Dell PowerEdge R650 Specifications
The R650 is a 15th Generation (15G) Dell PowerEdge rack server supporting 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors (Ice Lake) in a dual-socket configuration.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | 1U Rack |
| Processors | 1 or 2x 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable (Ice Lake, 10nm) |
| Max Cores | 40 per socket, 80 threads total |
| Max TDP | 270W per processor |
| Memory Slots | 32x DDR4 (16 per CPU, 8 channels per CPU) |
| Max Memory (RDIMM) | 2 TB with 64 GB modules |
| Max Memory (LRDIMM) | 8 TB with 256 GB modules |
| Memory Speed | Up to 3200 MT/s |
| Persistent Memory | Intel Optane PMem 200 Series (up to 12 TB total) |
| Drive Bays | 4x3.5", 8x2.5", or 10x2.5" (chassis dependent) |
| RAID Controllers | S150 (SW), H355, H745, H755, HBA355i/e |
| PCIe Slots | Up to 3x PCIe Gen 4 (x16) |
| Network | 2x 1GbE LOM + OCP 3.0 slot (PCIe Gen 4) |
| SNAP I/O | Balanced socket I/O via Mellanox socket direct technology |
| Management | iDRAC9 with Lifecycle Controller |
| Power Supply | Hot-swap 1+1 redundant (800W, 1100W, or 1400W) |
| GPU Support | Up to 3x 75W single-width (NVIDIA T4, L4) |
| Boot Options | BOSS-S1/S2 (M.2 SATA RAID1), Internal USB 3.0, PXE |
| Cooling | Air standard, optional Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC) |
| Dimensions | 42.8mm (H) x 482mm (W) x 758mm (D without bezel) |
The R650 introduced several key improvements over the R640: 32 DIMM slots (vs 24), 8 memory channels per CPU (vs 6), PCIe Gen 4 (2x bandwidth per lane), Intel Optane PMem 200 Series, SNAP I/O for balanced network performance, and optional Direct Liquid Cooling. It also retains 3.5-inch drive support — a feature the 16th Gen R660 dropped.
R650 Chassis Options at Enterasource
The Dell R650 is available in three chassis configurations.
| Chassis | Front Drive Bays | Rear Bays | Max Raw Capacity | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4x3.5-inch LFF | 4x 3.5" SAS/SATA | None | 64 TB | Cost-effective bulk storage, nearline |
| 8x2.5-inch SFF | 8x 2.5" SAS/SATA/NVMe | Optional 2x 2.5" rear | 122.8 TB front | Balanced compute and storage |
| 10x2.5-inch SFF | 10x 2.5" SAS/SATA/NVMe | Optional 2x 2.5" rear | 153 TB front | Maximum storage flexibility in 1U |
All drives are hot-swappable. The R650 retains the 4x3.5-inch LFF chassis option that the 16th Gen R660 dropped — an important consideration for buyers who need 3.5-inch drives in a 1U server.
Every R650 at Enterasource is configured to order. Select your chassis, processors, memory, drives, RAID controller, and networking, then our team assembles, tests, and ships your server with a 2-year warranty and free ground shipping to the lower 48 states.
Dell R650 vs R640 — 15th Gen vs 14th Gen
The R640 is the direct 14th Generation predecessor to the R650 in Dell's 1U rack server lineup.
| Feature | R650 (15th Gen) | R640 (14th Gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Processors | 3rd Gen Xeon Scalable (Ice Lake, 10nm) | 1st/2nd Gen Xeon Scalable (14nm) |
| Max Cores Per CPU | 40 | 28 |
| Max TDP | 270W | 205W |
| PCIe Generation | Gen 4 (16 GT/s per lane) | Gen 3 (8 GT/s per lane) |
| DIMM Slots | 32 (16 per CPU, 8 channels) | 24 (12 per CPU, 6 channels) |
| Max DDR4 Speed | 3200 MT/s | 2933 MT/s |
| Max RAM (RDIMM) | 2 TB | 1.5 TB |
| Max RAM (LRDIMM) | 8 TB | 3 TB |
| Persistent Memory | Intel Optane PMem 200 (up to 12 TB total) | Optane DCPMM Gen 1 + NVDIMM-N |
| Max NVMe Bays | 12 | 10 (including CPU direct-attach) |
| BOSS Card | BOSS-S1/S2 (hot-plug S2) | BOSS (non-hot-plug) |
| Networking | 2x 1GbE LOM + OCP 3.0 (Gen 4) | rNDC (Gen 3) |
| SNAP I/O | Yes | Not available |
| Cooling | Air + optional DLC | Air only |
| PSU Options | 800W/1100W/1400W | 495W/750W/1100W/1600W |
Choose the R650 when you need PCIe Gen 4 bandwidth, more than 28 cores per socket, 32 DIMM slots with 8 memory channels, Intel Optane PMem 200, SNAP I/O, or Direct Liquid Cooling. Choose the R640 when budget is the priority, you need the 10x NVMe CPU direct-attach chassis (R640 exclusive), or a wider PSU range (495W-1600W).
Dell R650 vs R660 — 15th Gen vs 16th Gen
The R660 is the direct 16th Generation successor to the R650.
| Feature | R650 (15th Gen) | R660 (16th Gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Processors | 3rd Gen Xeon Scalable (Ice Lake) | 4th Gen Xeon Scalable (Sapphire Rapids) |
| Max Cores Per CPU | 40 | 56 |
| Memory Type | DDR4 | DDR5 |
| Max DDR Speed | 3200 MT/s | 4800 MT/s |
| Max RAM | 2 TB RDIMM / 8 TB LRDIMM | 8 TB RDIMM |
| Persistent Memory | Intel Optane PMem 200 | Not supported |
| PCIe Generation | Gen 4 | Gen 5 (up to 2 slots) + Gen 4 |
| SAS Speed | 12 Gb/s | 24 Gb/s (SAS-4) |
| 3.5-inch Drives | 4x 3.5" option | Not supported |
| E3.S NVMe | Not supported | Up to 16x E3.S Gen5 |
| BOSS Card | BOSS-S1/S2 (SATA) | BOSS-N1 (NVMe) |
| Citrix Hypervisor | Supported | Not supported |
| Built-in Accelerators | None | QAT, AMX, DSA, IAA |
| Chassis Depth | 758mm | 809mm (51mm deeper) |
Choose the R650 when you need 3.5-inch drive bays, Intel Optane Persistent Memory, Citrix Hypervisor support, or a shallower chassis (758mm vs 809mm). Choose the R660 when you need PCIe Gen 5, DDR5 performance, E3.S Gen5 NVMe, built-in Intel accelerators, or more than 40 cores per socket.
R650 vs R650xs — Which Variant Do You Need?
Dell offers two R650 variants sharing the same 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable platform and DDR4 memory.
R650 — The full-featured 1U server with up to 3 PCIe Gen 4 slots (including full-height options), the full PSU range (800W-1400W), up to 10x 2.5-inch or 4x 3.5-inch front bays, and optional Direct Liquid Cooling. Choose the R650 for maximum expandability in a 1U form factor.
R650xs — A cost-optimized 1U variant with fewer PCIe slots and limited riser configurations. Same processor and memory platform at a lower price point. Choose the R650xs when PCIe expansion and DLC are not priorities and budget is the main concern.
Frequently Asked Questions
What generation is the Dell R650?
The Dell PowerEdge R650 is a 15th Generation (15G) server. It uses 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors (Ice Lake, 10nm process). The 14th Gen predecessor is the R640; the 16th Gen successor is the R660.
How much does a refurbished Dell R650 cost?
Pricing for a refurbished Dell PowerEdge R650 depends on the chassis configuration, processor selection, DDR4 memory capacity, and storage options. The R650 sits between the lower-cost R640 and the newer R660 in the refurbished market. Use the configurator on this page to select your components and request a quote. Enterasource builds every R650 to order with a 2-year warranty and free ground shipping to the lower 48 states.
What is the difference between the Dell R650 and R650xs?
Both are 15th Gen 1U servers with the same processors and DDR4 memory. The R650 is the full-featured model with up to 3 PCIe Gen 4 slots (including full-height options), the full PSU range, and optional Direct Liquid Cooling. The R650xs is a cost-optimized variant with fewer PCIe slots and limited riser configurations. Choose the R650 for maximum expandability, the R650xs for budget-conscious deployments.
What is the difference between the Dell R650 and R660?
The R660 is the 16th Gen successor. Key changes: DDR5 at 4800 MT/s (vs DDR4 at 3200), PCIe Gen 5, 4th Gen Xeon with up to 56 cores (vs 40), 24 Gb/s SAS-4 (vs 12 Gb/s), built-in Intel accelerators, and E3.S NVMe support. The R650 retains 3.5-inch drive support, Intel Optane Persistent Memory, and Citrix Hypervisor compatibility — all dropped on the R660. The R660 is also 51mm deeper (809mm vs 758mm).
What is the difference between the Dell R650 and R640?
The R650 is the 15th Gen successor to the 14th Gen R640. Key upgrades: PCIe Gen 4 (2x bandwidth per lane), 3rd Gen Xeon with up to 40 cores (vs 28), 32 DIMM slots with 8 channels (vs 24 with 6 channels), DDR4 at 3200 MT/s (vs 2933), Intel Optane PMem 200, SNAP I/O for balanced networking, and optional Direct Liquid Cooling. The R640 offers lower refurbished cost, the 10x NVMe CPU direct-attach chassis (not available on R650), and a wider PSU range (495W-1600W).
Is the Dell R650 compatible with VMware ESXi?
Yes. The R650 is on the VMware Hardware Compatibility List and supports ESXi 6.7, 7.0, and 8.0. It includes Intel VT-x and VT-d for hardware-assisted virtualization, 32 DIMM slots for up to 8 TB RAM, and BOSS-S1/S2 SATA boot to keep the hypervisor separate from data drives. The R650 also supports Citrix Hypervisor (still supported on 15th Gen, dropped on 16th Gen), Microsoft Hyper-V, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, Canonical Ubuntu Server, and Proxmox VE.
Browse all Dell PowerEdge servers available at Enterasource.
