Dell PowerEdge R550
The Dell PowerEdge R550 is an enterprise 2U rack server powered by 2 Intel Xeon Scalable 3rd Gen (up to 24 cores, 185W TDP) and 16 memory slots supporting up to 1024GB DDR4-2933 RDIMM. Configured with Up to 16x 2.5-inch SAS/SATA or 8x 3.5-inch SAS/SATA drives and Up to 3 PCIe Gen4 slots, the R550 delivers balanced compute and I/O density for enterprise database, hypervisor, and application workloads.
Also written as: PowerEdge R550, Dell R550, R550 2U Server
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | PowerEdge R |
| Form factor | 2U rack |
| Released | Jun 2021 |
| Cpu sockets | 2 |
| Cpu platform | Intel Xeon Scalable 3rd Gen (up to 24 cores, 185W TDP) |
| Memory slots | 16 |
| Memory type | DDR4-2933 RDIMM |
| Memory max (GB) | 1,024 |
| Drive bays | Up to 16x 2.5-inch SAS/SATA or 8x 3.5-inch SAS/SATA drives |
| Pcie slots | Up to 3 PCIe Gen4 slots |
| Gpu support | None supported |
| Network onboard | 2x 1GbE LOM ports; OCP 3.0 slot; 1x 1GbE iDRAC port |
| Power supply | Dual redundant hot-plug 600W, 800W or 1100W |
Generations
- Previous generation: Dell PowerEdge R540
About the R550
The Dell PowerEdge R550 is an enterprise 2U rack server engineered for computing and virtualization workloads. Powered by 2 Intel Xeon Scalable 3rd Gen (up to 24 cores, 185W TDP) across 16 memory slots supporting up to 1024GB DDR4-2933 RDIMM, the R550 balances throughput and memory capacity. In Dell's server catalog, the R550 succeeded the POWEREDGE-R540, positioned alongside rival systems including PROLIANT-DL380-GEN10.
Options and compatibility
Processor support on the R550 utilizes 2 LGA4189 (Socket P+) sockets with thermal heatsinks matching CPU power envelopes. System memory slots on the R550 require DDR4-2933 RDIMM modules, and mixing RDIMM with LRDIMM memory is not supported. Front backplanes on the R550 accommodate either DXD9H (2.5-inch SFF) or X7K8W (3.5-inch LFF) trays based on chassis option. Networking on the R550 uses OCP 3.0 mezzanine slot, and expansion cards install into Up to 3 PCIe Gen4 slots risers.
How to identify it
Physical identification of the R550 is verified by the 15th-generation high-airflow front security bezel with the R550 badge on the front chassis ear. The pull-out information tag on the R550 control panel displays the 7-character Dell Service Tag and default login credentials. In iDRAC9 Gen15, the server identifies as R550 with active firmware, slot mapping, and power telemetry.
Buying used
When evaluating a pre-owned R550, inspect the LGA4189 (Socket P+) CPU socket pins for damage and ensure retention clips are intact. Run Dell ePSA diagnostics across all 16 memory slots of the R550 to verify zero uncorrectable ECC faults under load. Verify that redundant power supplies in the R550 match in wattage and that iDRAC9 Gen15 Enterprise remote console is enabled. Ensure required R550 drive caddies and bracket accessories are present.
Compatible parts
Bezels
325-BCHG Dell PowerEdge 2U Standard LCD Front Bezel with Key Lock
325-BCHJ Dell PowerEdge 2U Security Bezel with Key Lock (Non-LCD)
Memory
370-AEVO Dell 16GB DDR4-3200 Single Rank RDIMM 288-pin Memory Module
370-AEVQ Dell 32GB DDR4-3200 Dual Rank RDIMM 288-pin Memory Module
SSDs
400-BDRL Dell 480GB SATA Mixed Use 6Gb/s 512e 2.5in Hot-Plug SSD
400-BDRO Dell 960GB SATA Read Intensive 6Gb/s 512e 2.5in Hot-Plug SSD
400-BDRP Dell 1.92TB SATA Read Intensive 6Gb/s 512e 2.5in Hot-Plug SSD
400-BDRQ Dell 3.84TB SATA Read Intensive 6Gb/s 512e 2.5in Hot-Plug SSD
400-BDRR Dell 7.68TB SATA Read Intensive 6Gb/s 512e 2.5in Hot-Plug SSD
400-BDSH Dell 480GB SATA Read Intensive 6Gb/s 512e 2.5in Hot-Plug SSD
HBAs
405-AAST Dell HBA355i Front SAS 12Gb/s Host Bus Adapter
Network adapters
540-BBGN Dell Broadcom 57412 Dual Port 10GbE SFP+ PCIe Adapter
540-BBGO Dell Broadcom 57416 Dual Port 10GBASE-T RJ45 PCIe Adapter
540-BBYS Dell Broadcom 5720 Quad Port 1GbE BASE-T RJ45 PCIe Adapter
OCP adapters
540-BBGP Dell Broadcom 57416 Dual Port 10GBASE-T RJ45 OCP 3.0 Adapter
540-BBYT Dell Broadcom 5720 Dual Port 1GbE BASE-T RJ45 OCP 3.0 Adapter
Rail kits
770-BBBR Dell 2U Cable Management Arm (CMA) for ReadyRails II
770-BCKW Dell ReadyRails II Sliding Rails for 2U PowerEdge Servers (B6)
Drive caddies
X7K8W Dell 3.5-inch Gen14/Gen15/Gen16 Hot-Plug Drive Caddy Tray (LFF)
Other parts
- PERC-H745
RAID controllers
PERC-H755 Dell PERC H755 Front SAS 12Gb/s 8GB NV Cache PCIe Gen4 RAID Controller
Boot devices
BOSS-S2 Dell Boot Optimized Storage Solution (BOSS-S2) Hot-Plug Rear Controller with Dual M.2 SSDs
Works together
How the Dell PowerEdge R550 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
Lenovo ThinkSystem DB730S 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DB630S 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DB610S 1U rack
Storage
Dell PowerStore 500T 2U rack
Dell PowerStore 1000T 2U rack
Dell PowerStore 1000X 2U rack
Dell PowerStore 1200T 2U rack
Dell PowerStore 3000T 2U rack
Dell PowerStore 3200T 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-BBHG Dell Intel X520/I350 2x10GbE SFP+ + 2x1GbE BASE-T Network Daughter Card (rNDC)
540-BBHH Dell Intel X540/I350 2x10GBASE-T + 2x1GbE BASE-T Network Daughter Card (rNDC)
540-BBIU Dell Broadcom 57416/5720 2x10GBASE-T + 2x1GbE Network Daughter Card (rNDC)
540-BBIV Dell Broadcom 57412/5720 2x10GbE SFP+ + 2x1GbE Network Daughter Card (rNDC)
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 PowerVault ME4012 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME4024 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME4084 5U 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-BBHG Dell Intel X520/I350 2x10GbE SFP+ + 2x1GbE BASE-T Network Daughter Card (rNDC)
- 540-BBHH Dell Intel X540/I350 2x10GBASE-T + 2x1GbE BASE-T Network Daughter Card (rNDC)
- 540-BBIU Dell Broadcom 57416/5720 2x10GBASE-T + 2x1GbE Network Daughter Card (rNDC)
- 540-BBIV Dell Broadcom 57412/5720 2x10GbE SFP+ + 2x1GbE Network Daughter Card (rNDC)
Storage
Lenovo ThinkSystem DM5100F 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DM3010H 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DG5000 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DM3200F 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DM3000H 2U 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
Equivalent models from other brands
FAQ
What is the primary use case for the PowerEdge R550?
The R550 is intended for mid-tier file and print serving, video surveillance storage, branch office virtualization, and general corporate applications.
What memory configurations are supported on the R550?
It supports up to 16 DDR4 RDIMMs up to 1TB total capacity at speeds up to 2933 MT/s.
Buying or selling R550?
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 R550 Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27