Dell PowerEdge R520
The PowerEdge R520 is a 2U dual-socket value rack server built on Intel Xeon E5-2400 processors, designed for cost-sensitive enterprise storage and backup applications. Featuring eight 3.5-inch hot-swap drive bays and redundant power, it continues to serve budget storage and archiving clusters.
Also written as: PowerEdge R520, Dell R520, R520 Rack Server
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | PowerEdge R |
| Form factor | 2U rack |
| Released | May 2012 |
| End of sale | May 2016 |
| End of support | May 2021 |
| Cpu sockets | 2 |
| Cpu platform | Intel Xeon E5-2400 and E5-2400 v2 series processors |
| Memory slots | 12 |
| Memory type | DDR3 ECC RDIMM/UDIMM up to 1600 MT/s |
| Drive bays | Up to 8x 3.5in hot-plug SAS/SATA drives |
| Pcie slots | Up to 4x PCIe Gen3 slots |
| Power supply | Dual hot-plug redundant PSUs (495W, 750W) |
Generations
- Next generation: Dell PowerEdge R530
Works together
How the Dell PowerEdge R520 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 MDS-9710 14U director chassis
Dell Connectrix MDS-9706 9U director chassis
Dell Connectrix MDS-9148S 1U switch
Dell Connectrix MP-7840B 2U switch
Storage
Dell PowerVault MD3660F 4U rack
Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD2500 2U controller + shelves
Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD4200 2U controller + shelves
Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD4500 2U controller + shelves
Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD7200 2U controller + shelves
Dell PowerVault MD3600F 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 N2024 1U switch
Dell PowerSwitch N2024P 1U switch
Dell PowerSwitch N2048 1U switch
Dell PowerSwitch N2048P 1U switch
Storage
- Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD2500 2U controller + shelves
- Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD4200 2U controller + shelves
- Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD4500 2U controller + shelves
- Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD7200 2U controller + shelves
Dell PowerVault MD3600i 2U rack
Dell PowerVault MD3620i 2U rack
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 MD1200 2U rack
Dell PowerVault MD1220 2U rack
Dell PowerVault MD1400 2U rack
Dell PowerVault MD1420 2U rack
Dell PowerVault MD3200 2U rack
Dell PowerVault MD3220 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 N2024 1U switch
- Dell PowerSwitch N2024P 1U switch
- Dell PowerSwitch N2048 1U switch
- Dell PowerSwitch N2048P 1U switch
Storage
Dell PowerStore 7000T 2U rack
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
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 R520.
- 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
What processors are utilized in the PowerEdge R520?
The R520 runs Intel Xeon E5-2400 and E5-2400 v2 processors on LGA 1356 sockets, offering cost-effective compute for mid-range storage workloads.
What drive capacity does the R520 accommodate?
It provides 8 hot-plug 3.5-inch drive bays supporting high-capacity SAS and SATA hard drives for bulk network storage and backup targets.
Buying or selling R520?
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 R520 Support Overview, checked 2026-10-27
- Dell PowerEdge R520 Technical Documentation, checked 2026-10-27