IT Infrastructure: Dell PowerEdge R720 Pushes Computing Might into 2U Rack-Mount Server
Email
Print
The Dell PowerEdge R720, part of Dell's 12th-generation data center server family, uses the latest Intel E5-2600 processor and motherboard designs to pump up the computing and storage capacity of this workhorse 2U rack-mount server. The system is competitively priced, and when I used the Geekbench performance test and compared the PowerEdge R720to an HP ProLiant DL380 Gen 8 system, the Dell PowerEdge R720 showed a 12 percent advantage. The Intel chips allow for more equipment inside the 2U chassis. Dell was able to double the number of 2.5-inch disks from 8 to 16 (the capacity of the previous-generation R710) while also making room for up to 7 PCI slots. More efficient power supplies put the finishing touch on the redesigned R720, which can also be configured to run in a fresh-air ventilated data center without a chiller. The internal design of the R720 meant that cables were tucked neatly out of the way and that several components including the solid-state drives (SSDs) were accessible by opening the front bezel. IT managers who are looking for the next generation of workhorse, 2U, dual-processor systems should put the Dell PowerEdge R720 at the top of their list.
Cameron Sturdevant is the executive editor of Enterprise Networking Planet. Prior to ENP, Cameron was technical analyst at PCWeek Labs, starting in 1997. Cameron finished up as the eWEEK Labs Technical Director in 2012. Before his extensive labs tenure Cameron paid his IT dues working in technical support and sales engineering at a software publishing firm . Cameron also spent two years with a database development firm, integrating applications with mainframe legacy programs. Cameron's areas of expertise include virtual and physical IT infrastructure, cloud computing, enterprise networking and mobility. In addition to reviews, Cameron has covered monolithic enterprise management systems throughout their lifecycles, providing the eWEEK reader with all-important history and context. Cameron takes special care in cultivating his IT manager contacts, to ensure that his analysis is grounded in real-world concern. Follow Cameron on Twitter at csturdevant, or reach him by email at cameron.sturdevant@quinstreet.com.
