Dell PowerEdge FX FC430
The PowerEdge FC430 is an innovative quarter-width compute sled that houses dual Intel Xeon E5-2600 v4 processors in an ultra-dense modular format. Fitting up to eight independent sleds in a single 2U FX2 enclosure, it allows organizations to run 16 dual-socket nodes across a standard 4U deployment.
Also written as: PowerEdge FC430, Dell FC430, FC430 Quarter-Width Sled
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | PowerEdge FX |
| Form factor | blade |
| Released | Mar 2015 |
| End of sale | May 2018 |
| End of support | May 2023 |
| Cpu sockets | 2 |
| Cpu platform | Intel Xeon E5-2600 v3 and E5-2600 v4 series processors |
| Memory slots | 8 |
| Memory type | DDR4 ECC RDIMM up to 2400 MT/s |
| Drive bays | Up to 2x 1.8in uSATA SSDs or 1x 1.8in SSD with front InfiniBand mezzanine |
| Chassis compatibility | PowerEdge FX2 and FX2s enclosures |
Works together
How the Dell PowerEdge FX FC430 connects to servers, storage and the network: 4 ways, with the parts and products on each path.
Fibre Channel SAN
Match the speed: 16Gb and 32Gb FC HBAs, switches and array ports work together, and each generation also runs one or two speeds below its own (a 32Gb port runs at 16Gb and 8Gb).
Adapters for the server (check the fit list)
540-BBUU Dell Emulex LPe31002 Dual Port 16Gb Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter
540-BBUV Dell QLogic 2692 Dual Port 16Gb Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter
540-BCMS Dell QLogic 2770 Single Port 32Gb Fibre Channel PCIe Adapter
540-BCMT Dell QLogic 2772 Dual Port 32Gb Fibre Channel PCIe Adapter
Switches
Dell Connectrix MP-7840B 2U switch
Dell Connectrix MDS-9396S 2U switch
Dell Connectrix ED-DCX6-4B 9U director chassis
Dell Connectrix ED-DCX6-8B 14U director chassis
Storage
Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD9500 2U controller + shelves
Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD6300 2U appliance
Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD6800 2U controller + shelves
Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD9300 2U controller + shelves
Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD9800 2U controller + shelves
Dell PowerVault MD3800F 2U rack
Optics
iSCSI and NVMe/TCP over Ethernet
Keep the speed the same at all three points: a 25GbE server, a 25GbE switch port and a 25GbE array port. Mixed speeds work but the slowest link sets the pace.
Adapters for the server (check the fit list)
540-BBGN Dell Broadcom 57412 Dual Port 10GbE SFP+ PCIe Adapter
540-BBGO Dell Broadcom 57416 Dual Port 10GBASE-T RJ45 PCIe Adapter
540-BBGP Dell Broadcom 57416 Dual Port 10GBASE-T RJ45 OCP 3.0 Adapter
540-BBGY Dell Broadcom 57414 Dual Port 10/25GbE SFP28 PCIe Low Profile Network Adapter
Switches
Dell PowerSwitch N1524 1U switch
Dell PowerSwitch N1524P 1U switch
Dell PowerSwitch N1548 1U switch
Dell PowerSwitch N1548P 1U switch
Storage
- Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD9500 2U controller + shelves
Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD2200 2U appliance- Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD6300 2U appliance
- Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD6800 2U controller + shelves
- Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD9300 2U controller + shelves
- Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD9800 2U controller + shelves
Optics
Direct-attached SAS
12Gb SAS uses Mini-SAS HD (SFF-8644) connectors; older 6Gb gear uses Mini-SAS (SFF-8088). Adapter cables exist, but the link runs at the slower speed.
Adapters for the server (check the fit list)
405-AANT Dell 12Gbps SAS HBA Dual Port External PCIe Controller
405-AASU Dell HBA355e External SAS 12Gb/s Host Bus Adapter
HBA465E Dell HBA465e External Host Bus Adapter
Storage
Dell PowerVault MD1400 2U rack
Dell PowerVault MD1420 2U rack
Dell PowerVault MD3400 2U rack
Dell PowerVault MD3420 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge MX5016s blade
Dell PowerStore NVMe Expansion Enclosure (ENS24) 2U rack
File storage (NFS and SMB)
Front-end ports face the clients; back-end ports (on scale-out systems) connect the nodes to each other and need their own switch pair.
Adapters for the server (check the fit list)
- 540-BBGN Dell Broadcom 57412 Dual Port 10GbE SFP+ PCIe Adapter
- 540-BBGO Dell Broadcom 57416 Dual Port 10GBASE-T RJ45 PCIe Adapter
- 540-BBGP Dell Broadcom 57416 Dual Port 10GBASE-T RJ45 OCP 3.0 Adapter
- 540-BBGY Dell Broadcom 57414 Dual Port 10/25GbE SFP28 PCIe Low Profile Network Adapter
Switches
- Dell PowerSwitch N1524 1U switch
- Dell PowerSwitch N1524P 1U switch
- Dell PowerSwitch N1548 1U switch
- Dell PowerSwitch N1548P 1U switch
Storage
Dell Unity 300 2U rack
Dell Unity 300F 2U rack
Dell Unity 400 2U rack
Dell Unity 400F 2U rack
Dell Unity 500 2U rack
Dell Unity 500F 2U rack
Optics
Plan and size it
- Draw this setup in the topology planner mrplanb.com
- Add up rack power and space rack-density.com
- Virtualization storage Ledger: scored storage platforms mrplanb.com
- SAN transport and NVMe over FC for backup mrplanb.com
- Dell E-Lab Navigator (Dell interoperability) dell.com
Check compatibility with Dell
Before you buy, confirm the exact configuration against the vendor's own lists: firmware levels, operating systems, adapters and optics that Dell has tested with the Dell PowerEdge FX FC430.
- Compatibility Dell E-Lab Navigator (storage and SAN interoperability) (free vendor sign-in)
- Support Dell Support: drivers, manuals and service tag lookup
Equivalent models from other brands
FAQ
How many FC430 sleds can be housed inside one FX2 chassis?
An FX2 chassis can house up to eight quarter-width FC430 sleds, yielding 16 Intel Xeon processors and 128 cores in just 2U of rack space.
What primary workloads target the FC430 quarter-width sled?
The FC430 is optimized for high-concurrency mid-tier web applications, dedicated hosting virtualization, and embarrassingly parallel batch jobs.
Buying or selling FC430?
New, refurbished or used. Tell us the quantity and condition and we connect you with a vetted reseller in your region, usually within one working day.
Sources
- Dell PowerEdge FC430 Support Overview, checked 2026-10-27
- Dell PowerEdge FC430 Technical Documentation, checked 2026-10-27