives, our default is RAID 6 with 1 hot spare (6 data + 2 parity + 1 hot spare on the H965i is supported with the 8-bay backplane). RAID 5 is not viable at 16 TB+ drive capacity for the same rebuild-risk reasons as the 12-Bay; we’ll quote it only with explicit written acknowledgement.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRAID 10 is on the table for IOPS-sensitive workloads (databases on spinning disk) where capacity is less important than write performance. 8 × 16 TB in RAID 10 yields 64 TB usable with much better small-block write performance than RAID 6.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor SAS SSD-based 8-Bay configurations, RAID 5 becomes acceptable again (SSD rebuild times are dramatically shorter than HDD), and the H965i’s 8 GB FBWC really earns its cost. If the workload is SQL Server or a similar transactional database on SSD, this is the configuration we’d spec.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePower Supplies\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\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\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLight (single Silver 4416Y+, partial RAM, 8 spinning HDDs)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2 × 800W Platinum\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~400W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBalanced (dual Gold 6526Y, 512 GB RAM, 8 NL-SAS, H965i)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2 × 1100W Titanium\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~650W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHeavy (dual Gold 6548Y+, 1 TB RAM, 8 SAS SSD, 2 × L40S)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2 × 2400W Platinum\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~1750W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\u003cp\u003ePeak draw is roughly 100W lower than the 12-Bay 3.5\" in equivalent CPU and memory configurations, reflecting the four fewer spinning drives.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eOur Assessment\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 8-Bay 3.5\" is the right call when the workload is genuinely bounded at 8 LFF spindles and the buyer doesn’t want to pay for capacity they won’t use. Backup targets sized to current dataset, ROBO file servers in offices with predictable growth, single-server department file shares: this is where the 8-Bay lands well.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt’s the wrong call when capacity needs are growing or uncertain, when RAID 60 is being considered (12 bays is the minimum spindle count for a credible RAID 60 layout), or when the per-bay cost delta to the 12-Bay 3.5\" gets overshadowed by future expansion needs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBottom line: \u003c\/strong\u003eBuy this when 8 LFF bays is the right answer to a known workload. If the answer is \"I don’t know yet, maybe more,\" step up to the 12-Bay 3.5\" sibling and avoid the upgrade conversation later.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWorkload Fit Matrix\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eWhat this server excels at ✅\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eWhere to look elsewhere instead ❌\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSmall to mid-size backup repositories (sub-100 TB)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBackup growth scenarios (use 12-Bay 3.5\")\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eROBO file servers with predictable capacity\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRAID 60 layouts needing 12+ spindles\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSmall business primary servers\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWorkloads \u0026gt; 1.5 TB memory (use R660\/R760)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDepartmental file shares\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSFF-density workloads (use 8-Bay or 16-Bay 2.5\")\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDatabase on SSD with H965i write cache\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRack-dense datacenter deployments\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\u003ch2\u003eHonest Limitations\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLower-spindle RAID 6 has less performance headroom. \u003c\/strong\u003eRAID 6 across 8 drives means 2 parity drives out of 8, leaving 6 data spindles. On the 12-Bay 3.5\", that’s 10 data spindles for the same parity overhead. If small-block random write performance matters, the 12-Bay’s extra data spindles are a real number.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExpansion isn’t a backplane swap. \u003c\/strong\u003eIf you outgrow the 8-Bay 3.5\", you can’t simply add four more drives. The backplane is the 8-bay variant of the chassis backplane. Moving to 12 bays requires the 12-bay chassis. Plan accordingly.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlatform-level limitations from the canonical apply here too. \u003c\/strong\u003e1.5 TB memory ceiling, 5200 MT\/s memory speed ceiling on Emerald Rapids, no DLC option, rail kit sold separately, and acoustic profile that steps up under heavy CPU\/GPU load. See the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dell-poweredge-t560-12-bay-3-5-chassis\"\u003eT560 12-Bay 3.5\" page\u003c\/a\u003e for full platform limitation detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eGeneration Context\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe T560 is Dell’s current 16th gen tower platform (4th Gen Sapphire Rapids and 5th Gen Emerald Rapids, same socket). It replaced the 15th gen T550 (Ice Lake) and represents a meaningful jump in processor generation, memory bandwidth (DDR5), and PCIe generation (Gen5). Forward investment horizon runs through 2030 at minimum.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003evs. T560 12-Bay 3.5\" (canonical sibling): \u003c\/strong\u003eThe only difference is the front backplane: 8 LFF bays here versus 12. Same platform fundamentals on both pages. Pick the 8-Bay when 8 spindles is enough; pick the 12-Bay when capacity headroom or RAID 60 is on the table.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003evs. T560 SFF siblings (\u003ca href=\"\/products\/dell-poweredge-t560-8-bay-2-5-chassis\"\u003e8-Bay 2.5\"\u003c\/a\u003e \/ \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dell-poweredge-t560-16-bay-2-5-chassis\"\u003e16-Bay 2.5\"\u003c\/a\u003e): \u003c\/strong\u003ePick the 2.5\" siblings when the workload is SSD-heavy or NVMe-heavy and IOPS density matters more than per-bay capacity. The LFF variants are about bulk storage; the SFF variants are about IOPS and PCIe NVMe.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003evs. 17th gen (no tower yet): \u003c\/strong\u003eDell has not released a 17th gen tower as of 2026. The T560 is therefore Dell’s current-generation tower for the foreseeable future.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eRequest a Quote\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTell us your workload, target memory capacity, storage requirements (drives and RAID level), GPU plans if any, and quantity. Our account team will put together a tailored T560 8-Bay 3.5\" quote within 24 hours. Volume pricing applies at 5 units and above. 12+ hour burn-in test on every server. 180-day standard warranty included; 1, 2, and 3-year Premium warranty options available.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePhone: 1-800-778-1545. Address: 70 Buford Highway, Suwanee, GA 30024. CAGE Code: 85RK3.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dell","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45951455625415,"sku":"LM-PXCL-XYWZ","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0748\/4493\/0247\/files\/dell-poweredge-t560-24-bay-25-chassis-5409270.jpg?v=1765539927","url":"https:\/\/wholesaleservers.com\/products\/dell-poweredge-t560-8-bay-3-5-chassis","provider":"Wholesale Servers","version":"1.0","type":"link"}