Dell PowerStore 5000T
The Dell PowerStore 5000T is a high-end enterprise all-flash storage array engineered for large-scale enterprise consolidation, heavy online transaction processing (OLTP), and high-concurrency virtualization. Driven by dual active-active controllers featuring 64 Intel Xeon cores and 1.15TB of memory, the 5000T provides massive sustained IOPS and microsecond latencies. It supports native NVMe and dual-port Storage Class Memory (SCM) drives alongside hardware-accelerated deduplication and compression. Pre-owned system evaluators should verify controller memory modules, test internal battery backup packs, and inspect all front-end optical transceivers.
Also written as: PowerStore 5000T, Dell EMC PowerStore 5000T
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | PowerStore |
| Form factor | 2U rack |
| Released | May 2020 |
| Cpu platform | Dual active-active storage nodes, Intel Xeon Gold 6252 (32 cores per node, 64 cores per appliance) |
| Memory max (GB) | 1,152 |
| Drive bays | Up to 25x 2.5-inch NVMe SSDs in base DPE; expands up to 96 drives across DAEs |
| Raw capacity | Up to 4.2 PB effective capacity per appliance |
| Network onboard | 4-port 25GbE Mezzanine; 2x I/O module slots per node supporting 32Gb FC, 25GbE, or NVMe/TCP |
| Power supply | Dual redundant hot-plug 1800W Platinum power supplies |
Generations
- Previous generation: Dell Unity XT 880XT
- Next generation: Dell PowerStore 5200T
Compatible parts
HBAs
540-BCMU Dell Emulex LPe35002 Dual Port 32Gb Fibre Channel PCIe Adapter
Works together
How the Dell PowerStore 5000T 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 R6525 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R7525 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R250 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R350 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R450 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R550 2U 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
Switches
Lenovo ThinkSystem DB630S 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DB610S 1U rack
Optics
407-BCBI Dell 32Gb Short Wave SFP28 Fibre Channel Optical Transceiver
4M27A09984 Lenovo ThinkSystem 32Gb FC SFP+ Optical Transceiver
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 MX750c blade
Dell PowerEdge MX840c blade
Dell PowerEdge MX760c blade
HPE ProLiant DL325 Gen10 Plus v2 1U rack
HPE ProLiant DL360 Gen10 Plus 1U rack
HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 Plus 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-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 S5212F-ON 1U rack
Dell PowerSwitch S5224F-ON 1U rack
Dell PowerSwitch S5248F-ON 1U rack
Dell PowerSwitch S5296F-ON 2U rack
Optics
407-BCBF Dell 25GbE SFP28 SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 100m MMF)
7G17A03537 Lenovo ThinkSystem 25Gb SFP28 SR 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 MX750c blade
- Dell PowerEdge MX840c blade
- Dell PowerEdge MX760c blade
- HPE ProLiant DL325 Gen10 Plus v2 1U rack
- HPE ProLiant DL360 Gen10 Plus 1U rack
- HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 Plus 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-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 S5212F-ON 1U rack
- Dell PowerSwitch S5224F-ON 1U rack
- Dell PowerSwitch S5248F-ON 1U rack
- Dell PowerSwitch S5296F-ON 2U rack
Optics
- 407-BCBF Dell 25GbE SFP28 SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 100m MMF)
- 7G17A03537 Lenovo ThinkSystem 25Gb SFP28 SR 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
Equivalent models from other brands
- Pure Storage Storage Flasharray X70
- NetApp Aff A700
Buying a used 5000T: what to check
Verify that both controller nodes are populated with 576GB RAM each (1152GB total). Confirm battery backup module health, and verify 32Gb FC or 25GbE optics are provided.
FAQ
How much memory is in a PowerStore 5000T appliance?
1,152GB of system RAM (576GB per controller node across 2 nodes).
Can the 5000T use SCM drives for caching?
Yes, Intel Optane SCM NVMe drives can be utilized for persistent ultra-low-latency tiering.
Buying or selling 5000T?
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 5000T Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27