The professionally refurbished Dell PowerEdge R740xd2 24-Bay LFF 2U Rackmount Server is one of those machines that makes a lot of sense once you understand what it was built to do. Dell designed the xd2 around a single core idea: get as many 3.5" drives as possible into a 2U chassis. The result is a dual-socket server with 24 hot-swap LFF bays arranged across two stacked internal drive trays — a clever mechanical layout that delivers a level of storage density that most 2U platforms simply can't match. If your workload is fundamentally about storing a lot of data reliably in a tight rack footprint, this is where that conversation starts.
Under the hood you're working with dual Intel Xeon Scalable processors (1st and 2nd Gen), with options ranging from Silver 4110s up to Gold 6222v — topping out at 22 cores per socket. Memory runs across 16 DDR4 DIMM slots with a 1TB maximum at speeds of 2400, 2666, or 2933MHz. Here's the thing about that memory ceiling: the xd2 trades some compute headroom for its extraordinary bay count. It's a deliberate design choice, not a limitation to overlook — if 3TB of RAM and deep virtualization density are the priorities, the standard R740xd is the platform to consider instead. But if 24 bays of hot-swap 3.5" storage in 2U is what the job calls for, the xd2 is purpose-built for exactly that. All 24 bays support SAS and SATA drives — spinning HDDs up to 26TB per bay, SAS/SATA SSDs, or 2.5" drives with included adapter trays.
This is a workhorse platform that thrives in environments like:
- Video surveillance storage backends — continuous sequential writes from camera feeds are exactly what high-capacity spinning drives are good at, and 24 LFF bays gives a VMS platform plenty of room to grow without touching additional rack space.
- Large Exchange and email archive environments — mailbox databases that have grown beyond what a typical server can hold find a comfortable home here; the hot-swap accessibility keeps maintenance straightforward without scheduled downtime.
- Ceph and software-defined storage clusters — when you're building capacity-optimized SDS nodes, raw drive count per chassis is a key metric; the xd2's 24-bay layout makes it a strong building block for Ceph OSD nodes or similar roles.
- Media libraries and streaming content repositories — organizations managing large video or audio archives need dense, accessible local storage; filling the xd2's bays with high-capacity SAS HDDs delivers substantial usable capacity in a manageable footprint.
- On-premises backup and long-term retention targets — at up to 26TB per bay across 24 bays, the raw capacity potential here is significant; teams looking to reduce reliance on cloud backup costs will appreciate what this platform can hold.
- NAS consolidation and file server replacement — if you're running multiple aging file servers that have collectively outgrown their usefulness, this is the kind of single-chassis replacement that simplifies management and recovers rack space.
Power comes from dual hot-swap 1100W redundant power supplies — standard on this platform, so that part is already sorted. Network connectivity starts with a dual 10GbE SFP+ mezzanine card built in, with a 25GbE SFP28 upgrade option available at configuration. Remote management is handled by iDRAC9 with Lifecycle Controller, which covers out-of-band access, health monitoring, and firmware updates without requiring physical access to the box. For shops with compliance or data security requirements, an optional TPM 2.0 module can be added at configuration time.
What you're getting here is a professionally refurbished enterprise storage platform — pulled from a real data center, fully tested, and built to your specs before it ships. Enterprise-class Dell hardware at a price that makes a meaningful difference in the budget, backed by a 90-day warranty.
At The Server Store, we don't just sell refurbished Dell PowerEdge R740xd2 servers — we configure them, test them, and make sure you're getting exactly the system you need. Our team is available by phone or chat whenever you need us. Browse our full selection of professionally refurbished, custom-configured servers and IT equipment at The Server Store.
