Dell PowerMax 8500
The Dell PowerMax 8500 is Dell's ultimate enterprise scale-out storage director array, capable of interconnecting up to 16 active-active controllers across a high-speed internal NVMe-oF fabric. Built for massive financial transactional backbones, core healthcare backends, and multi-tenant cloud operations, the 8500 scales to 16TB of shared global cache and delivers millions of IOPS with uncompromising six-nines uptime guarantees.
Also written as: PowerMax 8500, Dell PowerMax 8500, Flagship PowerMax Storage
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | PowerMax |
| Form factor | system bay multi-enclosure |
| Released | May 2022 |
| Cpu platform | Up to 8 node pairs (16 directors), Intel Xeon Scalable Ice Lake (up to 256 total processor cores) |
| Memory max (GB) | 16,384 |
| Drive bays | Up to 192x 2.5-inch NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSDs across multiple system enclosures |
| Raw capacity | Up to 10 PB effective enterprise storage capacity |
| Network onboard | Modular front-end I/O supporting 64Gb/32Gb FC, 100GbE / 25GbE iSCSI, NVMe-oF, and FICON |
| Power supply | System bay dual power distribution units (PDUs) with integrated uninterruptible battery modules |
Generations
- Previous generation: Dell PowerMax 8000
Compatible parts
HBAs
540-BCMT Dell QLogic 2772 Dual Port 32Gb Fibre Channel PCIe Adapter
540-BCMU Dell Emulex LPe35002 Dual Port 32Gb Fibre Channel PCIe Adapter
Transceivers
407-BCBI Dell 32Gb Short Wave SFP28 Fibre Channel Optical Transceiver
407-BCBF Dell 25GbE SFP28 SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 100m MMF)
Rail kits
770-BCKW Dell ReadyRails II Sliding Rails for 2U PowerEdge Servers (B6)
Drive caddies
DXD9H Dell 2.5-inch Gen14/Gen15/Gen16 Hot-Plug Drive Caddy Tray (SFF)
SSDs
400-AZPZ Dell 1.92TB SAS Read Intensive 12Gb/s 2.5-inch Hot-Plug SSD
400-BDSD Dell 3.84TB SAS Read Intensive 12Gb/s 2.5-inch Hot-Plug SSD
Works together
How the Dell PowerMax 8500 connects to servers, storage and the network: 2 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).
Servers
Dell PowerEdge R HS5610 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R HS5620 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R250 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R350 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R360 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R450 1U rack
Adapters for the server
540-BCMS Dell QLogic 2770 Single Port 32Gb Fibre Channel PCIe Adapter- 540-BCMT Dell QLogic 2772 Dual Port 32Gb Fibre Channel PCIe Adapter
- 540-BCMU Dell Emulex LPe35002 Dual Port 32Gb Fibre Channel PCIe Adapter
540-BDLM Dell Emulex LPe36002 Dual Port 64Gb Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter
Switches
Dell Connectrix DS-7730B 2U switch
Dell Connectrix DS-7720B 1U rack
Dell Connectrix MP-7850B 1U switch
Dell Connectrix ED-DCX7-8B 14U director chassis
Optics
- 407-BCBI Dell 32Gb Short Wave SFP28 Fibre Channel Optical Transceiver
57-1000333-01 Brocade 32G FC SFP+ SWL
57-1000495-01 Brocade 64G FC SFP+ SWL
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.
Servers
- Dell PowerEdge R250 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R350 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R360 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R450 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R550 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R650 1U rack
Adapters for the server
540-BBGY Dell Broadcom 57414 Dual Port 10/25GbE SFP28 PCIe Low Profile Network Adapter
540-BBHB Dell Broadcom 57414 Dual Port 10/25GbE SFP28 OCP 3.0 Mezzanine Network Adapter
540-BBJL Dell Mellanox ConnectX-4 Lx Dual Port 25GbE SFP28 Network Daughter Card (rNDC)
540-BCND Dell Mellanox ConnectX-6 Lx Dual Port 25GbE SFP28 PCIe Adapter
Switches
Dell PowerSwitch S5448F-ON 1U switch
Dell PowerSwitch N3248TE-ON 1U switch
Dell Connectrix ED-DCX7-4B 9U director chassis
Dell PowerSwitch N3248PXE-ON 1U switch
Optics
407-BBOY Dell 100GbE QSFP28 SR4 Optical Transceiver (850nm, 100m MPO-12)- 407-BCBF Dell 25GbE SFP28 SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 100m MMF)
QSFP-100G-CWDM4-AR Arista 100GBASE-CWDM4 QSFP28 Optical Transceiver Module
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 PowerMax 8500.
- 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
Buying a used PowerMax 8500: what to check
Examine complete system bay cabling harnesses, verify Infiniband/RoCE fabric interconnect switches, confirm director memory cards, and ensure high-amp multi-phase PDU compatibility.
FAQ
What is the maximum host port count supported on the PowerMax 8500?
The 8500 can scale up to 256 front-end host connectivity ports across Fibre Channel, NVMe-oF, and FICON modules.
Does the PowerMax 8500 support automated data immutability?
Yes, it integrates immutable snapshot technology (Cloud Snap / Cyber Recovery) to secure volumes against ransomware deletion.
Buying or selling PowerMax 8500?
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 PowerMax 8500 Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27