Home › Servers › Dell

Dell PowerEdge R540

End of saleServers2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R5402U rack12 × LFF 3.5" bays2 sockets

The Dell PowerEdge R540 is an enterprise 2U rack server powered by 2 Intel Xeon Scalable 1st Gen (Skylake) and 2nd Gen (Cascade Lake) and 16 memory slots supporting up to 512GB DDR4-2666 / DDR4-2933 RDIMM. Configured with Up to 12x 3.5-inch SAS/SATA drives and Up to 5 PCIe Gen3 slots, the R540 delivers balanced compute and I/O density for enterprise database, hypervisor, and application workloads.

Also written as: PowerEdge R540, Dell R540, R540 2U Server

Buy Dell PowerEdge R540Sell yours

Specifications

BrandDell
FamilyPowerEdge R
Form factor2U rack
ReleasedSep 2017
End of saleMay 2023
End of supportJun 2028
Cpu sockets2
Cpu platformIntel Xeon Scalable 1st Gen (Skylake) and 2nd Gen (Cascade Lake), up to 20 cores, 125W TDP
Memory slots16
Memory typeDDR4-2666 / DDR4-2933 RDIMM
Memory max (GB)512
Drive baysUp to 12x 3.5-inch SAS/SATA drives (plus optional 2x rear 3.5-inch drives)
Pcie slotsUp to 5 PCIe Gen3 slots
Gpu supportNone supported
Network onboard2x 1GbE LOM ports; optional LOM Mezzanine slot; 1x 1GbE iDRAC port
Power supplyDual redundant hot-plug 495W, 750W or 1100W

Generations

About the R540

The Dell PowerEdge R540 is an enterprise 2U rack server engineered for computing and virtualization workloads. Powered by 2 Intel Xeon Scalable 1st Gen (Skylake) and 2nd Gen (Cascade Lake) across 16 memory slots supporting up to 512GB DDR4-2666 / DDR4-2933 RDIMM, the R540 balances throughput and memory capacity. In Dell's server catalog, the R540 succeeded the POWEREDGE-R530 and was followed by the POWEREDGE-R550, positioned alongside rival systems including PROLIANT-DL380-GEN10.

Options and compatibility

Processor support on the R540 utilizes 2 LGA3647 (Socket P0) sockets with thermal heatsinks matching CPU power envelopes. System memory slots on the R540 require DDR4-2666 / DDR4-2933 RDIMM modules, and mixing RDIMM with LRDIMM memory is not supported. The R540 chassis utilizes X7K8W (3.5-inch LFF) drive trays across its 3.5-inch storage bays. Networking on the R540 uses Network Daughter Card (NDC), and expansion cards install into Up to 5 PCIe Gen3 slots risers.

How to identify it

Physical identification of the R540 is verified by the 14th-generation silver-gray brushed aluminum honeycomb bezel with the R540 badge on the front chassis ear. The pull-out information tag on the R540 control panel displays the 7-character Dell Service Tag and default login credentials. In iDRAC9, the server identifies as R540 with active firmware, slot mapping, and power telemetry.

Buying used

When evaluating a pre-owned R540, inspect the LGA3647 (Socket P0) CPU socket pins for damage and ensure retention clips are intact. Run Dell ePSA diagnostics across all 16 memory slots of the R540 to verify zero uncorrectable ECC faults under load. Verify that redundant power supplies in the R540 match in wattage and that iDRAC9 Enterprise remote console is enabled. Ensure required R540 drive caddies and bracket accessories are present.

Compatible parts

Bezels

Memory

Hard drives

Boot devices

SSDs

RAID controllers

HBAs

Power supplies

TPM modules

Network adapters

OCP adapters

Rail kits

Drive caddies

Works together

How the Dell PowerEdge R540 connects to servers, storage and the network: 4 ways, with the parts and products on each path.

Fibre Channel SANiSCSI and NVMe/TCP over EthernetDirect-attached SASFile storage (NFS and SMB)

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)

Switches

Storage

Optics

Fibre Channel SAN: how it fits together

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)

iSCSI and NVMe/TCP over Ethernet: how it fits together

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)

Storage

Direct-attached SAS: how it fits together

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)

Storage

File storage (NFS and SMB): how it fits together

Plan and size it

Equivalent models from other brands

FAQ

What is the maximum drive capacity of the R540?

Up to 14x 3.5-inch SAS/SATA drives (12 front bays and 2 rear drive bays).

What processors work in the R540?

Intel Xeon Scalable 1st and 2nd Gen processors up to 20 cores with TDP up to 125W (e.g. Silver 4210, Gold 5215).

Buying or selling R540?

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.

Buy R540Sell yours

Sources