Dell PowerVault ME4012

Name: Dell PowerVault ME4012
Brand: Dell

End of saleStorage2U rack

The Dell PowerVault ME4012 is a popular entry-level 2U hybrid storage array that anchored small-to-medium enterprise storage infrastructure for years. Powered by dual active-active controllers with 16GB of cache memory, the ME4012 accommodates twelve 3.5-inch hard drives in its base enclosure and scales up to 264 drives with external expansion enclosures. It provides versatile multi-protocol connectivity including 16Gb Fibre Channel, 10GbE iSCSI, and 12Gb SAS. Renowned for ease of setup and all-inclusive management software, the ME4012 remains one of the most traded entry SAN arrays on the secondary market. Buyers should verify controller battery health and drive caddies.

Also written as: PowerVault ME4012, Dell ME4012, ME4012 SAN/DAS

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Specifications

Brand	Dell
Family	PowerVault
Form factor	2U rack
Released	Sep 2018
End of sale	Jun 2022
End of support	Aug 2027
Cpu platform	Dual active-active controllers, Intel Broadwell-DE 2-core processor per controller (4 cores total)
Memory max (GB)	16
Drive bays	12x 3.5-inch SAS/NL-SAS/SSD drives in base array; expands up to 264 drives via ME412/ME424/ME484 DAEs
Raw capacity	Up to 192TB raw in base enclosure (up to 2.4 PB with expansion shelves)
Network onboard	4 host ports per controller (8 ports total) supporting 16Gb/8Gb FC, 10GbE/1GbE iSCSI, or 12Gb SAS
Power supply	Dual redundant hot-plug 580W power supplies

Generations

Previous generation: Dell PowerVault MD3400
Next generation: Dell PowerVault ME5012

Compatible parts

Hard drives

400-AUQW Dell 4TB 7.2K RPM SAS 12Gb/s 512e 3.5in Hot-Plug Hard Drive
400-AUQX Dell 8TB 7.2K RPM SAS 12Gb/s 512e 3.5in Hot-Plug Hard Drive
400-AUQY Dell 10TB 7.2K RPM SAS 12Gb/s 512e 3.5in Hot-Plug Hard Drive
400-AUQZ Dell 12TB 7.2K RPM SAS 12Gb/s 512e 3.5in Hot-Plug Hard Drive
400-BDSA Dell 6TB 7.2K RPM 512e SAS 12Gb/s 3.5in Hot-Plug Hard Drive
400-BDSB Dell 8TB 7.2K RPM 512e SATA 6Gb/s 3.5in Hot-Plug Hard Drive
400-BDSC Dell 12TB 7.2K RPM 512e SATA 6Gb/s 3.5in Hot-Plug Hard Drive

HBAs

405-AANT Dell 12Gbps SAS HBA Dual Port External PCIe Controller

Works together

How the Dell PowerVault ME4012 connects to servers, storage and the network: 3 ways, with the parts and products on each path.

Fibre Channel SAN iSCSI and NVMe/TCP over Ethernet Direct-attached SAS

Fibre Channel SAN

Serverwith an FC HBAFC switchtwo fabrics, A and BStorage arrayFC host ports

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

Adapters for the server

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

Optics

407-BBOG Dell 16Gb Short Wave SFP+ Fibre Channel Optical Transceiver
407-BBOH Dell 8Gb Short Wave SFP+ Fibre Channel Optical Transceiver

Fibre Channel SAN: how it fits together

iSCSI and NVMe/TCP over Ethernet

Server10/25/100GbE NICEthernet switchstorage VLAN, two switchesStorage arrayiSCSI or NVMe/TCP ports

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

Adapters for the server

540-BBGN Dell Broadcom 57412 Dual Port 10GbE SFP+ PCIe Adapter
540-BBGO Dell Broadcom 57416 Dual Port 10GBASE-T RJ45 PCIe Adapter
540-BBGP Dell Broadcom 57416 Dual Port 10GBASE-T RJ45 OCP 3.0 Adapter
540-BBGY Dell Broadcom 57414 Dual Port 10/25GbE SFP28 PCIe Low Profile Network Adapter

Switches

Dell PowerSwitch S4128F-ON 1U rack
Dell PowerSwitch S4148F-ON 1U rack

Optics

407-BBOU Dell 10GbE SFP+ SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 300m MMF)
46C3447 Lenovo ThinkSystem 10Gb SFP+ SR Optical Transceiver

iSCSI and NVMe/TCP over Ethernet: how it fits together

Direct-attached SAS

Serverexternal SAS HBASAS cableMini-SAS HD, no switchArray or JBODSAS host ports or EMM

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.

Servers

Adapters for the server

405-AANT Dell 12Gbps SAS HBA Dual Port External PCIe Controller
405-AASU Dell HBA355e External SAS 12Gb/s Host Bus Adapter
05-50076-01 Broadcom HBA 9500-16e PCIe 4.0 Tri-Mode 16-Port External Host Bus Adapter
4Y37A09724 Lenovo ThinkSystem 440-16e SAS/SATA PCIe Gen4 12Gb HBA

Direct-attached SAS: how it fits together

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

HPE Msa 2050
Lenovo ThinkSystem DE2000H · compare

Buying a used ME4012: what to check

Inspect controller supercapacitor cache backup health, verify SFP+ optical transceivers on host ports, and ensure all 12 3.5-inch drive trays are supplied.

FAQ

What host protocols does the ME4012 support?

16Gb/8Gb Fibre Channel, 10GbE/1GbE iSCSI, or direct-attached 12Gb SAS host connections.

Can the ME4012 do SSD auto-tiering?

Yes, it includes automated sub-LUN tiering that migrates active blocks to SSDs and cold data to spinning disks.

Buying or selling ME4012?

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.

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Sources

Dell PowerVault ME4012 Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27