Dell PowerScale H700
The Dell PowerScale H700 is a 4U hybrid performance scale-out NAS enclosure that blends high-capacity SAS hard drives with integrated NVMe SSD read/write cache. Containing four independent storage nodes and sixty 3.5-inch SAS drives in 4U, the H700 delivers balanced throughput and capacity for high-throughput file shares, oil and gas seismic analysis, enterprise backup consolidation, and media production streaming. Controlled by the OneFS operating system, it seamlessly interoperates with all-flash F-series nodes under a single global namespace. Secondary market buyers must ensure all four node sleds and NVMe cache SSDs are accounted for.
Also written as: PowerScale H700, Dell EMC PowerScale H700, Isilon H700
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | PowerScale |
| Form factor | 4U |
| Released | May 2021 |
| Cpu platform | Single Intel Xeon Gold 5218R per node (4 nodes in a 4U chassis) |
| Memory max (GB) | 768 |
| Drive bays | 60x 3.5-inch SAS hard drives plus 4x or 8x NVMe SSD cache drives per 4U chassis |
| Raw capacity | 120TB to 1200TB raw capacity per 4U chassis (up to 75 PB in a cluster) |
| Network onboard | Dual 100GbE / 25GbE front-end ports; dual 100GbE back-end clustering ports per node |
| Power supply | Quad redundant hot-plug 1450W power supplies in 4U chassis |
Generations
- Previous generation: Dell Isilon H600
Works together
How the Dell PowerScale H700 connects to servers, storage and the network: 1 way, with the parts and products on each path.
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.
Servers
Dell PowerEdge R650 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R750 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R660 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R760 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R640 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R740 2U 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-BBRL Dell Intel X710 Quad Port 10GbE SFP+ Full-Height PCIe Adapter
540-BDCE Dell Intel E810-XXV Dual Port 25GbE SFP28 PCIe Gen4 Adapter
Switches
Dell PowerSwitch S5224F-ON 1U rack
Dell PowerSwitch S5232F-ON 1U rack
Dell PowerSwitch S5248F-ON 1U rack
Dell PowerSwitch S5212F-ON 1U rack
Optics
Plan and size it
- Draw this setup in the topology planner mrplanb.com
- Add up rack power and space rack-density.com
- NFS explained mrplanb.com
- Block vs object storage mrplanb.com
- Object storage Ledger 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 PowerScale H700.
- 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
- NetApp FAS8700
- HPE Alletra 9000 · compare
Buying a used H700: what to check
Verify all 4 internal node sleds are operating properly, confirm NVMe SSD cache drives are installed in each node, and verify 100GbE or 25GbE back-end clustering cables.
FAQ
What makes the PowerScale H700 a hybrid node?
It combines 60 high-capacity 3.5-inch SAS spinning hard drives with solid-state NVMe caching drives to deliver fast metadata and active-file response times.
How many drives fit in the H700 chassis?
Sixty 3.5-inch SAS drives across 4 nodes (15 drives per node) plus dedicated NVMe cache SSDs.
Buying or selling H700?
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 PowerScale H700 Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27