Dell PowerStore 1000X
The Dell PowerStore 1000X is an innovative converged storage appliance featuring Dell's AppsON capability, running VMware ESXi directly on the storage controller processors alongside containerized PowerStoreOS. This architecture allows customer virtual machines and data-intensive applications to execute directly on the storage array itself, eliminating external network latency between compute hosts and storage tiers. It also provides standard external block storage to external VMware vSphere clusters. Used system evaluators must check VMware ESXi embedded license status and verify both controller nodes.
Also written as: PowerStore 1000X, Dell EMC PowerStore 1000X, PowerStore AppsON 1000X
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | PowerStore |
| Form factor | 2U rack |
| Released | May 2020 |
| Cpu platform | Dual active-active storage nodes running VMware ESXi hypervisor directly (AppsON), Intel Xeon Gold 5218 (32 cores per appliance) |
| Memory max (GB) | 384 |
| Drive bays | Up to 25x 2.5-inch NVMe SSDs in base DPE; expands up to 96 NVMe drives across DAEs |
| Raw capacity | Up to 2.8 PB effective capacity per appliance |
| Network onboard | 4-port 25GbE Mezzanine; 2x I/O module slots per node supporting 32Gb FC or 25GbE iSCSI |
| Power supply | Dual redundant hot-plug 1800W Platinum power supplies |
Works together
How the Dell PowerStore 1000X connects to servers, storage and the network: 3 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 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-BBUU Dell Emulex LPe31002 Dual Port 16Gb Fibre Channel Host Bus 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-BBUV Dell QLogic 2692 Dual Port 16Gb Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter
Switches
Dell Connectrix DS-6610B 1U rack
Dell Connectrix DS-6620B 1U rack
Dell Connectrix DS-7720B 1U rack
Dell Connectrix MDS-9148T 1U 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.
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-BCOW Dell Intel E810-XXV Dual Port 10/25GbE SFP28 OCP 3.0 Network Adapter
540-BDCE Dell Intel E810-XXV Dual Port 25GbE SFP28 PCIe Gen4 Adapter
Switches
Dell PowerSwitch S5248F-ON 1U rack
Dell PowerSwitch S5212F-ON 1U rack
Dell PowerSwitch S5224F-ON 1U rack
Dell PowerSwitch S5232F-ON 1U rack
Optics
407-BBOU Dell 10GbE SFP+ SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 300m MMF)
407-BCBF Dell 25GbE SFP28 SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 100m MMF)
SFP-10G-SR-AR Arista 10GBASE-SR SFP+ Optical Transceiver
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-BCOW Dell Intel E810-XXV Dual Port 10/25GbE SFP28 OCP 3.0 Network Adapter
- 540-BDCE Dell Intel E810-XXV Dual Port 25GbE SFP28 PCIe Gen4 Adapter
Switches
- Dell PowerSwitch S5248F-ON 1U rack
- Dell PowerSwitch S5212F-ON 1U rack
- Dell PowerSwitch S5224F-ON 1U rack
- Dell PowerSwitch S5232F-ON 1U rack
Optics
- 407-BBOU Dell 10GbE SFP+ SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 300m MMF)
- 407-BCBF Dell 25GbE SFP28 SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 100m MMF)
- SFP-10G-SR-AR Arista 10GBASE-SR SFP+ Optical Transceiver
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 PowerStore 1000X.
- 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
- Pure Storage Storage Flasharray X20
Buying a used 1000X: what to check
Verify AppsON VMware ESXi software environment and licensing, inspect internal battery backup packs on both nodes, and test NVMe drive bay connections.
FAQ
What is unique about PowerStore X models?
PowerStore X embeds VMware ESXi directly onto the controller nodes (AppsON), enabling VMs to run on the storage array hardware alongside storage services.
Can the 1000X still serve external storage?
Yes, it concurrently serves external block storage to other servers over FC and iSCSI while hosting internal VMs.
Buying or selling 1000X?
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 PowerStore 1000X Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27