Adam Strickfaden

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  • Why Server RAM Runs Slower Than Rated Speed | Configured Memory Speed Explained

    Why Server RAM Runs Slower Than Rated Speed | Configured Memory Speed Explained

    Server RAM rarely runs at its rated speed. Real-world data from Dell PowerEdge and HPE ProLiant systems shows consistent memory downclocking due to CPU and platform limits.

    Most people expect RAM speed to behave like a spec sheet promise. Install DDR4-3200 and you should get 3200 MT/s. In practice, that almost never happens in enterprise servers.

    What actually matters is not the speed printed on the DIMM, but the speed the system ends up configuring at boot. That is the number you see as “Configured RAM Speed,” and it is almost always lower.

    Across a dataset of Dell PowerEdge, HPE ProLiant, and related platforms, a consistent pattern appears: memory is routinely downclocked based on CPU generation, memory population rules, and platform design.

    I pulled the following data from real-world server builds:

    CPU Chassis Model RAM Speed Configured RAM Speed
    1 x AMD EPYC 7502 32-Core Processor ProLiant DL325 Gen10 8 x 3200 MT/s 8 x 2933 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Silver 4215 CPU @ 2.50GHz PowerEdge R640 6 x 2666 MT/s 6 x 2400 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Silver 4112 CPU @ 2.60GHz PowerEdge R540 2 x 2666 MT/s 2 x 2400 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2643 v3 @ 3.40GHz PowerEdge R430 1 x 2666 MT/s 1 x 2133 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 6246 CPU @ 3.30GHz PowerEdge R740 6 x 3200 MT/s 6 x 2933 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2670 v3 @ 2.30GHz PowerEdge R730xd 2 x 2666 MT/s 2 x 2133 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 5120 CPU @ 2.20GHz PowerEdge R440 8 x 2666 MT/s 8 x 2400 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2680 v4 @ 2.40GHz PowerEdge R730xd 8 x 2666 MT/s 8 x 2400 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2687W v3 @ 3.10GHz ProLiant DL360 Gen9 2 x 2600 MT/s 2 x 2133 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 6248R CPU @ 3.00GHz PowerEdge R740xd 12 x 3200 MT/s 12 x 2933 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Bronze 3204 CPU @ 1.90GHz PowerEdge R740xd 2 x 2400 MT/s 2 x 2133 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 6226 CPU @ 2.70GHz PowerFlex appliance R640 S 12 x 3200 MT/s 12 x 2933 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Silver 4208 CPU @ 2.10GHz ProLiant DL380 Gen10 2 x 2666 MT/s 2 x 2400 MT/s
    1 x AMD EPYC 7281 16-Core Processor ProLiant DL325 Gen10 2 x 2666 MT/s 2 x 2400 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 5115 CPU @ 2.40GHz PowerEdge R640 6 x 2933 MT/s 6 x 2400 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Silver 4214 CPU @ 2.20GHz PowerEdge R740xd 2 x 3200 MT/s 2 x 2400 MT/s
    2 x AMD EPYC 7502 32-Core Processor ProLiant DL385 Gen10 4 x 3200 MT/s 4 x 2933 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2640 v3 @ 2.60GHz PowerEdge R630 4 x 2133 MT/s 4 x 1866 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2630L v3 @ 1.80GHz ProLiant DL360 Gen9 2 x 2133 MT/s 2 x 1866 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2623 v3 @ 3.00GHz PowerEdge R730xd 2 x 2133 MT/s 2 x 1866 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2620 v3 @ 2.40GHz PowerEdge R730xd 6 x 2400 MT/s 6 x 1866 MT/s
    2 x AMD EPYC 9534 64-Core Processor PowerEdge R7625 4 x 5600 MT/s 4 x 4800 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2620 v3 @ 2.40GHz PowerEdge R430 1 x 2133 MT/s 1 x 1866 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 6234 CPU @ 3.30GHz PowerEdge R440 2 x 2933 MT/s 2 x 2666 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Silver 4210R CPU @ 2.40GHz PowerEdge R740xd 2 x 2666 MT/s 2 x 2400 MT/s
    4 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E7-8870 v3 @ 2.10GHz ProLiant DL580 Gen9 48 x 2133 MT/s 48 x 1600 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 5118 CPU @ 2.30GHz PowerEdge R640 1 x 2666 MT/s 1 x 2400 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2630 v3 @ 2.40GHz PowerEdge R730xd 2 x 2133 MT/s 2 x 1866 MT/s
    4 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E7-8890 v3 @ 2.50GHz PowerEdge R930 24 x Unknown, 72 x 2133 MT/s 96 x 1333 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2650 v3 @ 2.30GHz ProLiant DL380 Gen9 11 x 2133 MT/s 11 x 1600 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2609 v4 @ 1.70GHz PowerEdge R730xd 12 x 2133 MT/s 12 x 1866 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2660 v3 @ 2.60GHz PowerEdge R730 12 x 2133 MT/s 12 x 1866 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2660 v4 @ 2.00GHz PowerEdge R730 22 x 2133 MT/s 22 x 1866 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2603 v3 @ 1.60GHz PowerEdge R530 1 x 2133 MT/s 1 x 1600 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 5220 CPU @ 2.20GHz ProLiant DL360 Gen10 1 x Unknown, 1 x 2133 MT/s 2 x 2133 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Silver 4216 CPU @ 2.10GHz PowerEdge R440 2 x 2666 MT/s 2 x 2400 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 6130 CPU @ 2.10GHz R640 IDPA 12 x 3200 MT/s 12 x 2666 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2603 v4 @ 1.70GHz PowerEdge R430 1 x 2133 MT/s 1 x 1866 MT/s
    1 x AMD EPYC 7F52 16-Core Processor ProLiant DL325 Gen10 8 x 3200 MT/s 8 x 2933 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E3-1280 v5 @ 3.70GHz PowerEdge R230 3 x 2400 MT/s 3 x 2133 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2630L v3 @ 1.80GHz PowerEdge R730xd 2 x 2133 MT/s 2 x 1866 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2630 v3 @ 2.40GHz ProLiant DL380 Gen9 1 x 2133 MT/s 1 x 1866 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2643 v3 @ 3.40GHz PowerEdge T630 17 x Unknown, 7 x 2133 MT/s 24 x 1866 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E3-1230 v5 @ 3.40GHz PowerEdge R330 4 x 2400 MT/s 4 x 2133 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Silver 4216 CPU @ 2.10GHz PowerEdge R640 1 x 3200 MT/s 1 x 2400 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Bronze 3204 CPU @ 1.90GHz StoreEasy 1860 Storage 1 x 3200 MT/s 1 x 2133 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 6330N CPU @ 2.20GHz PowerEdge R650 4 x 3200 MT/s 4 x 2666 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Silver 4208 CPU @ 2.10GHz SYS-5019P-WTR 2 x 2933 MT/s 2 x 2400 MT/s
    4 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 6254 CPU @ 3.10GHz PowerEdge R940 8 x 3200 MT/s 8 x 2933 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 5120 CPU @ 2.20GHz PowerEdge R740xd 2 x 3200 MT/s 2 x 2400 MT/s
    4 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 5115 CPU @ 2.40GHz PowerEdge R840 4 x 2666 MT/s 4 x 2400 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Silver 4215R CPU @ 3.20GHz PowerEdge R640 1 x 2666 MT/s 1 x 2400 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2609 v3 @ 1.90GHz AIR-CT5520-K9 1 x 2133 MT/s 1 x 1600 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2603 v3 @ 1.60GHz PowerEdge R730xd 2 x 2133 MT/s 2 x 1600 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2623 v3 @ 3.00GHz PowerEdge R530 1 x 2133 MT/s 1 x 1866 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Silver 4309Y CPU @ 2.80GHz PowerEdge R650 4 x 2933 MT/s 4 x 2666 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 5115 CPU @ 2.40GHz PowerEdge R740xd 1 x 2666 MT/s 1 x 2400 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2695 v3 @ 2.30GHz PowerEdge R730xd 8 x 2666 MT/s 8 x 2133 MT/s
    1 x AMD EPYC 7551P 32-Core Processor PowerEdge R6415 8 x 2666 MT/s 8 x 2400 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2637 v4 @ 3.50GHz PowerEdge R730xd 2 x 2666 MT/s 2 x 2400 MT/s
    4 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Platinum 8168 CPU @ 2.70GHz PowerEdge R940 8 x 3200 MT/s 8 x 2666 MT/s
    1 x AMD EPYC 7452 32-Core Processor PowerEdge R7515 16 x 3200 MT/s 16 x 2933 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Bronze 3104 CPU @ 1.70GHz PowerEdge R440 2 x 2666 MT/s 2 x 2133 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Silver 4108 CPU @ 1.80GHz PowerEdge R640 8 x 2666 MT/s 8 x 2400 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Silver 4108 CPU @ 1.80GHz PowerEdge R640 2 x 2666 MT/s 2 x 2400 MT/s
    4 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E7-4850 v4 @ 2.10GHz PowerEdge R930 8 x 2400 MT/s 8 x 1333 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2699 v3 @ 2.30GHz Dell XC630-10 16 x 2400 MT/s 16 x 2133 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 6154 CPU @ 3.00GHz PowerEdge R740 2 x 2933 MT/s 2 x 2666 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2699A v4 @ 2.40GHz PowerEdge R730xd 6 x 2666 MT/s 6 x 2400 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5620 @ 2.40GHz PowerVault NX3000 6 x 1333 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2630 v4 @ 2.20GHz PowerEdge R430 1 x 2400 MT/s 1 x 2133 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2699 v3 @ 2.30GHz PowerEdge R730xd 2 x 2400 MT/s 2 x 2133 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2603 v4 @ 1.70GHz PowerEdge R730 2 x 2400 MT/s 2 x 1866 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5620 @ 2.40GHz ProLiant DL360 G7 1 x 1333 MT/s 1 x 1066 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU X5677 @ 3.47GHz PowerEdge R710 1 x 1333 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU X5670 @ 2.93GHz PowerEdge R710 1 x 1333 MT/s
    4 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E7-4809 v4 @ 2.10GHz PowerEdge R930 1 x 2400 MT/s 1 x 1333 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2690 v3 @ 2.60GHz PowerEdge R730xd 2 x 2400 MT/s 2 x 2133 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Bronze 3106 CPU @ 1.70GHz ECSv3_R740XD 4 x 2666 MT/s 4 x 2133 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2637 v3 @ 3.50GHz PowerEdge R730xd 1 x 2400 MT/s 1 x 2133 MT/s
    4 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 5118 CPU @ 2.30GHz PowerEdge R940 21 x 2666 MT/s, 3 x 2933 MT/s 24 x 2400 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Silver 4116 CPU @ 2.10GHz PowerEdge R540 4 x 2666 MT/s 4 x 2400 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Silver 4112 CPU @ 2.60GHz PowerEdge R640 1 x 2666 MT/s 1 x 2400 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 6248 CPU @ 2.50GHz PowerEdge R640 10 x 3200 MT/s 10 x 2933 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 6252 CPU @ 2.10GHz PowerEdge R640 10 x 3200 MT/s 10 x 2933 MT/s
    1 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) E-2244G CPU @ 3.80GHz PowerEdge T340 1 x 3200 MT/s 1 x 2666 MT/s
    2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 5320 CPU @ 2.20GHz PowerEdge R650 8 x 3200 MT/s 8 x 2933 MT/s
    2 x AMD Opteron(tm) X3216 APU ProLiant MicroServer Gen10 2 x 2400 MT/s 2 x 1600 MT/s
    2 x AMD Opteron(tm) Processor 6344 AS -2022TG-HTRF 4 x 1600 MT/s

    The most common behavior in modern systems is DDR4-3200 running at 2933 MT/s. This shows up repeatedly in platforms like the PowerEdge R740, R940, R7515, and HPE DL325 Gen10. Nothing is wrong in these cases. It simply reflects the limits of the CPU memory controller and how many DIMMs are installed per channel. The memory is capable of 3200, but the system chooses stability over maximum frequency.

    A step down from that, DDR4-2666 frequently runs at 2400 MT/s across midrange servers such as the PowerEdge R640, R540, R440, and HPE DL380 Gen10. This is one of the most common real-world configurations in enterprise environments. It typically occurs when CPUs are not top-bin models or when memory channels are not evenly populated. Again, the system is not failing to perform; it is following architectural constraints.

    Older Xeon platforms show even more reduction. DDR4-2133 often runs at 1866 or 1600 MT/s in systems like the PowerEdge R730 series and HPE Gen9 platforms. At this point, the limiting factor is the memory controller architecture itself rather than configuration choices. These platforms were designed for lower baseline memory speeds, and the behavior is expected.

    Even newer technologies follow the same pattern. DDR5-5600, for example, can run at 4800 MT/s in systems like the PowerEdge R7625. The absolute numbers are higher, but the relationship between rated speed and configured speed remains unchanged.

    What this data consistently shows is that memory speed is not a fixed property. It is negotiated at boot time between the CPU, the motherboard, and the installed DIMM configuration. The CPU memory controller sets the upper limit, and population rules can reduce it further when multiple DIMMs are installed per channel or when configurations are mixed.

    From a practical standpoint, this matters because it changes how memory upgrades should be interpreted. Adding faster RAM does not guarantee higher performance. In many cases, adding more capacity can even reduce memory frequency. Likewise, two systems with identical DIMMs can run at different speeds depending on CPU generation and slot population.

    The takeaway is straightforward. RAM speed on the label describes capability, not reality. Configured RAM speed is the real operating condition, and across enterprise servers it is almost always lower than the advertised specification. This is not a defect or misconfiguration in most cases—it is simply how server memory architectures are designed to behave.

  • R740xd – Loud Fans With Rear Flex Bay

    R740xd – Loud Fans With Rear Flex Bay

    This post will be short and sweet. If you have an R740xd with a rear flex bay you need high performance fans installed otherwise fan speed will remain at 100%. I’ve seen this behavior time and time again.

    Here’s a screenshot of the fans with standard cooling fans installed:

    Fan speed with standard fans

    And here is a screenshot right after the installation of high performance fans:

    fan speed after high performance fan installation

    It may be necessary to reset iDRAC after installation of high performance fans.

     

  • No memory found – Dell PowerEdge Server and Intel Xeon 2nd Gen CPU

    No memory found – Dell PowerEdge Server and Intel Xeon 2nd Gen CPU

    If you upgrade your 14 gen DELL server to an Intel Xeon Scalable 2nd Gen CPU, you may receive this error.

    Common second gen CPUs:

    • Xeon Gold 5218 (16 cores)
    • Xeon Gold 5220 (18 cores)
    • Xeon Gold 6240 (18 cores)
    • Xeon Gold 6252 (24 cores)
    • Xeon Platinum 8253 (16 cores)
    • Xeon Platinum 8276 (28 cores)

    Chances are your BIOS is outdated and doesn’t support second gen processors. DELL did not introduce support for these processors until BIOS version 2.2.10. If you have a version below that you will receive this error without a doubt.

    What you’ll have to do is install a first GEN CPU, update the BIOS, and then reinstall the second GEN processors.

    Examples of first gen processors you can use:

    • Xeon Bronze 3104
    • Xeon Bronze 3106
    • Xeon Silver 4108
    • Xeon Gold 6126
    • Xeon Gold 6148 (20 cores)
    • Xeon Platinum 8176 (28 cores)

    Quick way to identify the generation

    • 31xx, 41xx, 51xx, 61xx, 81xx → 1st Generation (Skylake)
    • 32xx, 42xx, 52xx, 62xx, 82xx → 2nd Generation (Cascade Lake)

    Just update the BIOS and you’ll be good to go.

  • HP DL 380 24 Bay G10 SAS Expander Tutorial

    HP DL 380 24 Bay G10 SAS Expander Tutorial

    The 16 and 24 bay models of the DL 380 G10 require a SAS expander to supply the front drive bays with SAS lanes. The 8 bay model does not require such a setup. The backplane is simply connected directly to the RAID controller. It’s actually quite rare to not see the SAS expander built into server backplanes but that was the design choice by HP for this model.

    You are first going to need the SAS expander itself which looks like the following:

    P/N AEC-83605/hp2

    On the card are 9 ports. It installs into Riser 1.

    The cables you need will route from the backplane to the SAS expander, and then connect to your RAID controller. You will actually notice 3 separate backplanes on this server. Each section of backplane are known as bays.

    From this view you can see 24 bays are split into 3 backplanes

    You have Bay 1, Bay 2, and Bay 3.

    The required cables will plug into Bay 1 ports 1/2, Bay 2 ports 1/2, and Bay 3 ports 1/2.

    Here’s the first set of cables:

    HP-SAS-Expander-Cables-1_v1
    P/N 776402-001

    These plug into the first ports labeled Bay 1 Ports 1 and 2. They will route along the left side of the chassis  On the expander you’ll plug these into ports 3 and 4. These are for the first 8 drive bays on the server. Note, ports 1 and 2 are reserved for the cables that go from the expander to the RAID controller. We will plug those in later.

    The next 2 bays will use the same cable. We call this the octopus cable.

    HP-SAS-Expander-Cables-G10_v1
    P/N 874686-001

    It has 4 Mini SAS connectors on both ends of the cable. One side plugs into the other 2 backplanes on the server. The other side plugs into the SAS expander on ports 5, 6, 7, and 8. The cable will be labeled so you know what goes where.

    It’s easiest to have the SAS expander card out of the riser when you begin plugging in the cables.

    SAS-Expander-HP-DL-380-G10_v1

    Lastly, you have ports 1 and 2. These are individual cables that go from the SAS expander to your RAID controller. They can vary in length. There are shorter cables designed to just go from the expander to a PCIe controller in the same riser. There are also longer cables designed to reach further out to a controller installed in the Mezzanine.

    Here you can see I’m using the short cables to go from the expander right to a PCIe controller. Both the expander and RAID controller are now installed in riser 1.

    DL-380-24-Bay-Inside-View_v1

    Once you’re cabled up turn it on and verify that your server can see the RAID controller and your drives. If it’s only seeing drives in some drive bays you may have a loose cable, the wrong cable, or a cable plugged into the wrong port.

     

  • Updating DELL Servers Tutorial

    Updating DELL Servers Tutorial

    This post will describe the process of updating DELL servers. The documentation will be split into 2 parts. Part 1 will describe the update process for 13 gen servers, or more specifically, any server that ships with the iDRAC 8 management system. Newer generations of servers starting with 14 gen ship with iDRAC 9 which is a slightly different process.

    Updating 13 gen servers (iDRAC 8)

    DELL use to have an easy online updater but since 2025 this service has been down. Now you must update using the local method. Local means the updates are first downloaded to your machine directly from DELL, and then uploaded to the server.

    To upload an update you must first obtain the IP address of the server. For communication to take place both your local machine and the server need to be on the same network. Often times you will receive a server that has a static address set by the previous owner. This must be changed so the server gets all of its networking information from the local DHCP server.

    First enter into the BIOS by hitting the F2 key during boot time:

    Then arrow down to iDRAC settings and hit enter:

    Resetting iDRAC

    It is not mandatory but highly recommended that you reset iDRAC prior to updating the server or updating the network configuration. Resetting iDRAC can resolve many hidden issues you may not see until it’s time to update. Resetting also clears out any custom passwords set by the previous owner of the server.

    Once in the iDRAC settings scroll all the way down:

    Highlight Reset iDRAC configurations to defaults and hit enter and then confirm. Wait until the system tells you that the process completed successfully.

    Configuring the network

    Now it’s time to properly configure the network. Return to the main screen in iDRAC Settings and arrow down to Network:

    From here scroll down to the section labeled IPV4 Settings. Make sure your settings match the following screenshot:

    Once properly configured hit ESC until you are asked to save the changes. Save the changes and continue hitting escape until the server resumes the boot process. Hit CTRL-ALT-DELETE. You must reboot the server to refresh the IP address displayed at boot time.

    Here you can see the new IP address is displayed during boot time:

    Make note of the IP address as the server boots and plug this IP into your web browser.

    If a proper network connection has been established you will be greeted with a login prompt. If you’ve never logged into the server before your computer will warn you of an unsecure connection. Go ahead and continue through the warning to reach the login page.

    Login to the server with the following credentials:

    Username: root

    Password: calvin

    If the default credentials do not work you need to reset iDRAC as described previously.

     

    Expand iDRAC Settings and select Update and Rollback:

    Here is where you will upload the individual updates. There’s a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, each server will have its own BIOS file. Some servers will share the same BIOS. Other servers require its own unique BIOS file.

    Refer to the following table to see which servers share the same BIOS and which ones differ:

    BIOS-sharing groups in 13G

    BIOS Family Servers
    R630 Platform BIOS PowerEdge R630, PowerEdge R730, PowerEdge R730xd
    R430 Platform BIOS PowerEdge R430, PowerEdge R530
    R330 Platform BIOS PowerEdge R330, PowerEdge T330
    R230 Platform BIOS PowerEdge R230, PowerEdge T130
    R930 Platform BIOS PowerEdge R930 only
    R830 Platform BIOS PowerEdge R830 only
    FC630 Platform BIOS PowerEdge FC630 only
    M630 Platform BIOS PowerEdge M630 only
    T630 Platform BIOS PowerEdge T630 only

    The 2 most important updates you must apply are the BIOS and iDRAC updates. These can be located on the DELL website under drivers.

    Once you have the update simply click on choose file. Browse to the update file and then click upload. Here we will update the iDRAC firmware. iDRAC firmware is the same across all platforms that use the iDRAC 8 interface.

    After your file is uploaded the server will give you the option to install. Put a checkmark next to the update and then click install.

    Depending on the type of update the server may reboot. BIOS updates always require a reboot. This is done automatically. Other updates like iDRAC do not require a reboot.

    You can monitor the update in the Job Queue. You will be asked if you want to go to the queue once you click install.

    A successful update looks like the following:

    After updating the iDRAC you will be logged out. Simply log back into the server and repeat the previous steps for the other updates.

    Updating iDRAC 9 Servers

    DELL 14/15/16 use iDRAC version 9 so the following documentation can be used to update these generations of servers.

    Follow the previous steps to reset iDRAC back to default settings and configure the network. These steps have not changed.

    Once logged in to the iDRAC 9 interface click Maintenance and then System Update:

    In the dropdown menu labeled Location Type, select HTTPS. For HTTPS Address type in downloads.dell.com.

    At the bottom click Check For Updates.

    The server will then reach out to DELL to see what updates are available for your system.

    Put a checkmark next to all the updates it finds and then click install and reboot.

    The server may reboot multiple times. Allow the server to finish the process and do not unplug power until the update process has completed.

    You can view the progress of the updates by monitoring the Job Queue.

    Troubleshooting

    It is possible that you don’t have the option to download updates because you have a very old version of iDRAC or have an EXPRESS license. In some cases an Enterprise license is required to download updates from the internet.

    You might also find that iDRAC did not update during the process but everything else did. In such a case it’s necessary to stair step the iDRAC update.

    As an example, you cannot jump from version 3.20 all the way to the latest version. You must first update to 3.30 before attempting to update to the latest version.