Dell PowerEdge R940xa
The Dell PowerEdge R940xa is an accelerator-dense 4U four-socket enterprise server designed to accelerate machine learning, artificial intelligence, and compute-heavy analytics without sacrificing database scale. Powered by up to four 1st or 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors, it combines 48 DDR4 DIMM slots (up to 6TB RAM) with dedicated physical space and power delivery for up to 4 double-width 300W GPUs (such as NVIDIA V100 PCIe) or 8 FPGAs. It pairs massive processing power with accelerator throughput in a unified 4U system. Pre-owned equipment buyers must verify GPU auxiliary power harnesses and quad 2400W power supplies.
Also written as: PowerEdge R940xa, Dell R940xa, R940xa 4U Server
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | PowerEdge R |
| Form factor | 4U rack |
| Released | May 2018 |
| End of sale | May 2023 |
| End of support | Jun 2028 |
| Cpu sockets | 4 |
| Cpu platform | Intel Xeon Scalable 1st Gen and 2nd Gen (up to 4 processors, 28 cores each, 205W TDP) |
| Memory slots | 48 |
| Memory type | DDR4-2666 / DDR4-2933 RDIMM / LRDIMM |
| Memory max (GB) | 6,144 |
| Drive bays | Up to 32x 2.5-inch SAS/SATA/NVMe drives (up to 4 NVMe) |
| Pcie slots | Up to 12 PCIe Gen3 slots |
| Gpu support | Up to 4x 300W double-wide GPUs (NVIDIA V100) or 8x FPGA/single-wide accelerators |
| Network onboard | Network Daughter Card (NDC) slot; 1x 1GbE iDRAC9 port |
| Power supply | Quad redundant hot-plug 1600W, 2000W or 2400W Platinum |
Generations
- Previous generation: Dell PowerEdge R930
- Next generation: Dell PowerEdge R960
Compatible parts
RAID controllers
PERC-H730P Dell PERC H730P 12Gb/s SAS 2GB NV Cache Mini Mono / PCIe RAID Controller
PERC-H740P Dell PERC H740P 12Gb/s SAS 8GB NV Cache PCIe / Mini Mono RAID Controller
Boot devices
BOSS-S1 Dell Boot Optimized Storage Solution (BOSS-S1) PCIe Card with Dual M.2 SSDs
Works together
How the Dell PowerEdge R940xa 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 DB630S 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DB610S 1U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DB730S 2U rack
Storage
Dell PowerVault ME4012 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME4024 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME4084 5U rack
Dell Unity XT 380F 2U rack
Dell Unity XT 380XT 2U rack
Dell Unity XT 480F 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 ME4012 2U rack
- Dell PowerVault ME4024 2U rack
- Dell PowerVault ME4084 5U rack
Dell PowerVault ME5012 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME5024 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME5084 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 DM3000H 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DM5100F 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DM3010H 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DG5000 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DM3200F 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
Buying a used R940xa: what to check
Verify auxiliary GPU power cables and mounting brackets are included. Ensure quad 2400W power supplies are installed and verify that all 4 CPU sockets and VRMs function properly.
FAQ
What accelerators are supported in the R940xa?
It supports up to 4 double-width 300W PCIe GPUs such as NVIDIA V100, RTX 8000, or up to 8 single-width FPGAs.
What power infrastructure is needed for the R940xa?
It requires quad 2400W power supplies running on high-line (200-240V AC) power when fully loaded with 4 GPUs and 4 CPUs.
Buying or selling R940xa?
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 R940xa Technical Guide, checked 2026-10-27