The Dell PowerEdge R960 is a 4-socket rack server that uses a stacked PEM (Processor Expansion Module) design to maximize compute density. Two processors sit on the default motherboard, while the remaining two are housed in the PEM, installed directly above the first pair — a layout that conserves both space and cooling. This high-performance server solution is built for mission-critical, always-on workloads, powering real-time data collection and processing without downtime.
Chassis Options:
The PowerEdge R960 system is a 4U server that supports:
- Four AC or DC power supply units with 2+2 redundancy
- Up to 8 x 2.5-inch SAS/SATA (HDD/SSD) drives - Smartflow
- Up to 16 x 2.5-inch SAS/SATA (HDD/SSD) drives - Smartflow
- Up to 32 x 2.5-inch SAS/SATA (HDD/SSD) drives - Dual Controller
- Up to 24 x 2.5-inch (NVMe Gen4) Passive
- Up to 16 x 2.5-inch SAS/SATA (HDD/SSD) + 8 x 2.5-inch NVMe (SSD) drives
- Up to 16 x EDSFF E3.S Gen5 NVMe (SSD) drives
- Up to 16 x EDSFF E3.S Gen5 NVMe (SSD) + 8 x 2.5-inch SAS/SATA (HDD/SSD) drives
- The Universal Backplane supports HW RAID for SAS/SATA with direct attach NVMe, and does not support HW RAID for NVMe.
Processor
Supports up to four 4th Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors, with up to 60 cores per processor and optional Intel® QuickAssist Technology for accelerated performance. The PEM houses the 3rd and 4th CPUs stacked directly above the first two processors, along with the remaining 32 DIMMs — for a total of 64 DDR5 RDIMMs supporting high memory density and bandwidth.
When the PEM is installed, there are some rules and restrictions for the expansion risers. Please read the manuals below for more guidance when configuring this system's expansion kits.
Heatsink & Fans
With the Processor Expansion Module (PEM) board installed, the system scales up to support 4 CPUs. Heat sink selection comes in 2 types, determined by processor TDP — see the table below to identify the correct match for your configuration.
| Heat sink |
Processor TDP |
| STD HSK |
≤ 185 W |
| L-type HSK |
≥ 195 W |
The R960 supports a single fan type: a stacked fan system with up to 6 sets of Standard (STD) fans (dual fan module). Each fan within a set is hot-swappable and sits in a fan cage that lowers onto the fan tray.
Standard air shrouds must be installed in all configurations, except when GPUs and full-length risers are present — in which case the GPU air shroud is required instead. Any open PCI or DIMM slots should be filled with blanks or fillers to maintain proper airflow.
Memory
The Dell PowerEdge R960 offers 64 DDR5 RDIMM slots with up to 16TB of maximum memory, supporting speeds up to 4800 MT/s. Speeds reduce to 4400 MHz when two DIMMs per channel (DPC) are installed.
Supports registered ECC DDR5 DIMMs only; memory mixing is not supported.
Memory DIMM slots are not hot-pluggable.
When memory modules of different speeds are installed, all modules operate at the speed of the slowest installed DIMM.
For complete memory rules and restrictions, refer to the manuals below.
| DIMM type |
DIMM rank |
DIMM capacity |
Dual processor |
Four processors |
| Minimum system capacity |
Maximum system capacity |
Minimum system capacity |
Maximum system capacity |
| DDR5 RDIMM |
Single rank |
16 GB |
32 GB |
512 GB |
64 GB |
1 TB |
| Dual rank |
32 GB |
64 GB |
1 TB |
128 GB |
2 TB |
| Dual rank |
64 GB |
128 GB |
2 TB |
256 GB |
4 TB |
| Quad rank |
128 GB |
256 GB |
4 TB |
512 GB |
8 TB |
| Octa rank |
256 GB |
512 GB |
8 TB |
1 TB |
16 TB |
|
NOTE: DDR4 memory DIMMs are not supported in the R960. |
Expansion Slots
The Dell PowerEdge R960 supports up to 12 PCIe Gen5 slots on the system board — 10 full-height and 2 low-profile — with support for up to four 400W double-width GPUs. A GPU air shroud is required whenever GPUs are installed in the system.
| Config No. |
Riser configuration |
No. of Processors |
PERC type supported |
Rear storage possible |
| 0-1 (Basic entry) |
R1C+R4C |
4 |
Front PERC |
No |
| 0-2 (Basic entry) |
R1C+R4C |
2 |
Front PERC |
No |
| 1 (Scale out) |
R1C+R3B+R4C |
4 |
Front PERC |
No |
| 2 (Maximum I/O) |
R1B+R2+R3B+R4B |
4 |
Front PERC |
No |
| 3 (GPU) |
R1A+R2+R3A+R4A (FL) |
4 |
Front PERC |
No |
Networking Adapters
Note: The system allows either LOM card or an OCP card or both to be installed in the system.
LAN on Motherboard (LOM)
Optional 2 x 1GbE LOM with BCM5720 LAN controller. This provides an easy way to expand network connectivity on the R960 without using a PCIe slot. If the LOM card is not installed, a blank filler must be used in its place to maintain optimal airflow.
Open Compute Project (OCP) 3.0
Optional 1 x OCP 3.0 card, available in multiple configurations ranging from 1GbE x4, 10GbE x2, 10GbE x4, 25GbE x2, 25GbE x4, up to 100GbE x2. Refer to the manual for detailed guidance on supported card options.
Storage Controllers
Dell's RAID controller lineup includes the fPERC solution, which delivers a base RAID hardware controller without consuming a PCIe slot — achieved through a small form factor, high-density connector to the base planar.
The 16G PERC controller family builds heavily on the 15G lineup, carrying forward the Value and Value Performance tiers. New to 16G is the Avenger-based Premium Performance tier (H965), a high-end offering designed to drive stronger IOPS and enhanced SSD performance.
Because the system supports a wide mix of drive types, dual controllers are available in select configurations. However, drive types cannot be mixed within the same RAID volume — each distinct drive set requires its own dedicated RAID controller. Note that PowerEdge does not support Tri-Mode configurations, meaning SAS, SATA, and NVMe drives cannot be combined behind a single controller.
| Performance Level |
Controller and Description |
| Entry |
S160 |
| Value |
H355, HBA355 (internal/external) |
| Value Performance |
H755 |
| Premium Performance |
H965i, H965e |
GPU
The system supports up to 4x 400W double-wide GPUs, with the Riser Expander (R3A) accommodating 2 of the double-wide GPUs. GPU support is only available through Riser Configuration 3: R1A + R2 + R3A + R4A (FL).
When a GPU is installed, the GPU air shroud is required. Any open GPU slot must be filled with a blank/filler to maintain optimal airflow.
Power & Dimensions
Power
Supports up to 4 hot-swap redundant PSUs.
- 1100 W Titanium 100—240 VAC or 240 HVDC
- 1400 W Platinum 100—240 VAC or 240 HVDC
- 1800 W Titanium 200—240 VAC or 240 HVDC
- When installing a 60 mm PSU above, a 26 mm PSU adapter is required
- 2400 W Platinum 100—240 VAC or 240 HVDC
- 2800 W Titanium 200—240 VAC or 240 HVDC
Dimensions & Weight:
Width: 482 mm (18.97 inches)
Height: 174.3 mm (6.86 inches)
Length: 883.195 mm (34.77 inches) with bezel
Length: 869.195 mm (34.22 inches) without bezel
Weight Per Chassis: A server with fully populated drives 60.2 kg (132.71 lbs)