The R730XD and R740XD are the high-capacity 2U members of Dell's 13th and 14th generations. They look similar and often sit side by side on the used market at very different prices. The decision usually comes down to whether you need NVMe in the front bays, and whether the extra rear and internal bays matter.
Drive configurations compared
These are the chassis configurations TekBoost lists for each platform.
| PowerEdge R730XD | PowerEdge R740XD | |
|---|---|---|
| Generation | Dell 13th generation | Dell 14th generation |
| Form factor | 2U rackmount | 2U rackmount |
| 2.5" configurations | Up to 24 SAS/SATA | Up to 24 SAS/SATA Up to 24 SAS/SATA plus 4 rear SAS/SATA |
| 3.5" configurations | Up to 12 SAS/SATA | Up to 12 SAS/SATA Up to 12 SAS/SATA plus 2 rear SAS/SATA Up to 12 SAS/SATA plus 4 internal SAS/SATA |
| NVMe-capable backplanes | Not listed | Up to 12 NVMe/SAS/SATA plus 12 SAS/SATA Up to 24 NVMe/SAS/SATA |
| Software RAID controller | PERC S130 (SATA only) | PERC S140 (SATA only) |
| Hardware RAID controllers | PERC H330, PERC H730P 2GB | PERC H330, PERC H730P 2GB, and later PERC options |
What the difference actually means
Front-bay capacity is the same
This surprises people. Both platforms reach 24 x 2.5" or 12 x 3.5" in the front bays. If raw front-bay count is the only requirement, the R730XD meets it, and it is the cheaper platform.
NVMe is the clearest reason to move up
NVMe-capable front backplanes are listed for the R740XD and not for the R730XD. That is the single most consequential difference for a storage-led design. If the plan involves NVMe in hot-plug front bays rather than on add-in cards, the 14th generation platform is the one that supports it.
Rear and internal bays are 14th generation only here
The R740XD adds 4 rear 2.5", 2 rear 3.5" and 4 internal 3.5" options that the R730XD configurations do not list. In practice these are where boot, cache or log volumes go, keeping all 24 front bays available for the data set. If you have been planning to sacrifice two front bays to boot drives, this is worth costing.
Software RAID differs in name and in generation
The R730XD lists PERC S130 and the R740XD lists PERC S140. Both are software RAID and both are SATA only. Neither is a substitute for a hardware controller on a busy array, and the SATA-only limit is the part that catches people out: if the plan involves SAS drives, a hardware controller such as the H330 or H730P is required on either platform.
Where the R730XD is still the right answer
A 13th generation platform with 24 front bays and an H730P remains a capable and inexpensive bulk-storage or backup target. When the workload is sequential, capacity-led and SATA or SAS rather than NVMe, the newer platform's advantages do not apply and the price difference is real.
What these figures describe
The table sets out the chassis configurations these platforms were built in. It does not describe the backplane fitted to any particular unit. Drive configuration is decided at build and cannot be changed by adding caddies afterwards, so it is worth confirming against real stock before ordering.
Where to go next
- Dell PowerEdge R730xd specifications and options
- Dell PowerEdge R740xd specifications and options
- R740 compared with R740XD
- 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.