Dell PowerEdge R230
The Dell PowerEdge R230 is an affordable, short-depth 1U single-socket enterprise rack server built for small business file/print serving, web edge nodes, and dedicated firewall appliances. Driven by an Intel Xeon E3-1200 v5 or v6 processor, it supports up to 64GB of DDR4 ECC unbuffered memory and holds up to four 3.5-inch hard drives. With a shallow chassis depth of under 20 inches, the R230 installs into wall-mounted communication boxes and short telco racks where full-depth servers cannot fit. In the secondary market, it is an economical choice for home routing and light networking. Buyers should note the single fixed power supply.
Also written as: PowerEdge R230, Dell R230, R230 1U Server
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | PowerEdge R |
| Form factor | 1U rack |
| Released | Nov 2015 |
| End of sale | Feb 2019 |
| End of support | Mar 2024 |
| Cpu sockets | 1 |
| Cpu platform | Intel Xeon E3-1200 v5 and E3-1200 v6 Series Processors (up to 4 cores, 80W TDP) |
| Memory slots | 4 |
| Memory type | DDR4-2133 / DDR4-2400 ECC UDIMM |
| Memory max (GB) | 64 |
| Drive bays | Up to 4x 3.5-inch cabled or hot-swap SAS/SATA drives |
| Pcie slots | Up to 2 PCIe Gen3 slots |
| Gpu support | None supported |
| Network onboard | 2x 1GbE embedded LOM ports; 1x 1GbE iDRAC8 port |
| Power supply | Single cabled 250W Bronze PSU |
Generations
- Previous generation: Dell Poweredge R220
- Next generation: Dell PowerEdge R240
Compatible parts
RAID controllers
PERC-H330 Dell PERC H330 12Gb/s SAS Entry RAID / HBA Controller
Works together
How the Dell PowerEdge R230 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
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
Switches
Dell Connectrix DS-6610B 1U rack
Dell Connectrix DS-6620B 1U rack
Dell Connectrix MDS-9148T 1U rack
Dell Connectrix DS-7720B 1U rack
Storage
Dell Unity XT Unity 300 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME4024 2U rack
Dell Unity XT Unity 400 2U rack
Dell PowerStore 7000T 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME4012 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME4084 5U 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
540-BBRL Dell Intel X710 Quad Port 10GbE SFP+ Full-Height PCIe Adapter
Switches
Dell PowerSwitch S4148F-ON 1U rack
Dell PowerSwitch S4128F-ON 1U rack
Dell PowerSwitch S4112F-ON 1U rack
Dell PowerSwitch S5212F-ON 1U rack
Storage
- Dell Unity XT Unity 300 2U rack
- Dell PowerVault ME4024 2U rack
- Dell Unity XT Unity 400 2U rack
- Dell PowerStore 7000T 2U rack
- Dell PowerVault ME4012 2U rack
Dell Unity XT 380F 2U rack
Optics
407-BBOU Dell 10GbE SFP+ SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 300m MMF)
407-BCBF Dell 25GbE SFP28 SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 100m MMF)
SFP-10G-SR-AR Arista 10GBASE-SR SFP+ Optical Transceiver
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
405-AANT Dell 12Gbps SAS HBA Dual Port External PCIe Controller
Storage
Dell PowerVault MD1400 2U rack
Dell PowerVault MD3400 2U rack- Dell PowerVault ME4024 2U rack
Dell PowerVault MD1420 2U rack
Dell PowerVault MD3420 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge MX5016s blade
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
- 540-BBRL Dell Intel X710 Quad Port 10GbE SFP+ Full-Height PCIe Adapter
Switches
- Dell PowerSwitch S4148F-ON 1U rack
- Dell PowerSwitch S4128F-ON 1U rack
- Dell PowerSwitch S4112F-ON 1U rack
- Dell PowerSwitch S5212F-ON 1U rack
Storage
- Dell Unity XT Unity 300 2U rack
- Dell Unity XT Unity 400 2U rack
- Dell PowerStore 7000T 2U rack
- Dell Unity XT 380F 2U rack
Dell Unity XT 380XT 2U rack
Dell Unity XT 480F 2U rack
Optics
- 407-BBOU Dell 10GbE SFP+ SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 300m MMF)
- 407-BCBF Dell 25GbE SFP28 SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 100m MMF)
- SFP-10G-SR-AR Arista 10GBASE-SR SFP+ Optical Transceiver
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 R230.
- 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
Buying a used R230: what to check
Verify whether internal drive cabling or hot-swap trays are installed. Ensure ECC UDIMM memory is used, and check iDRAC8 license tier.
FAQ
How deep is the PowerEdge R230 chassis?
The R230 is exceptionally compact at under 20 inches (49.5 cm) deep, fitting shallow wall-mount cabinets.
Can the R230 have redundant power supplies?
No, the R230 has a single fixed 250W cabled power supply; the R330 offers dual redundant PSUs.
Buying or selling R230?
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 R230 Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27