Dell PowerEdge R720

How Much Does Dell PowerEdge R720 Cost in 2026?

Used units range from $400–$800, while certified refurbished models hit $800–$1,200. New in 2011, the R720 originally priced at $5,000–$8,000, offering 85–90% savings today. Refurbished units include warranty (typically 1–3 years) and replaced capacitors. Caveat: Servers with dual Intel Xeon E5-2670 v2 (2013+ production) command +20% premium due to 2.5GHz base clock and 30MB cache. Avoid units with non-hot-swappable SAS controllers (common in 2012-era builds) unless you’re using direct-attached SSDs.

Dell PowerEdge R720 Specifications and Technical Overview

2U rack server with dual Intel Xeon E5-2600 series (v1–v3), up to 768GB DDR3 ECC RAM (1866MHz), and 16x 2.5" drive bays (SAS/SATA). Equipped with dual 800W power supplies (plenum-rated) and a 2-port 1GbE NIC. Compatible with Dell’s 4-post rack mounts (EIA 19") and chassis requiring 3.5" clearance. Produced 2011–2014; later models (R720xd) add 8x NVMe support. Limitation: Original R720 lacks U.2 NVMe slots—check for PERC H710P RAID card (2013+ production) for SAS 12Gb/s compatibility.

What to Check Before Buying a Used Dell PowerEdge R720 in 2026

1. PSU health: Measure +12V rail stability with a multimeter; >2% deviation invalidates unit.
2. Drive bay integrity: Inspect for corrosion in 2.5" sleds (common in humid environments).
3. RAM population: Confirm all DIMMs are DDR3 ECC (1333/1600MHz)—non-ECC modules void compatibility.
4. CPU microcode: Verify BIOS is updated to A09 (2014) to fix errata in E5-2600 v1 chips.
5. Thermal paste: Replace if server exceeds 2018 deployment age (deterioration risks +5°C thermal offset).

FAQ

Q: Is Dell PowerEdge R720 good for virtualization?
A: Yes, dual Xeons and 768GB RAM support 50+ VMs, but lacks EPT in older BIOS versions