Dell PowerEdge R640
R640 (1U) - Specs
I purchased this server from PC Server & Parts via Ebay.com, a reputed and certified seller of refurbished enterprise gear and hardware. Dell PowerEdge servers are extremely configurable, which can make it difficult to select the "right" server to purchase. Some factors I considered when purchasing were:
- Power Consumption
- Processors
- Noise level
- RAM & Storage capacity
- iDRAC license
I was able to get lucky and find a server for a decent price point that comes with a 1 year warranty. The specs are as follows (yes, most would consider it overkill, but to me, the more the better...)
| Form Factor | 1U |
| Processors | 2x Intel Xeon Gold 6148 @ 2.40GHz |
| Cores | 40 Cores (20 each) |
| Memory (RAM) | DDR4 - 128 GB |
| Storage | 8x 2.5 Drive Bay Capacity (I currently have 4x 1TB SATA SSDs) |
| Power Supply | Redundant PSU (2 PSUs - 750W) |
| RAID Controller | Dell H730P |
| Network Interface | Intel I350 - 4x 1GbE RJ45 ports |
| iDRAC | Enterprise License |
These are some of the important specs of my R640 that I paid closest attention to. The chassis & motherboard also allow for future scalability, so I hopefully shouldn't have to worry about another server for 5-6 years.
iDRAC9 Enterprise
iDRAC9 is Dell's version of remotely accessing and controlling the server. This was probably one of the most important parts of my homelab, as it lets me configure, power on and off, and control the server from anywhere in the house or via my VPN connection
The dashboard below will showcase all the options for configuration. There is also a virtual console which allows you to even access system BIOS and the Lifecycle Controller.
OEM Docs