The R730 and R730XD are the 2U pair of Dell's 13th generation, and the relationship is the same one the R740 and R740XD have a generation later: same server, different drive backplane. The XD exists to hold more disks.
Drive configurations compared
These are the chassis configurations TekBoost lists for each platform.
| PowerEdge R730 | PowerEdge R730XD | |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | 2U rackmount | 2U rackmount |
| Generation | Dell 13th generation | Dell 13th generation |
| 2.5" configurations | Up to 8 SAS/SATA Up to 16 SAS/SATA |
Up to 24 SAS/SATA |
| 3.5" configurations | Up to 8 SAS/SATA | Up to 12 SAS/SATA |
| Maximum listed drive count | 16 | 24 |
| Storage controllers | PERC S130 software RAID (SATA only), PERC H330, PERC H730P 2GB | |
What the difference actually means
Eight more 2.5" bays, four more 3.5"
The R730XD reaches 24 x 2.5" against the R730's 16, and 12 x 3.5" against 8. Those are the only differences that matter, and they are decided at build.
Neither generation-13 platform lists NVMe front bays
Unlike the 14th generation R640 and R740XD, no NVMe-capable backplane is listed for either the R730 or the R730XD. If NVMe in hot-plug front bays is a requirement, the decision is not between these two — it is a decision to move up a generation.
S130 is SATA only, and that catches people
Both list PERC S130 software RAID, which is SATA only. Plenty of used 13th generation servers are advertised with software RAID and then bought for a SAS array they cannot run. A hardware controller — H330 or H730P — is required for SAS on either platform.
Where the R730 is the better buy
For virtualisation hosts with shared storage, application servers and compute nodes, sixteen bays is more than enough and the R730 is cheaper. Buying an XD for a workload that will never fill it is paying for a backplane.
Where the XD earns its price
Backup targets, file servers, media stores and anything capacity-led. Twenty-four 2.5" bays in 2U remains a lot of spindles for the money on the used market, and this is one of the most cost-effective bulk-storage platforms TekBoost sells.
What these figures describe
Chassis configurations these platforms were built in, not the backplane fitted to a particular unit. Drive capacity cannot be extended by adding caddies afterwards.
Where to go next
- Dell PowerEdge R730 specifications and options
- Dell PowerEdge R730xd specifications and options
- R730XD compared with R740XD — the generation question
- Dell and HPE server generation comparison
- Plan drive capacity and RAID with the Storage & RAID Advisor
- Browse refurbished Dell PowerEdge servers
Hardware bought from TekBoost carries our standard 3-year warranty with Next Business Day part replacement, subject to the terms, exclusions and conditions on that page. To have a configuration checked against real stock, request a quote.