Dell PowerEdge R820 8 Bay 2.5 Server - High Density Compute

Our review of the Dell PowerEdge R820 focuses on its strengths as a dense, rackable compute node for virtualization and heavy memory workloads. With dual Intel Xeon E5-4657L v2 12-core processors and a massive 512GB of DDR3 memory, the R820 is best for IT teams that need consolidated CPU cores and large RAM capacity in a 2U footprint. The included H710 512MB RAID controller and a mix of fast SSD and new 900GB SAS drives make this renewed unit practical for mixed storage tiers while the dual 750W power supplies improve redundancy for production use.

Key Features

• Dual 12-core processors: Two Intel Xeon E5-4657L v2 CPUs deliver sustained multi-threaded performance for virtualization hosts and database consolidation.
• 512GB DDR3 memory: A large memory pool supports many concurrent virtual machines or memory-hungry applications without immediate upgrades.
• Flexible storage mix: Two 240GB SATA SSDs plus six new 900GB SAS drives provide a blend of low-latency boot/storage and high-capacity SAS for data pools.
• H710 RAID controller: The integrated H710 512MB controller offers hardware RAID for redundancy and performance tuning across the SAS array.
• Redundant power: Dual 750W power supplies allow continued operation during a single PSU failure for improved uptime.
• Renewed unit with warranty: Ships with Windows Server 2012 Evaluation and a 90 day hardware warranty for post-purchase confidence.

Who It's For

The R820 is aimed at small datacenters, IT departments, and labs that need concentrated CPU cores and substantial memory in a 2U chassis; it suits virtualization hosts, test clusters, and dense compute tasks. Administrators who value a mix of SSD boot drives and large SAS storage for capacity and throughput will find the included drive set practical.

Conversely, buyers seeking the latest generation processors, lower power consumption, or NVMe flash should look elsewhere; this renewed R820 is a strong value for established fleets but not a forward-looking platform for cutting-edge single-threaded performance.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• High core count with dual 12-core Xeon CPUs gives excellent parallel compute capacity for virtualization.
• 512GB DDR3 memory supports large VM densities and memory-intensive workloads.
• Balanced storage configuration with SSDs for responsiveness and six new 900GB SAS drives for capacity.
• Dual 750W PSUs and an H710 512MB controller provide redundancy and reliable RAID management.

Cons

• Uses older DDR3 platform and previous-generation Xeon v2 processors, so it is not as power efficient or future-proof as newer systems.
• Renewed condition and Windows Server 2012 Evaluation may require buyers to supply a licensed OS for production.

Specifications

System	Dell PowerEdge R820 8 Bays 2.5 Server
Processors	2x Intel Xeon E5-4657L v2 12 Core 2.4Ghz
Memory	512GB DDR3 MEMORY
Storage	2x 240GB SATA SSD and 6x NEW 900GB SAS (5.4TB)
RAID Controller	H710 512MB Controller
Power Supplies	2x 750W PSU
Operating System	Windows Server 2012 Evaluation Edition

Our Verdict

The Dell PowerEdge R820 is a sensible renewed choice for teams that need dense CPU cores and a very large memory footprint without buying new-generation hardware. It offers a practical mix of SSD responsiveness and high-capacity SAS storage, plus RAID and redundant power for reliability. Organizations running legacy workloads, virtualization farms, or lab clusters will find this R820 good value, though shops wanting the latest performance per watt should consider newer platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the server include an operating system?
It ships with Windows Server 2012 Evaluation Edition; a production license should be supplied by the buyer.

Are the SAS drives new?
The listing specifies six new 900GB SAS drives making up 5.4TB of SAS capacity.

Is redundant power provided?
Yes, the server includes dual 750W power supplies for redundancy.