Rack servers form the foundation of modern data centers, yet selecting the right platform can be tricky. You need a solution that blends density, capability, and affordability without locking into a dead-end.
Enter Dell‘s PowerEdge R710 – a 2U rack server so influential, it remains in widespread use even 15 years after its 2009 debut. Behind the installed base are an optimal blend of expandability, reliability, and value.
Let‘s explore why over one million R710s sold and thousands still operate today. By covering the specs, performance data, and real-world impacts behind this legendary server line.
Redefining Dell as an Enterprise Powerhouse
In the early 2000s, Dell Server solutions were primarily associated with cost-conscious SMBs. The PowerEdge family provided capable, if plain, lower-end x86 systems. Dell maintained steady data center market share but lagged rivals HP and IBM for large-scale deployments.
The PowerEdge R710 marked Dell‘s coming of age with an enterprise-ready feature set, including:
- Dual hot-plug power supplies and swappable components for resilience
- Advanced System Management via IPMI and iDRAC remote administration
- Excellent I/O bandwidth and expansion room
- Support for 140+ GB RAM and fast, multi-terabyte internal storage
Reviewers praised the R710 as "punching high above its weight class". Combined with aggressive pricing, the R710 vaulted Dell to #2 in worldwide server market share by 2012.
This rare combination of capability, affordability, and strategic feature set made the R710 a data center workhorse. Let‘s explore the hardware and benchmarks that enabled such broad appeal.
Balanced Hardware with Clear Upgrade Paths
The R710 chassis strikes an excellent balance – cramming 8 hard drives and 18 DIMM slots into just 2 rack units. This combination of density and expandability enabled flexible growth.
Processor options spanned capable quad-core Intel Xeons all the way up to 145W top-bin parts. This let buyers dial in performance based on budget and workload needs:
| Processor Family | Cores/Threads | Base Clock Speed | Max TDP |
|---|---|---|---|
| L55xx | 4/8 | 2.13GHz | 80W |
| E55xx | 4/8 | 2.26GHz | 80W |
| X55xx | 4/8 | 2.66GHz | 95W |
| E56xx | 6/12 | 2.40GHz | 80W |
| X56xx | 6/12 | 2.80GHz | 95W |
Matched to 24 DIMM channels, the R710 could address over 1TB of blistering fast DDR3 memory. This muscle let it shoulder everything from massive databases to virtualized infrastructure.
Storage equally impressed with support for various drive types and rotational speeds:
| Drive Interface | Type Options | Max Capacity | IOPS Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 x 3.5" Bays | SAS, Nearline SAS, SATA | Up to 18TB | 200-500 |
| 8 x 2.5" Bays | SAS, Nearline SAS, SATA SSD | Up to 9.6TB | 1000-20,000 |
Both flash and high RPM disk delivered excellent random I/O performance thanks to the integrated H700 RAID card. This versatility supported everything from online transaction systems to Hadoop analytics clusters.
Networking leaned towards bandwidth over cutting-edge tech. Quad Gigabit Ethernet came standard with 10GbE SFP+ optional. More than enough for heavily virtualized environments and backups across multiple servers.
Benchmark Performance That Rivals Early 2010s Servers
Industry benchmarks spotlight the R710‘s balance of computing power, memory bandwidth, and I/O capability:
- SPECcpu2017 – Up to 110 base score depending on CPU SKU – Approaching scores of 2013-era servers
- STREAM Memory – Up to 60-65GB/s memory bandwidth matching early 2010s servers
- Sysbench – Up to 30,000 reads/sec / 15,000 writes/sec – Competitive with servers 5+ years newer
Impressively, fitted with modern components like NVMe drives and fastest E5-4600 v2 CPUs, the R710 roughly matched servers half its age. This performance longevity is why many still entrust mission-critical applications to these veterans even today.
Power efficiency stood out as another strength thanks to Dell‘s 90+% efficient power supplies. While no match for current low-core count systems, loaded power consumption stayed reasonable:
| Components | Typical Power Draw |
|---|---|
| Dual L5520, 96GB RAM, 4 HDD | 140W |
| Dual X5670, Max RAM/Disk | 270W |
Considering the performance on tap, these were impressive numbers back in 2009. And they still hold up respectably verses modern dual-socket systems today.
For data centers crunching SARPIO metrics, the compelling mix of capability and efficiency made racking-and-stacking many R710s a smart money move.
Mature Firmware and Components Enabling Decades of Service
Hardware specs only tell part of longevity story. The ecosystem of components, drivers, firmware and spare parts determines if servers enjoy a long useful service life.
Here again the R710 impresses – thanks to Dell‘s strong track record keeping business-critical models patched. Integrated out-of-band management via iDRAC also simplifies remote administration as these servers age.
Reviewing Dell‘s support forums and customer experiences reveals PowerEdge R710s still running smooth well into their second decades. The availability of replacement parts like PSUs and RAID controllers also helps maintain these workhorses.
Generational hardware refresh cycles see most servers retired after just 3-5 years. The R710‘s decade plus lifespan is an impressive exception. This class-leading longevity combined with the server‘s balanced capabilities help explain its enduring popularity.
Software Support Tailored to Private Cloud Environments
Hardware represents just half the equation – the operating systems and workloads running atop matter just as much. Here again the R710 covered its bases with broad OS support spanning Windows and Linux.
Popular environments included:
- Windows Server 2008/2012 for .NET applications and SMB file sharing
- RHEL 6/7 and CentOS 7 for Linux workloads
- VMware ESXi for private cloud infrastructure
- Open source virtualization via Proxmox and oVirt
This breadth combined with excellent virtualization performance made the R710 a turnkey hyper-converged platform. Small teams could consolidate dozens of legacy servers smoothly onto just a handful of R710 nodes. Larger organizations scaled out private cloud clusters across many racks as needs grew.
Both scenarios benefited from mature management features like iDRAC and IPMI-compliant monitoring. Together with Dell‘s deployment tools, these capabilities simplified maintaining data centers packed with PowerEdge R710s.
Market Changing Impact – Over 1 Million Units Sold
Launching in 2009, the R710 arrived at an inflection point for server technology and cloud computing. Its balance of capability and affordability perfectly aligned with data center modernization efforts underway at enterprises worldwide.
The server proved immediately popular, with 1 million+ units shipping by 2014 according to IDC figures. Many organizations made the R710 a standard building block – consolidating upwards of 20 legacy servers onto just a handful of these workhorses.
DellRider/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0
In the process, Dell‘s credibility as an enterprise IT provider skyrocketed. The Register summed up the sea change in 2012:
"Dell is now the number one server maker in the world… after more than a decade of playing second fiddle to HP and IBM."
PowerEdge shipments fueled Dell‘s rise past both established giants to seize the global server market crown. An ascent that without the runaway success of the landmark R710 may not have happened.
Still Attractive in 2023 – Refurbished Units Under $500
Over a decade since launch, the R710‘s combination of capability, density, and upgrade room still appeal to smaller data centers. The server‘s mass deployment also fuels a thriving secondary market where refurbished units are common:
2023 Asking Prices
| Condition | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Used | $150-$350 | As-removed from past deployments. May only have 2-4 cores licensed. |
| Refurbished | $400-$900 | Revalidated hardware with latest firmware/software |
| Renewed | $500-$1500 | Amazon backed warranty. Higher-end configurations. |
When shopping for a refurbished R710, keep an eye out for:
- Dual X5600-series CPUs
- H700 RAID Controller w/ Battery Backup
- 96-144GB RAM
- iDRAC Enterprise for remote management
- 1+ 10GbE Network Adapters
- Mix of 10K RPM and SATA Storage
This balances performance, redundancy, and modern management at a reasonable budget for home labs and smaller production uses.
If your applications need more horsepower, 16 core CPUs and NVMe flash storage offer bolt-on upgrades. Used R710 inventories offer plenty of flexibility.
The Next Generation – R720s and R730xd Replacements
While R710s continue to perform admirably, technology inevitably marches forward. Organizations needing to scale workloads further soon look towards modern replacement options.
Here the PowerEdge R720 offers an easy 12th generation migration. It doubles memory channels for faster bandwidth, supports new Haswell Xeon E5s, fits 12 x 3.5" drives, and adds M.2 storage.
Alternatively, the R730xd packs 24 drive bays plus NVMe flash into a versatile next-generation platform. Architectures benefiting from more storage density find this 13th generation server an easy stepping stone.
Both rack server families inherit the R710‘s balanced pedigree – making migration straightforward. The same can‘t be said for rival models saddled by architectural dead-ends. This smooth forward upgrade path Spotlights Dell‘s impressive commitment to customers.
Conclusion – A Server that Redefined Expectations
2009 marked the emergence of Dell‘s server group through the revolutionary PowerEdge R710 – over 1 million units shipped tell the story. The server redefined expectations around density, extensibility, and value – winning over data centers worldwide.
Over a decade later, R710s continue ticking reliably thanks to enduring software support and readily available hardware parts. Both small teams and enterprises still entrust mission-critical applications daily to these stalwart veterans.
If your infrastructure needs require more capability than typical SMB gear, but can‘t justify the latest generation pricing, take a hard look at the R710.
Refurbished units start around $500 – delivering potent virtualization performance perfect for slender budgets. Backed by one of Dell‘s most reliably supported server lines ever built.
For home labs through small enterprises, you‘ll struggle to find a better value density + expansion combination even today. The PowerEdge R710 remains just right – delivering everything IT needs and nothing it doesn‘t.
