Dell EMC PowerEdge T340 Power Consumption
We used our pair of Extech TrueRMS Power Analyzer 380803 units to take measurements at different points of the Dell EMC PowerEdge T340 use on 120V power in the embedded lab. Tower servers tend to spend more time at the edge in offices rather than in higher power data centers, hence why we do our testing at a lower voltage. Here are the figures:
- Power off: 6.9W
- Idle: 42.1W
- STH 70% Load: 106W
- STH 100% Load: 143W
- Max power observed: 171W
These are great power consumption figures. If you use lower-end CPUs than the top-bin Intel Xeon E-2186G that we are using here, power consumption decreases under load.
Overall the unit stayed quiet, in-line with what we would expect given the large fan and low power consumption. We did have an instance where a PSU was pulled and the fans sped up considerably, making this server very audible. In normal operation with the power supplies intact, we felt this solution is quiet enough for an office, albeit not completely silent.
STH Server Spider: Dell EMC PowerEdge T340
In 2018 we introduced the STH Server Spider as a tool to show a machines objective core competencies at a glance.
The Dell EMC PowerEdge T340 is based on the Intel Xeon E-2100 platform which limits its total system expandability. On the other hand, as perhaps the largest chassis one will find an Intel Xeon E-2100 in, there is plenty of room for storage and further room to expand.
Final Words
The Dell EMC PowerEdge T340 is a robust Intel Xeon E-2100 series server. We are doing a series on Intel Xeon E-2100 series servers, and other servers in the segment and the PowerEdge T340 is the best-built server in its class.
There are a few minor nits. If you do not have space, or if a 55lb+ server is too heavy for your application, then the PowerEdge T340 is not the right fit. The heft is enough to weigh more than two of its competitive systems combined. It cost more but also has an 8x 3.5″ bay capability along with a more robust build. We also think airflow over the PCIe slot area could be improved for edge cases where that may be required.
Based on the Intel Xeon E-2100 series now offering greater than 50% performance gains over the previous generation Intel Xeon E3-1200 V6 series in some cases, it may very well be time to look at your single socket tower deployments and upgrade to a newer platform.
If you are an organization that uses Dell EMC servers and needs a robustly built, low power, server for remote branch offices the PowerEdge T340 can be your go-to option. After reading this review, we hope you see why we call this a high-end low-cost server option.
To use 8×3.5 hard drives (total), do you need a card like the LSI SAS 9211-8i to utilize a second 4×3.5 drive cage?
I have a Lenovo TS440 – the first 4×3.5 SAS connector is on the motherboard, the second 4×3.5 expansion kit required me to acquire the LSI card. Thanks,
Nothing says hands on review quite like a discussion about the cover latch. Classic STH!
I wonder why they made this server so big. Most companies are trying to make things more compact. You could have mentioned that the bigger size isn’t good for office managers. If it takes up another half a square foot that’s several dollars a month for space which you’ve gotta add in TCO calculations.
It looks SIIIIIICK though! Like a tank of a server.
So…Based on this review…
I’m guessing it’s big? O_o
lol
You do realize the size has been the same for generations now and is due to being able to rack mount it.
I was pricing one of these machines on the Dell website (large corporate or IT buyers generally not using such means) last night and disappointed that everything today is ala carte pricing and even for mundane items one should not have to pay for to have included with any computer e.g. technical document on DVD.
Such approach to “one of” sales not the mindset what made Dell famous in the USA or why it was Dell even developed a large custom base during a period of high hardware competition choices (1990-2000). My first Dell up right computer was a dual Pentium Pro, my last Dell up right a dual P4, afterwards changing brands.
Worst, Dell’s ala carte pricing is driven in part by an unrealistic desire for constant, exponential revenue growth regardless of unit sales increase, a.k.a. corporate greed predicated on non equilibrium economic models, thus fitted with arbitrarily high retail pricing of an abusive nature rather than projecting an innate desire to benefit every day Americans, the Dell machine not assembled in the USA as should be, but Mexico.
The pricing schedule today, rather than in the past, when much of the pricing was premised more about a 1:1 product offering of a substituting nature, e.g. not having to over pay for intentionally proprietary (high profit margin for integrator and Apple ethos) hardware, with Dell no longer incorporating name brand OEM provider components and mountings as was their former Dell Sony displays, Dell Adaptec RAID controller… is ripe today for over pricing such as the minimalist Dell PERC to excessive pricing for Dell case front bezel.
To close, the motherboard in this computer, rather than designing a upright computer case that opens from the left (seen face on), is inverted top to bottom, thus not a proper mounting solution, but a disrespectful engineering short cut (hack) since this motherboard per peripheral slot direction, is intended to be oriented in the opposite (peripheral slots to the left, not right) direction. The purpose of the orientation is to prevent dust from accumulating onto the top (primary component side) surface of peripheral slot mounted PC board along with reduced thermal evacuating efficiency should the computer case be placed in an upright position and given situation in the photo, with dust potentially accumulating onto the top side of the PERC heat sink.
Park McGraw
Side note, I have not liked the manner in which a full size upright Dell computer case opens, since my dual P2.
Anybody know what the metal cage looking thing in the top right (in front of the psu) is for?
[refering to picture “Dell EMC PowerEdge T340 Internal Without Shroud”]
It looks HUGE! Was this designed for the China market where they like everything big? The cable routing is a mess, it looks over-complicated. Yes, you will need a card to support the additional drives beyond 4 drives.
Does this Server support puce bifurcation? I want to add a dual M.2 card for dual NVMe with the x8 slot. Such a card exists from Supermicro, but need PCIe bifurcation.
Otherwise I can only add 1 NVMe card per slot instead of 2. Not many free slots in this Server :-(
I wonder if this server has / will get bios support for Intel Xeon E-2278G?
That would make a great upgrade. But I fear processors are whitelisted.
Any chance you folks have revisited the T340 now that it’s been roughly a year and tried putting 128GB of RAM in it despite no word from Dell on it.
Can you update us on if the T340 now supports 128GB of RAM?
Same question, someone have tried 128GB? Thank you!
Does anyone know what BIOS settings are needed to hit the 41W idle mentioned in the review?