R740 vs R750

The R740 and R750 are both 2U, 2-socket Dell PowerEdge rack servers built for the same general-purpose role. The R750 moves to a newer CPU generation with PCIe Gen4, more cores, and a wider range of drive configurations; the R740 is the proven 14th generation platform it replaced. If your workload needs PCIe Gen4 bandwidth, more cores per socket, or a chassis configuration beyond the R740's ceiling, the R750 is the current platform. If it doesn't, the R740 does the same job for less, with wider refurbished availability.

Quick comparison

Key differences

Both are 2U, 2-socket servers built around the same chassis philosophy. The practical differences below all follow from the generation gap: 3rd Generation Xeon Scalable versus 2nd, PCIe Gen4 versus Gen3, and a wider range of drive configurations on the R750.

CPU & compute

The R740 supports up to two 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors, up to 28 cores per socket. The R750 supports up to two 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors, up to 40 cores per socket, with a faster Intel UPI interconnect between sockets. For core-dense workloads, the R750's higher per-socket core ceiling is the most direct capacity difference.

Memory

The R740 has 24 DDR4 DIMM slots (12 per CPU), supporting RDIMM and LRDIMM up to 2933 MT/s, with a 3 TB DRAM ceiling and optional NVDIMM or Intel Optane persistent memory. The R750 has 32 DDR4 DIMM slots (16 per CPU), supporting RDIMM, LRDIMM, and 3DS DIMM up to 3200 MT/s, with a larger persistent-memory allowance — up to 16 Intel Optane Persistent Memory 200 Series modules against the R740's 12. Both platforms require registered ECC DDR4 DIMMs; neither supports unbuffered memory.

Storage & NVMe

The R740's front-bay options are fixed at up to 16x2.5" or 8x3.5" drives. The R750 offers a wider range of chassis configurations — 8x2.5", 12x3.5", 16x2.5", or 24x2.5" front bays, including mixed SAS/SATA/NVMe and all-NVMe options. Dell's own published comparison lists both platforms as supporting "up to 24 NVMe drives" as a maximum; on the R740 that depends on the right backplane and riser combination within its 16-bay ceiling, while the R750's widest chassis option reaches that number more directly. If your workload is storage-bay-constrained rather than CPU-constrained, that chassis flexibility is the R750's clearest advantage.

PCIe / expansion / GPU

The R750 moves to PCIe Gen4, while the R740 uses PCIe Gen3. Both support up to 8 PCIe slots, but the R750's riser options allow up to 6 slots at x16 width against the R740's maximum of 4x16. For GPU-accelerated work, the R740 supports more total double-width GPU headroom (up to three 300W cards), while the R750 supports fewer double-width GPUs (up to two at 300W) but more single-width options (up to four at 150W, or six at 75W), over the faster Gen4 bus.

Virtualization

Both are proven virtualization hosts. Dell's own R740 materials cite up to 50% more VDI users than the previous-generation R730 when configured with three double-width GPUs. Dell's R750 Technical Guide lists virtualization and cloud-native applications, including high-density virtualization, among the R750's primary target workloads. For a given core and memory budget, the R750's higher core density generally means fewer physical hosts for the same number of virtual machines, though the actual gain depends on the specific hypervisor and workload.

Database & enterprise applications

Dell specifically markets the R740 for persistent-memory-accelerated databases, citing up to 10x database performance improvement from NVDIMM-backed configurations. Dell's R750 Technical Guide lists large traditional or in-memory databases with persistent memory as a primary target workload, supported by the platform's larger persistent-memory ceiling. For in-memory database workloads specifically, the R750's larger PMem allowance and faster memory are the more direct upgrade path.

When the R740 makes more sense

• Your workload doesn't require PCIe Gen4 bandwidth or more than 28 cores per socket.
• You want the widest refurbished availability and the lowest cost for a proven 2U platform.
• Your accelerator cards specifically need double-width, high-wattage GPU slots, up to three 300W cards.
• Your drive count fits comfortably within 16x2.5" or 8x3.5" front bays.

When the R750 makes more sense

• You need more cores per socket, faster memory, or a larger persistent-memory ceiling for in-memory databases.
• Your workload benefits from PCIe Gen4 bandwidth, particularly NVMe-heavy storage or Gen4 accelerator cards.
• You need a front-bay configuration beyond the R740's 16x2.5"/8x3.5" ceiling, including denser all-NVMe options.
• You're standardizing on current-generation hardware for a longer support runway.

Upgrade considerations

Drive backplane, riser configuration, and CPU socket count are chassis-level decisions made when a unit was originally built, on both platforms. A backplane cannot be changed later by adding drive caddies. Confirm the installed backplane, riser kit, and processor count on any specific unit against the applicable Dell specification sheet before assuming a configuration can be expanded after purchase. Because the R750 is a newer platform, refurbished unit availability and configuration options are currently more limited than for the R740; confirm current stock before committing to a specific R750 configuration.

Common questions

Where to go next

• Dell PowerEdge R740 specifications and options
• Configure the Dell PowerEdge R740
• Dell PowerEdge R750 specifications and options
• Dell PowerEdge 13G vs 14G vs 15G vs 16G Guide
• 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. Every system is tested before shipment. The R750 currently uses a custom quote rather than online configuration, so request a quote to confirm current sourcing and pricing for either model.

Methodology and sources

Last reviewed: 2026-11-12. Specifications drawn directly from Dell's official R740 Spec Sheet (Dell Inc., January 2020) and the official Dell PowerEdge R750 Technical Guide, Regulatory Model E70S Series, Revision A03 (Dell Technologies, November 2022), including Dell's own published R750-vs-R740 generational comparison table. Configuration-dependent specifications — PCIe slot width mix, storage bay count, GPU count and wattage, and PSU wattage — are described as ranges rather than single figures, consistent with Dell's own published riser and chassis option tables.