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2U rack server
Processor | Max: 20 Cores2 x Intel Xeon Scalable
Memory | Max: 1TB16 DDR4 RDIMM/LRDIMM 2666Mhz
Embedded NIC:LOM1: 2x1G
LOM Riser: 2x1GbE, 2X10GbE, 2x10GbE SFP+
8x 3.5" + 2x 2.5" rear drive SAS/SATA (HDD/SSD)
12x 3.5" + 2 rear drive SAS/SATA (HDD/SSD)
2 LFF SAS/SATA (HDD/SSD)
Storage Controller:S140 (SW RAID) SATA
Internal: H330, H350, H730P, H740P, H750
External: HBA355e, H840, 12Gbps SAS HBA
SAS HBA: HBA330, HBA350i
2x 3.5" Drives (12 Bay Chassis Only)
PCIe Support:w/ Rear Drive: 2 LP or 1 FH PCIe 3.0 Slots
w/o Rear Drive:1 LP + 4 FH PCIe 3.0 Slots
None
Boot Options:BOSS-S2
IDSDM with vFlash card
iDRAC9 with Lifecycle Controller
(Click to View)
The Dell EMC PowerEdge R540 delivers the versatility and flexibility to power a variety of applications. With a balanced set of resources, expandability and affordability the Dell EMC PowerEdge R540 adapts to the demands of the modern data center with the ideal value optimized design. Automatically optimize performance with one button application tuning and scale for future demands with up to 14 3.5” drives.
Dell EMC PowerEdge servers are optimized for top efficiency and uptime, with intelligent automation that decreases time spent on the most common IT tasks. Combined with the agent-free management of the embedded iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller, the Dell EMC PowerEdge R540 is easily and effectively managed.
Rely on PowerEdge with built-in security Every PowerEdge server is made with a cyber-resilient architecture, building security into all parts of a server’s life cycle. The R540 uses these new security features so you can reliably and securely deliver the right data to where your customers are, no matter where they are. Dell EMC considers each part of system security, from design to end of life, to ensure trust and deliver worry-free, secure systems.
Satisfy a variety of applications with the flexible Dell EMC PowerEdge R540. Its balanced combination of resources, expandability and affordability adapt to the changing demands of a modern data center. Optimize your application performance with one-button tuning. Scale for future requirements with up to 14 x 3.5" drives. Embedded diagnostics and SupportAssist help to maximize uptime without added effort, in a worry-free environment.
Our modern compute platforms are built to scale easily and take advantage of technologies that lift application performance. The Dell EMC PowerEdge R540 rack server combines affordably and versatably, so you can adapt to a variety of applications and meet future demands.
| DIMM type | DIMM ranking | Capacity | DIMM rated voltage, speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| RDIMM | 1R/2R | 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB | DDR4 (1.2 V), 2666 |
| LRDIMM | 2R | 64 GB | DDR4 (1.2 V), 2666 |
The PowerEdge R540 system supports up to five PCI express (PCIe) generation 3 expansion cards slots plus 1x LOM riser slot.
The Dell EMC PowerEdge R540 system supports two 1 Gbps on board Network Interface Controller (NIC) ports on the backpanel. The R540 also supports extra two optional NIC ports with following LOM options:
LOM riser + 3 x low profile slot
LOM riser + Right riser FH + 2 x 3.5 inch rear hard drive
LOM riser + Left riser + Right riser LP + 2 x 3.5 inch rear hard drive
LOM riser + Butterfly riser + 3 x low profile slot
The new generation PERC 11 H750, H350, and HBA350i adapters cannot be mixed with the PERC H740P, H730P, HBA330, H330 adapters of the previous generations in one system.
This is a dedicated slot for the PERC on the R540 Rack server. It sits closer to the backplane behind the fans for cooling and cabling reasons.

| Performance Level | Controller and Description |
|---|---|
| Entry | S140—SATA |
| Value | HBA355e, HBA350i, H350, H730P, HBA330, H330, 12 Gb/s Ext SAS HBA |
| Value Performance | H750, H730P |
| Premium Performance | H750, H840, H740P |
The BOSS is recommended for non-virtualized operating systems. Virtualized operating systems are best supported by the IDSDM
The IDSDM with vFlash module has a dedicated slot at the back of the system chassis. This is a Dell EMC-proprietary PCIe x1 slot that uses a USB 3.0 interface to host. In the PowerEdge R440 systems, the IDSDM and vFlash card size changes from SD to microSD and the supported capacity for IDSDM microSD cards are 16 GB, 32 GB, or 64 GB, while for vFlash the capacity is 16 GB only. The write-protect switch is built onboard on the IDSDM module.
The Boot Optimized Storage Subsystem (BOSS) is an alternative, high speed location to install the operating system. This ensures that the drive based storage is not used by the operating system. BOSS is a simple RAID solution card designed specifically for booting the system's operating system, which supports up to two 6 Gbps M.2 SATA drives. This card has a x8 connector using PCIe gen 2.0 x2 lanes, available only in the low-profile and half-height form factor
| PSU | Class | Heat dissipation (maximum) | Frequency | Voltage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 W AC | Platinum | 4100 BTU/hr | 50/60 Hz | 100–240 V AC, autoranging |
| 1100 W DC | Platinum | 4416 BTU/hr | 50/60 Hz | 200–380 V DC, autoranging |
| 750 W AC | Platinum | 2891 BTU/hr | 50/60 Hz | 100–240 V AC, autoranging |
| 750 W AC (Mixed Mode) | Platinum | 2891 BTU/hr | 50/60 Hz | 100–240 V AC, autoranging |
| 750 W DC | Platinum | 2902 BTU/hr | 50/60 Hz | 240 V DC |
| 495 W AC | Platinum | 1908 BTU/hr | 50/60 Hz | 100–240 V AC, autoranging |
(List below serves as quick links to each section)