Dell PowerEdge R730: rear panel, ports and setup guide
The PowerEdge R730 is a 2U, two socket rack server with up to 3 TB of memory, sixteen drive bays and seven PCIe slots. Click any port on the rear panel below to see what it does, then read on for the specs, power supply options, setup keys and LED codes people look up most.
- 2U rack server
- 2 x Xeon E5-2600 v3/v4
- 24 DIMM sockets
- Up to 16 drives
- 7 PCIe Gen 3 slots
- iDRAC8
PowerEdge R730 specifications
| Model | Dell PowerEdge R730 |
| Form factor | 2U rack server |
| Processors | Up to two Intel Xeon E5-2600 v3 or v4 |
| Memory | 24 DDR4 sockets (RDIMM or LRDIMM), 1333 to 2400 MT/s |
| Maximum memory | 768 GB with RDIMMs, 3,072 GB with LRDIMMs (two processors) |
| Drives | Up to eight 3.5 in. or sixteen 2.5 in. hot-swap SAS, SATA, Nearline SAS or SSD |
| Optical | Optional SATA DVD-ROM or DVD+/-RW |
| Expansion | 7 PCIe Gen 3 slots on three risers (3 half-height, 4 full-height full-length) |
| Network | 4 ports: 4 x 1 GbE RJ45, or 2 x 1 GbE plus 2 x 10 GbE (SFP+ or RJ45) |
| Rear ports | iDRAC8 port, serial (DB9), VGA, 2 x USB 3.0, system ID connector |
| Front ports | VGA, USB 2.0, USB management port (iDRAC Direct), vFlash slot |
| Power supplies | Two hot-swap: AC 495 W, 750 W or 1100 W; DC 1100 W (-48 to -60 V) |
| Dimensions | 3.44 x 17.48 x 26.93 in. (87.3 x 444 x 684 mm) H x W x D |
| Weight | Up to 69.45 lb (31.5 kg) fully loaded |
| Operating temperature | 50 to 95 F (10 to 35 C); 41 to 104 F continuous in expanded mode |
Every port on the rear panel, explained
Click a card to light up those ports on the panel above.
4 network ports4 on the panel
Four built-in NIC ports. The drawing shows the four 1 GbE RJ45 version; other builds have two 1 GbE ports plus two 10 GbE ports, either SFP+ or RJ45.
Each has a link light (green at full speed, amber at a lower speed) and an activity light that blinks green when data moves.
iDRAC8 management port1 on the panel
The dedicated iDRAC8 Enterprise port. Patch it to your management network to power the server on, open the remote console and update firmware from anywhere.
Serial port1 on the panel
A 9-pin DTE serial connector (16550 compatible) for a serial console.
VGA video1 on the panel
A 15-pin VGA output for a monitor or KVM. A second VGA port is on the front.
2 USB 3.0 ports2 on the panel
Two stacked USB 3.0 ports for a keyboard, mouse or KVM dongle. The front has a USB 2.0 port and a USB management port, and there is one more USB 3.0 port inside.
System ID connector1 on the panel
A small jack for Dell's optional system status light, which runs along the cable management arm. The blue ID button sits right beside it.
2 power supplies2 on the panel
Two hot-swap redundant power supply bays, each with its own inlet. See power supplies for the options and the pairing rules.
Feed each supply from a different circuit or PDU so one dropped feed doesn't take the server down.
Also on the back
- PCIe slots 1 to 3: half-height, low-profile slots on riser 1, on the left.
- PCIe slots 4 to 7: full-height, full-length slots on risers 2 and 3. Slots 1 to 4 need both processors installed.
- System ID button: press to flash the LCD and rear status light so someone can find the server in the rack. Hold it more than 5 seconds during a hung POST for BIOS progress mode, or more than 15 seconds to reset the iDRAC.
On the front
- Power button, NMI button (only when support asks) and a second system ID button
- LCD panel with menu buttons, or diagnostic lights on some builds
- VGA, a USB 2.0 port and a USB management port for iDRAC Direct, plus a vFlash card slot
- Eight 3.5 in. or sixteen 2.5 in. hot-swap drive bays, an optional DVD drive, an information tag and optional Quick Sync
PowerEdge R730 power supplies
| Supply | Input | Heat output (max) |
|---|---|---|
| 495 W AC Platinum | 100 to 240 V AC | 1908 BTU/hr |
| 750 W AC Platinum | 100 to 240 V AC | 2891 BTU/hr |
| 750 W AC Titanium | 200 to 240 V AC only | 2843 BTU/hr |
| 1100 W AC Platinum | 100 to 240 V AC | 4100 BTU/hr |
| 1100 W DC | -48 to -60 V DC | 4416 BTU/hr |
Both supplies must be the same type and wattage, and AC and DC can't be mixed. Use AC supplies with the Extended Power Performance (EPP) label; supplies from older PowerEdge generations can cause a mismatch or stop the server from powering on.
If a supply reports a mismatch, replace the one that's flashing. Swapping the good one to make a matched pair can cause an error and an unexpected shutdown.
| Supply handle light | What it means |
|---|---|
| Green | Power connected and the supply is working |
| Flashing green | Firmware update in progress |
| Flashing green five times, then off | Hot-added supply doesn't match the other one |
| Flashing amber | Problem with the supply |
| Off | No power connected |
First boot: setup keys and iDRAC
Connect a monitor and keyboard and watch for these keys during startup:
- F2
- System Setup
- F10
- Lifecycle Controller
- F11
- Boot Manager
- F12
- PXE boot
- Patch the iDRAC8 port to your management network.
- Press F2, then open iDRAC Settings to set its IP address, or use the front LCD menu.
- Browse to the iDRAC address to finish setup remotely. You can also plug a laptop into the front USB management port for iDRAC Direct.
- Press F10 at boot for Lifecycle Controller: OS installs, hardware diagnostics and firmware updates.
PowerEdge R730 lights and LCD codes
The front LCD turns blue when everything is normal and amber when the server needs attention, with an error code and a short description. It can turn amber on AC power even while the server is off.
| Light | What it means |
|---|---|
| NIC link green | Connected at full speed (1 or 10 Gbps) |
| NIC link amber | Connected below full speed |
| NIC activity blinking green | Data moving |
| iDRAC Direct solid green 2 s | Laptop connected to the front management port |
| Quick Sync slow blink | Waiting to be set up from iDRAC |
| Quick Sync solid | Ready to transfer to a phone |
Memory and expansion
There are 24 DIMM sockets: A1 to A12 for processor 1 and B1 to B12 for processor 2, four channels per processor. With one processor only the A sockets work.
- Don't mix RDIMMs and LRDIMMs, and don't use more than two DIMM sizes in one server.
- Fill white-tab sockets first, then black, then green, with the largest DIMMs in the white sockets.
- With two processors, mirror the layout: if A1 is filled, fill B1.
- Add DIMMs four at a time per processor (one per channel) for the best performance.
- Mixed speeds run at the speed of the slowest DIMM.
| Riser | Slots | Size and link |
|---|---|---|
| Riser 1 | Slots 1 to 3 | Half-height low-profile, x8 each |
| Riser 2 | Slots 4 and 5 | Full-height full-length, x16 and x8 |
| Riser 3 (default) | Slots 6 and 7 | Full-height full-length, x8 each |
| Riser 3 (alternate) | Slot 6 | Full-height full-length, x16 |
Rack and room requirements
- Normal operation is 50 to 95 F (10 to 35 C) at 10 to 80 percent humidity, out of direct sunlight.
- In expanded mode it can run continuously from 41 to 104 F, and from 23 to 113 F for up to 1 percent of the year, with possible performance loss and temperature warnings.
- Above about 3,100 ft the maximum temperature drops slightly for every extra 1,000 ft.
- Plan for about 27 in. of rack depth plus cable room, and keep the air free of conductive dust.
Frequently asked questions
How much RAM does the Dell PowerEdge R730 support?+
Up to 768 GB with RDIMMs or 3,072 GB with LRDIMMs across 24 DDR4 sockets, with two processors installed. With one processor the limits are half that.
How many drives fit in the R730?+
Up to eight 3.5 in. drives or sixteen 2.5 in. drives, depending on the chassis, all hot-swappable.
How do I reset the iDRAC on a PowerEdge R730?+
Press and hold the system ID button on the front or back for more than 15 seconds, unless that has been disabled in iDRAC setup.
What power supplies does the R730 use?+
Two matching hot-swap supplies: 495 W, 750 W or 1100 W AC, or 1100 W DC. Titanium 750 W units need 200 to 240 V.
Does the R730 have 10GbE?+
It depends on the network option. One build has four 1 GbE RJ45 ports; the others have two 1 GbE ports plus two 10 GbE ports, either SFP+ or RJ45.
Which key opens Lifecycle Controller on the R730?+
Press F10 during startup. F2 opens System Setup, F11 the Boot Manager and F12 a PXE boot.
What does an amber LCD on the R730 mean?+
The server needs attention. The LCD shows an error code and a short description, and it can turn amber on AC power even when the server is off.
Plan this rack server in your rack
The PowerEdge R730 is in the Dell library for DaMatrix, with every port mapped so you can drag it into a rack, patch it and print the documentation.
Related Dell devices
Summarized from the Dell PowerEdge R730 Owner's Manual. This page is a quick reference; check the full manual for safety warnings and model-specific limits.