Unlocking the Future of the Data Center: The Evolution of Dell PowerEdge Servers

Dell Technologies' long-running line of Dell PowerEdge servers has continually evolved since its arrival in 1996, adapting to radical IT innovations such as blades, server virtualization, cloud and edge computing, containers, the rise of the software-defined data center (SDDC) and the resurgence of disaggregated infrastructure. The latest generations of Dell PowerEdge servers are purpose-built to deliver maximum value and efficiency for modern data center needs, supporting both traditional and emerging workloads, from virtualization and scale-out databases to AI inferencing and cloud-native applications.

Foundations for a robust server infrastructure

Forward-thinking organizations today embrace innovation and digital transformation as key strategies for competitive advantages. This necessitates server infrastructures that can leverage and extend compute capabilities to the point of data and value creation, translating to real-time business value and more connected, compelling customer experiences both inside and outside the data center. The foundational hardware appliances for a robust enterprise server infrastructure must be powerful, scalable, dynamic and flexible enough to support distributed business models and corresponding usage patterns. As data and compute requirements are no longer bound solely to the corporate data center, modern servers must provide a solid foundation for an adaptive infrastructure, whether on-premises or at the edge, and conform to various form factors like rack mount, modular and industrial servers depending on the deployment environment.

Dell's PowerEdge server family features Intel® Xeon® and AMD EPYC processor-based rack and tower servers capable of supporting businesses from small and medium-sized to sophisticated enterprise use cases. Dell PowerEdge servers can scale to meet diverse requirements, from affordable building block servers to business-critical, mainstream machines supporting advanced enterprise workloads. Designed with office-friendly acoustics and thermal elements, Dell PowerEdge servers are equally at home in data centers or edge environments, such as remote/branch offices, retail locations and logistics facilities.

Dell's commitment to innovation is evident in its latest and newest 17th Generation (17G) PowerEdge servers, as well as its prior 16th Generation (16G) servers, which continue to enhance a robust compute portfolio. The Dell PowerEdge 16G server portfolio, introduced in mid-2023, was designed to support the latest technology solutions from partners such as Intel, AMD and NVIDIA, and key data center-focused solutions in AI, Security and Sustainability areas. The new Dell PowerEdge 17G servers, powered by Intel (R470, R570, R670 and R770) or AMD (R6715, R6725, R7715 and R7725), further build upon this foundation and are designed to handle:

• High-density virtualization
• Microservices
• Cloud-native applications
• Large-scale data analytic
• and AI inferencing

Key advancements across Dell PowerEdge generations

1. Next-gen processing power 

The Dell PowerEdge 16G solutions showcased processors from Intel (4th Gen Xeon Scalable Processor-Sapphire Rapids and 5th Gen Xeon-Emerald Rapids), along with AMD (4th Gen EPYC Processor, Genoa). These processors feature architecture for maximum performance while balancing energy usage, enabling workload consolidation and efficient support for enterprise workflows.

The newer Dell PowerEdge 17G servers can be equipped with Intel Xeon 6 Processors (Sierra Forrest/E-Cores and Granite Rapids/P-Cores) or 5th generation AMD EPYC Processors (Turin). 

Dell PowerEdge 17G servers with Intel:

• Equipped with Intel Xeon 6 Processors, the single-socket R470 and R570 offer up to 144 E-cores or 86 P-cores in a single socket. The dual-socket R670 and R770, powered by two 6th-generation Intel Xeon P-core and E-core processors, deliver breakthrough innovation with up to 86 P-cores and 144 E-cores across two processors.

Dell PowerEdge 17G servers with AMD:

• Equipped with 5th generation AMD EPYC Processors (Turin), the single-socket R6715 and R7715 offer up to 160 cores in a single socket. The dual-socket R6725 and R7725, powered by two 5th-generation AMD EPYC processors, deliver breakthrough innovation with up to 192 cores across two processors.

2. Memory and connectivity innovations

• Both Dell PowerEdge 16G and 17G servers bring DDR5 memory technology to the industry, offering increased performance, lower voltage requirements and significantly larger capacities per RDIMM compared to their predecessors.
• PCIe Gen5 technology is also a hallmark of both generations, doubling the throughput of its predecessor. This brings significant benefits to NVMe Drives, GPUs, NICs and Composable Disaggregated Infrastructure solutions.
• A key advancement is the introduction of CXL (Compute Express Link) technology. The PowerEdge 16G introduced CXL 1.1, while the PowerEdge 17G servers support CXL memory expansion, with updated CXL 2.0 support enabling scalable memory expansion for next-gen workloads. PowerEdge 17G models currently supporting CXL 2.0 are R670, R770, R7725 and R6725.
• The single-socket PowerEdge 17G R470 and R570 models feature a rich one-socket architecture supporting 136 PCIe lanes (P-cores) / 88 PCIe lanes (E-cores), significantly more than the standard 88 lanes for comparable servers.

3. Enhanced storage capabilities

• The Dell PowerEdge 16G line enabled larger local storage capacity by incorporating the EDSFF-E3 disk drive form factor, optimized for flash storage. At half the size of a 2.5" SSD, the E3 form factor can scale with power, PCIe speed and wider PCIe link widths to enable maximum IOPS, increase airflow and use less power. EDSFF-E3 support increased local capacity by 60 percent in 1U servers and 33 percent in 2U servers for the 16G line.
• The Dell PowerEdge 17G servers further expand on this. The R470 supports up to 16 E3.S drives, and the R570 supports up to 32 E3.S drives. The dual-socket PowerEdge 17G R670 supports 16 E3.S drives, and the R770 provides increased drive density with support for up to 44 E3.S drives. Both offer versatile configurations, including E3.S NVMe, 2.5" SAS/SATA/NVMe and 3.5" SAS/SATA drives.

4. Accelerating AI environments with GPU support

• The Dell PowerEdge 16G servers support the latest releases of GPUs (Graphical Processor Units) from NVIDIA, Intel and AMD for those looking to accelerate their AI environments to new levels.
• The Dell PowerEdge 17G R470 and R570 are ideal for GPU-intensive applications, supporting up to four single-wired and three double-wired GPUs for enhanced performance. The R670 and R770 are explicitly built to handle AI inferencing and large-scale data analytics. The combination of high core density, massive memory capacity, PCIe Gen5 and robust GPU support makes these servers powerful platforms for demanding AI/ML workloads, enabling faster model training and inference.

5. Advanced cooling and efficiency

• Dell has integrated enhanced system cooling and efficiency features. The Dell PowerEdge 16G line featured Dell PowerManager & Smart Cooling, a high-power optimized airflow design and optional CPU direct liquid cooling (DLC).
• The Dell PowerEdge 17G R470 and R570 boast a 100 percent air-cooled design with cold aisle support, ensuring efficient resource utilization and reducing energy and operational costs. The Dell PowerEdge R570 even delivered world-record performance results per watt in SPECpower_ssj2008 benchmark testing.
• For the high-performance R670 and R770, Dell leverages both air-cooled design and direct liquid cooling for improved thermal performance, further reducing energy consumption while maintaining peak performance.
• Built with industry-standard firmware and the new DC-MHS hardware architecture, the 2U PowerEdge R770, R570 and 1U PowerEdge R670, R470 are designed for maximum efficiency and streamlined maintenance. This architecture minimizes downtime and maximizes efficiency with enhanced I/O flexibility in both front and rear configurations.

6. Robust security and management

• Enhanced security across generations: Dell PowerEdge servers (16G/17G) feature advanced security capabilities, including TLS 1.3 with FIPS certification, Secure Enterprise Key Manager (SEKM) 2.0 for NVMe drives, a silicon-based platform root of trust, multi-factor authentication, and secure supply chain tracking—all supporting Zero Trust principles.
• Dell PowerEdge 17G builds on these foundations with Trust Domain Extensions for improved data isolation and Zero Trust maturity, offering a more resilient cybersecurity posture tailored for modern workloads.
• AI-driven management with iDRAC10 (17G): PowerEdge 17G features AI-enabled iDRAC10, integrating TPM, Root-of-Trust, attestation and encryption to support secure and intelligent system management across diverse environments.
• Unified monitoring and efficiency tools: iDRAC (16G/17G) and Dell OpenManage Enterprise provide centralized monitoring, predictive analytics and smart power management, streamlining operations, boosting reliability and supporting sustainability goals.

Which Dell PowerEdge Server is best for you?

Rack mount and tower options: There are entry-level servers that are flexible, reliable and affordable building blocks for business-critical workloads, utilizing cost-effective processors and configurations suitable for remote offices, cloud infrastructures and B2C/commercial applications. For enterprise data center needs, one or two processors (16G/17G) or four-processor (16G) server options are available to power a range of workloads from general server virtualization to application-specific use cases. The latest models highlight advancements in high availability and optimized airflow for superior cooling.

Specialty and industrial and rugged applications: The Dell PowerEdge line addresses an organization's potential server needs across the data center to the edge continuum. For example:

• For dense, accelerated computing resources needed for edge-based AI/ML applications and high-performance cognitive and storage storage-intensive workloads, the Dell PowerEdge C (16G) or XE Series is ideal.
• Small offices and remote or branch satellite facilities might opt for the PowerEdge T-series based on their acoustic and space optimization features .

Lastly, Dell PowerEdge XR servers are designed to withstand extreme heat, dust, shock and vibration, making them well-suited for manufacturing, construction, mobile command centers and other harsh environments.

Accelerating innovation with Dell PowerEdge and WWT's ATC

Today's Dell PowerEdge line allows organizations to acquire and deploy the optimal server hardware and platform for their requirements and use case. Selecting the ideal combination of features and benefits requires a careful analysis and assessment of an organization's specific needs. WWT's Advanced Technology Center (ATC) plays a crucial role in showcasing these advancements. The ATC offers opportunities for customers to reserve the new Dell PowerEdge 17G server line for evaluation and integration testing, along with its predecessor, PowerEdge 16G. In addition to equipment available for labs and proofs of concept, the ATC has a sandbox environment available for customer use. Engaging with WWT experts provides access to this sandbox. 

Customers can check out the ATC to explore more Dell PowerEdge server capabilities or schedule a briefing to determine the right PowerEdge solutions for their organization.