Dell PowerEdge R260
The Dell PowerEdge R260 is a 1U single-socket, short-depth rack server that Dell describes as a 17-inch chassis for near-edge and small business use. It takes one Intel Xeon 6 Performance, Xeon E-2400 or Pentium processor with DDR5 ECC unbuffered memory, and the chassis comes as 3.5-inch with two cabled drives or 2.5-inch with up to six. Dell announced it in May 2024 together with the T160 tower. The default power supply is a single 450 W unit, so it suits branch offices, light virtualization and file or print duties rather than clustered workloads.
Also written as: PowerEdge R260, Dell R260, R260 1U Server
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | PowerEdge R |
| Form factor | 1U rack (short-depth) |
| Released | May 2024 |
| Cpu sockets | 1 |
| Cpu platform | One Intel Xeon 6 Performance (6325P to 6377P), Xeon E-2400 series or Pentium G7400 / G7400T processor |
| Memory type | DDR5 ECC UDIMM (5600 MT/s default option; Dell lists DDR5-4800 with Xeon 6 Performance) |
| Drive bays | 3.5-inch chassis: up to 2 cabled HDD; 2.5-inch chassis: up to 6 hot-plug SAS or SATA, or 4 hot-plug drives plus 2 NVMe |
| Pcie slots | Optional Gen4 riser (Riser Config 1); no riser in the default configuration |
| Network onboard | Broadcom 5720 dual-port 1GbE LOM |
| Power supply | Single non-redundant cabled 450 W Platinum PSU by default; 200 to 240 V HLAC option for some chassis |
Generations
- Previous generation: Dell PowerEdge R250
Works together
How the Dell PowerEdge R260 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 DS-7720B 1U rack
Dell Connectrix MDS-9148T 1U rack
Dell Connectrix DS-6610B 1U rack
Dell Connectrix DS-6620B 1U rack
Storage
Dell PowerStore 1200T 2U rack
Dell PowerStore 3200T 2U rack
Dell PowerStore 5200T 2U rack
Dell PowerStore 9200T 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME5012 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME5024 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-BBHG Dell Intel X520/I350 2x10GbE SFP+ + 2x1GbE BASE-T Network Daughter Card (rNDC)
Switches
Dell PowerSwitch S5232F-ON 1U rack
Dell PowerSwitch Z9264F-ON 2U rack
Dell PowerSwitch S4112F-ON 1U rack
Dell PowerSwitch S4128F-ON 1U rack
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
Storage
- Dell PowerVault ME5012 2U rack
- Dell PowerVault ME5024 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME5084 5U rack
Dell PowerStore 7000T 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge MX5016s blade
Dell PowerVault ME4012 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-BBHG Dell Intel X520/I350 2x10GbE SFP+ + 2x1GbE BASE-T Network Daughter Card (rNDC)
Switches
- Dell PowerSwitch S5232F-ON 1U rack
- Dell PowerSwitch Z9264F-ON 2U rack
- Dell PowerSwitch S4112F-ON 1U rack
- Dell PowerSwitch S4128F-ON 1U rack
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 R260.
- 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 R260: what to check
Check which chassis is fitted (3.5-inch or 2.5-inch), since drive backplanes are not interchangeable. Confirm there is one fixed PSU rather than a redundant pair, ask which iDRAC9 licence is present, and test all memory slots with ePSA. Ask whether the optional BOSS-N1 boot card or a Gen4 riser is installed.
FAQ
What processors does the PowerEdge R260 support?
Dell lists Intel Xeon 6 Performance parts from the 6325P to the 6377P, Xeon E-2400 series parts such as the E-2436 (default), and Pentium G7400 and G7400T processors. It is a single-socket server.
Does the R260 have redundant power supplies?
No. Dell's configurator lists a single, non-redundant, cabled 450 W Platinum PSU as the default, with a 200 to 240 V HLAC option on some chassis.
What memory does the PowerEdge R260 use?
DDR5 ECC unbuffered DIMMs. Dell's page lists a 5600 MT/s UDIMM as the default type, with 16 GB and 32 GB module sizes shown.
Buying or selling R260?
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 R260 product page and technical specifications, checked 2026-10-27
- Dell PowerEdge R260 manuals and documents, checked 2026-10-27
- StorageReview, Dell PowerEdge T160 and R260 announcement, 14 May 2024, checked 2026-10-27