Dell PowerEdge R650
The Dell PowerEdge R650 server is a 1U, 15th Gen (15G), dual-socket, Intel-based rack server, which can weigh up to 47Lbs when fully configured, and is designed to run complex workloads in a data center environment. The server's motherboard supports 2x Intel LGA4189 sockets that accommodate Intel's 3rd Generation Xeon Scalable Series processors (Ice Lake CPUs – based on Intel’s Sunny Cove architecture) with a maximum TDP of 270W per CPU, maximum speed per processor of 3.60Ghz, and a maximum of 80x cores with 2x processors installed. The Dell PowerEdge R650 server supports 16x DIMMs per CPU for a total of 32x RAM slots and a maximum of 8.2TB of PC4 / DDR4 ECC-Registered memory that runs at up to 3200 Mhz.
Select a Dell PowerEdge R650





The VxRail E660 chassis is identical to the regular PowerEdge R650 chassis, except for the firmware. Instead of the traditional PowerEdge firmware, the VxRail chassis uses customized firmware optimized for virtualization and VMware/ESXi.
The hardware specs for this selection are therefore the same as the ones for the Dell PowerEdge R650 8x SAS / 2x NVMe chassis.
Another difference is that the 2x NVMe drives can also be Universal drives (supporting both SAS and U.3 NVMe). This gives it a little more versatility, but we’d be just as baffled as you folks if anyone wanted to use those 2x Universal drives for SAS/SATA drives. You’ll likely want this option if you’re planning to use the newer U.3 NVMe drives (vs. U.2).
An additional distinction with the VxRail chassis is that it doesn’t support the 800W power supplies found in the PowerEdge models.
This should give you guys a sense of the niche applications Dell had in mind for these data center hosts. They do, however, also support the dual flex-bay options discussed in the PowerEdge models.
TechMike’s favorite applications for this chassis:
Virtualization (duh!)
Media
Database
Data Mining
Hosting
Given the customized firmware on these, we wouldn’t recommend selecting them unless you intend to use VMware.
- Processor
- 2x 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable (Ice Lake), LGA4189, up to 270W
- Max Cores
- 80 (40 per CPU)
View all Processor specs- Memory
- 32 DIMMs, up to 8.2 TB DDR4-3200 ECC RDIMM
- Max Storage
- 1.5 PB+ with flex-bay (1.2 PB+ without)
- Drive Bays
- Up to 12x SFF (NVMe, SAS, SATA) or 4x LFF (SAS, SATA)
- Networking
- Embedded 2x 1GbE RJ-45 + OCP 3.0 slot
- Expansion
- Up to 3x PCIe 4.0 x8 slots
- Power Supply
- Redundant, up to 1,400 W
- Form Factor
- 1U rack · Up to 47 lbs
Model overview
The R650 chassis accommodates redundant power supplies supporting total wattage of up to 1,400 Watts. Total storage maxes out over 1.2PBs (yes, that’s Petabytes!) without the optional flex-bay installed. Including flex-bay drives, max storage can exceed 1.5PBs. The Dell PowerEdge R650 chassis is available in various drive configurations supporting up to 12x 2.5” (Small Form Factor / SFF) NVMe, SAS and/or SATA drives, or up to 4x 3.5” (Large Form Factor / LFF) SAS and/or SATA drives.
The Dell PowerEdge R650 server comes with an embedded dual-port 1GB RJ-45 network connection plus an optional LOM / NDC slot that accommodates an OCP 3.0 LOM card (supporting PCIe 4.0 x8). Depending on the riser configuration, the Dell PowerEdge R650 server could take up to 3x PCIe 4.0 x8 (Gen 4) NIC slots.
GPU support
- Up to 3x single-width, 75W GPUs
Key features
- Support for hardware-based NVMe RAID controllers (H755N)
- Hybrid SAS + NVMe drive configurations
- Support for both Boss-S2 and Boss-S1 cards with up to 2x M.2 SATA SSDs
- Quick Sync 2.0 setup / scalability features
- DRAC 9 Dell remote access capabilities
Recommended uses
- General data center standardization
- Virtualization / cloud applications
- Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
- Database / analytics
- High Performance Computing (HPC)
- Software Defined Storage (SDS) build-out
- High frequency trading
Configured servers
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Explore related models
- Previous generation
- Dell PowerEdge R640
- Next generation
- Dell PowerEdge R660
- Equivalent models
- HP ProLiant DL360 Gen 10 Plus
Documentation
Manuals and technical guides for the selected chassis.
- iDRAC 9 User's Guide
Dell Integrated Remote Access Controller 9 (iDRAC 9) serves as an out-of-band server management platform that allows IT administrators to remotely deploy, monitor, and troubleshoot infrastructure without relying on host operating systems or installed agents. This controller continuously tracks performance metrics across processor core counts, memory capacity allocations, and PCIe expansion slot utilization while mapping storage options and chassis form factors for rack, tower, and blade deployments. By aggregating these hardware telemetry streams into a composite CUPS index, the platform helps operations teams detect compute bottlenecks or thermal anomalies before they trigger service interruptions.
Security and access control define the operational scope of iDRAC 9, with feature progression across Basic, Express, Enterprise, and Datacenter licensing tiers. The architecture enforces strict authentication through Active Directory, LDAP, smart card validation, multi-factor codes, and role-based privilege levels, alongside FIPS 140-2 compliance and mandatory TLS encryption for all management traffic. Network teams can harden deployments using IP blocking, configurable password strength policies, and dedicated management subnets, while programmatic automation remains accessible through RACADM CLI, Redfish API, WSMan, SSH, and IPMI protocols. Zero-touch provisioning further accelerates bare-metal scaling by automatically delivering Server Configuration Profiles via DHCP options over NFS or HTTP shares.
Beyond identity and network hardening, Dell iDRAC 9 provides comprehensive storage subsystem control, enabling buyers to configure virtual disks across PERC controllers with RAID levels spanning zero through sixty, adjust cache policies, monitor drive wear endurance, and execute cryptographic erasure on SED drives. The management suite includes virtual media mounting, embedded vConsole KVM access, telemetry streaming, and automated firmware lifecycle procedures that support staged updates, rollback mechanisms, and SD-card recovery during catastrophic failures. Ultimately, this solution targets data center operations groups seeking to minimize downtime, enforce regulatory compliance, automate infrastructure scaling, and optimize energy efficiency through power capping and dynamic thermal profile adjustments across large-scale server fleets.
Updated: October 1, 2026Download - Dell VxRail Spec Sheet
Dell VxRail, the hyperconverged infrastructure system manufactured by Dell Technologies, delivers a fully integrated VMware environment through platforms like the E660, E665, P670, P675, V670, S670, G560, and D560 models. Designed to extend existing virtualization deployments, this architecture scales non-disruptively from two to sixty-four nodes and utilizes intelligent lifecycle management to automate patches, upgrades, and node additions while maintaining a continuously validated state. The solution accommodates dynamic compute-only clusters for independent scaling and single-node satellite deployments for distributed edge sites, all built upon Dell PowerEdge server foundations. System configurations span one-unit rack mounts for space-constrained branches, ruggedized short-depth enclosures for extreme industrial conditions, and dense four-processor chassis, driven by Intel Xeon Scalable Gen 2 or Gen 3 processors alongside AMD EPYC Gen 2 or Gen 3 silicon with core counts reaching sixty-four per processor and up to two hundred twenty-four cores total.
Technical specifications across the E, P, V, S, G, and D series deliver substantial computational power and storage flexibility, with memory capacity ranging from sixty-four gigabytes to six terabytes per node. Storage architectures support all-NVMe, hybrid, and SAS or SATA configurations, delivering up to three hundred twenty-two terabytes of usable capacity while incorporating Intel Optane persistent memory for accelerated caching. Network expansion capabilities accommodate dual or quad ten-gigabit, twenty-five-gigabit, or two hundred-gigabit interfaces, alongside optional thirty-two-gigabit fibre channel HBAs installed via PCIe expansion slots, and multiple NVIDIA Tesla T4, A2, or A100 GPU ports for graphics-intensive workloads. Redundancy is engineered throughout the design, featuring SATA M.2 RAID one boot drives, high-efficiency power supplies, and multi-path networking that collectively ensure ninety-nine point nine nine nine percent system availability.
Dell VxRail simplifies infrastructure management through native integration with VMware vCenter and VMware Cloud Foundation SDDC Manager, granting administrators centralized automation and machine learning-driven health reporting without additional software costs. Enterprise-grade security and data protection are addressed via included RecoverPoint for VMs licenses, optional Data Domain Virtual Edition subscriptions, and Dell Secure Remote Services for proactive call-home monitoring and remote diagnostics. IT leaders target this solution for scaling mission-critical databases like SAP HANA, high-performance computing clusters, virtual desktop infrastructure, financial services applications, and retail edge locations requiring rapid data processing. By offering a predictable pay-as-you-grow model with automated lifecycle orchestration, the Dell VxRail platform directly satisfies buyer demands for operational consistency, rapid deployment, and highly reliable hyperconverged scaling across core data centers and distributed networks.
Updated: October 1, 2026Download - Dell VxRail Solution Brief
Dell VxRail, manufactured by Dell Technologies alongside VMware, is the only fully integrated hyperconverged infrastructure platform engineered specifically for VMware vSAN and Cloud Foundation. Built on Dell PowerEdge hardware, the system spans form factors from the rugged VD-4000 and single-node satellite units to two-node edge clusters, three-node core arrays, and standard four or eight-node rack deployments. Each node leverages fourth-generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors or AMD EPYC chips to deliver scalable compute density across diverse architectural configurations.
Intelligent lifecycle management automates full-stack patching, upgrades, and non-disruptive scaling while maintaining a continuously validated cluster state. Storage architecture relies on NVMe caching and all-flash drives that utilize compression, deduplication, and erasure coding to maximize throughput. Compute nodes integrate VMware HCI Mesh and external storage arrays, supporting dynamic capacity expansion within a predictable pay-as-you-grow framework. Cloud-based orchestration tools apply artificial intelligence to monitor health metrics, optimize performance, and deliver centralized multi-cluster analytics.
Administration centers on native VxRail Manager and vCenter Server integration, allowing complete infrastructure control through a single familiar console. Security foundations include automated hardening scripts, FIPS 140-2 cryptography, and full DISA STIG compliance support. Data resilience features span in-transit and data-at-rest encryption, replication, backup utilities, and two-factor authentication via SecurID or CAC protocols. Key management operates through KMIP compatible managers to simplify enterprise compliance requirements.
Enterprises adopting VxRail target accelerated modernization, hybrid cloud expansion, and Kubernetes development while requiring simplified operations and reduced IT overhead. The platform supports graphics-heavy VDI, artificial intelligence workloads, high performance computing, and remote edge deployments. By eliminating multi-vendor friction and unifying hardware automation with VMware ecosystems, Dell VxRail helps buyers achieve up to a sixty-one percent reduction in five-year operational costs and a sixty-eight percent decrease in unplanned downtime through fully turnkey, secure infrastructure delivery.
Updated: October 1, 2026Download - Dell VxRail E660, E660F, and E660N Technical SpecificationsUpdated: June 10, 2026Download
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