Dell EMC PowerEdge XR11 and XR12

Dell's PowerEdge XR11 and XR12 are ruggedized servers designed for demanding workloads in challenging environments.  While sharing many features, they also have key differences that cater to specific needs.   

 

Key Similarities

Both the XR11 and XR12 utilize 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable Processors, offering up to 36 cores for robust computing power.  They both support DDR4 memory, with up to 8 DIMMs and a maximum speed of 3200 MT/s, and can also use Intel Optane Persistent Memory 200 Series.   

Both servers are designed to handle harsh conditions, are certified for telecommunications and defense applications, and are compliant with MIL-STD, NEBS, and Marine standards.  They are built to withstand dust, extreme temperatures, shock, and vibration.   

Management is simplified through the Dell EMC OpenManage systems management portfolio, featuring iDRAC9 with Lifecycle Controller for efficient IT infrastructure management.   

 

Key Differences

The most notable difference is the form factor. The XR11 is a 1U server, while the XR12 is a 2U server.  This difference in size leads to varying capacities:  

- Storage: The XR11 supports up to 4 drives, while the XR12 supports up to 6 drives.   

- Expansion Slots: The XR12 offers more expansion capabilities with up to 5 PCIe Gen4 slots compared to the XR11's maximum of 3.   

- GPU Support: The XR12 can accommodate higher-powered GPUs than the XR11.   

Another key difference is the chassis orientation. Both the XR11 and XR12 have front and rear access configurations.  In the rear access configuration, the network, serial, and VGA ports, power supplies, and PCIe slots are accessible from the rear of the platform, while the hard drives, power button, status LED, USB, and management port are in the front.  The front access configuration is the opposite.   

 

Use Cases

Both the XR11 and XR12 are suitable for edge computing, telecommunications, military, and retail applications.  The XR11, with its compact 1U form factor, is ideal for space-constrained environments like retail stores.  The XR12, with its greater storage and expansion capacity, is better suited for more demanding applications, such as military mobile data centers and telecom/5G MEC, CDN, and VRAN. 

 

Conclusion

The Dell EMC PowerEdge XR11 and XR12 are powerful and rugged servers designed for edge environments.  The XR11 offers a compact and cost-effective solution for less demanding applications, while the XR12 provides greater scalability and performance for more intensive workloads.