Suitability for Hypervisor Use
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CPU Performance: The Xeon Silver 4214R offers solid multi-threaded performance and is fully supported by VMware ESXi 8.x .
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Memory Capacity: 512 GB RAM is ample for hosting multiple VMs with large allocations.
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Storage Setup: 3× 1.2 TB SAS drives currently installed. For high performance or redundancy, consider adding SSDs or more spindles. Can add any more as required.
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RAID Controller: The PERC H740P is a capable enterprise-grade controller with cache and BBU — ideal for RAID 1/5/6.
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Redundancy: Dual PSUs and dual SD boot media are standard and reliable for 24/7 operation.
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Future Expandability: Plenty of drive bays, PCIe slots, and memory expansion available — great for scaling.
🧠 Longevity & Value
According to professionals on r/sysadmin, the R740 remains a viable server through 2024–25:
“In general 14G Dell is getting a little longer in the tooth but still has a lot of life left in them.” global.microless.com+12reddit.com+12reddit.com+12khebratonline.netglobal.microless.com+3icecat.lt+3khebratonline.net+3
If you're purchasing refurbished with support (like next-business-day hardware replacement), it’s considered a solid investment.
