Dell PowerEdge R860
The Dell PowerEdge R860 is an enterprise 2U rack server powered by 4 Intel Xeon Scalable 4th Gen and 5th Gen (up to 4 processors, 350W TDP) and 64 memory slots supporting up to 16384GB DDR5-4800 / DDR5-5600 RDIMM. Configured with Up to 24x 2.5-inch SAS/SATA/NVMe drives and Up to 8 PCIe Gen5 slots, the R860 delivers balanced compute and I/O density for enterprise database, hypervisor, and application workloads.
Also written as: PowerEdge R860, Dell R860, R860 4-Socket Server
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | PowerEdge R |
| Form factor | 2U rack |
| Released | Apr 2023 |
| Cpu sockets | 4 |
| Cpu platform | Intel Xeon Scalable 4th Gen and 5th Gen (up to 4 processors, 350W TDP) |
| Memory slots | 64 |
| Memory type | DDR5-4800 / DDR5-5600 RDIMM |
| Memory max (GB) | 16,384 |
| Drive bays | Up to 24x 2.5-inch SAS/SATA/NVMe drives |
| Pcie slots | Up to 8 PCIe Gen5 slots |
| Gpu support | Up to 2x double-width 300W or 4x single-width 75W GPUs |
| Network onboard | OCP 3.0 slot; 1x 1GbE iDRAC dedicated port |
| Power supply | Dual redundant hot-plug 1100W, 1400W, 1800W, 2400W or 2800W Titanium |
Generations
- Previous generation: Dell PowerEdge R840
About the R860
The Dell PowerEdge R860 is an enterprise 2U rack server engineered for computing and virtualization workloads. Powered by 4 Intel Xeon Scalable 4th Gen and 5th Gen (up to 4 processors, 350W TDP) across 64 memory slots supporting up to 16384GB DDR5-4800 / DDR5-5600 RDIMM, the R860 balances throughput and memory capacity. In Dell's server catalog, the R860 succeeded the POWEREDGE-R840, positioned alongside rival systems including PROLIANT-DL560-GEN11, THINKSYSTEM-SR850-V3.
Options and compatibility
Processor support on the R860 utilizes 4 LGA4677 (Socket E) sockets with thermal heatsinks matching CPU power envelopes. System memory slots on the R860 require DDR5-4800 / DDR5-5600 RDIMM modules, and mixing RDIMM with LRDIMM memory is not supported. The R860 chassis utilizes DXD9H (2.5-inch SFF) and E3.S carriers drive trays across its 2.5-inch drive backplane bays. Networking on the R860 uses OCP 3.0 mezzanine adapter, and expansion cards install into Up to 8 PCIe Gen5 slots risers.
How to identify it
Physical identification of the R860 is verified by the 16th-generation dark slate honeycomb front bezel with the R860 badge on the front chassis ear. The pull-out information tag on the R860 control panel displays the 7-character Dell Service Tag and default login credentials. In iDRAC9 Gen16, the server identifies as R860 with active firmware, slot mapping, and power telemetry.
Buying used
When evaluating a pre-owned R860, inspect the LGA4677 (Socket E) CPU socket pins for damage and ensure retention clips are intact. Run Dell ePSA diagnostics across all 64 memory slots of the R860 to verify zero uncorrectable ECC faults under load. Verify that redundant power supplies in the R860 match in wattage and that iDRAC9 Gen16 Enterprise remote console is enabled. Ensure required R860 drive caddies and bracket accessories are present.
Compatible parts
Memory
370-AHCS Dell 32GB DDR5-4800 Dual Rank Registered ECC RDIMM
370-AHCX Dell 128GB DDR5-4800 Quad Rank RDIMM 288-pin Memory Module
Power supplies
450-AKLQ Dell 1800W Platinum Hot-Plug Redundant Power Supply (Common Slot)
TPM modules
461-AAII Dell Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Module for 16G
RAID controllers
PERC-H755 Dell PERC H755 Front SAS 12Gb/s 8GB NV Cache PCIe Gen4 RAID Controller
PERC-H965I Dell PERC H965i Front 24Gb/s SAS / PCIe Gen5 NVMe 8GB Cache 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 R860 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 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-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 DM3010H 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DG5000 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DM3200F 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DM5100F 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
How much memory does the PowerEdge R860 support?
The R860 supports 64 DDR5 DIMM slots across 4 processors, enabling up to 16TB of system memory with 256GB RDIMM modules.
Can the R860 run with only 2 processors installed?
Yes, the R860 can operate with 2 processors, but half of the memory slots and PCIe lanes will be disabled until all 4 CPUs are populated.
Buying or selling R860?
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 R860 Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27