Most orders for server parts fall into one of three jobs. You might be adding capacity to a host that still has years left in it, or replacing a failed component on a platform you already run. Or you might be building a shelf of spares, so the next failure is a ten-minute swap rather than a week of waiting. The range is built around the platforms UK businesses actually have in their racks, chiefly Dell PowerEdge and HPE ProLiant. That means refurbished Dell server parts for the R640 and R740 and refurbished HP and HPE ProLiant server parts for the DL360 and DL380 Gen10. It also covers Intel Xeon processors, plus the brackets, heatsinks and batteries that are easy to forget until a job stalls without them. Getting the part number right matters more than the headline spec, so the notes below put compatibility first. If an upgrade bill starts to approach the cost of a newer chassis, compare it with our complete refurbished servers.
At a glance
- Processors
- Intel Xeon Scalable CPUs across the Silver and Gold tiers. Examples include the Silver 4216 (16 cores, 2.10GHz, 100W), Gold 5218R (20 cores, 2.10GHz, 125W), Gold 6240 (18 cores, 2.60GHz, 150W), Gold 6152 (22 cores, 2.10GHz, 140W) and Gold 6136 (12 cores, 3.00GHz, 150W).
- Identification
- CPU listings quote the Intel S-spec (SRGZ7, SR3B2 and so on), and OEM parts carry their Dell or HPE part number. That lets you match an existing component exactly rather than by description.
- Memory
- Server RAM for rack and tower platforms. Registered (RDIMM) and load-reduced (LRDIMM) modules can't share a server, so check what is already fitted before you add more.
- RAID and storage control
- RAID controllers for HPE and other platforms, including the HPE E208i-a SAS3, plus cache backup batteries such as the LSI 13.5V pack.
- Cooling and mounting
- CPU heatsinks and brackets for 14th-generation PowerEdge and ProLiant Gen10. These include Dell's 00F8NV standard 1U heatsink, the Dell XPDVP Scalable CPU mounting bracket and HPE's 867651-001 high-performance heatsink.
- Graphics and compute
- Graphics cards for workstations, towers and servers that need GPU acceleration, compute capacity or display output.
- Platforms
- Mainly Dell PowerEdge and HPE ProLiant. The Intel processors carry across OEMs, as long as the socket, cooling and BIOS support line up.
Matching parts to your server
Two servers with similar names can take completely different parts. First confirm the exact model and generation from the chassis label, the service tag, or the iDRAC or iLO hardware inventory. Then match on part number rather than product description.
- Dell PowerEdge R640 and R740
- Both are 14th-generation PowerEdge servers built on the Intel Xeon Scalable platform, so the same processors suit either chassis. The Dell standard 1U heatsink, part 00F8NV, fits the R640, R740, C4140 and Precision R7920 and is rated for CPUs up to 125W TDP. A 140W or 150W processor needs cooling rated for it, so check before you fit one. Dell part numbers often appear with and without a leading zero (00F8NV and 0F8NV are the same part), which is worth knowing when you search.
- Dell PowerEdge R630
- The R630 is a 13th-generation server on an earlier processor platform. Its CPUs, heatsinks and mounting hardware can't be swapped with R640 parts, so an R630 upgrade needs components specified for that generation.
- HPE ProLiant DL360 and DL380 Gen10
- Gen10 ProLiants also run Xeon Scalable processors. The 1U DL360 Gen10 has the tighter thermal envelope, which is why HPE offers a high-performance heatsink for the DL360 Gen10 for more demanding CPUs. The 2U DL380 Gen10 has more room for airflow. Smart Array controllers with an -a suffix, such as the E208i-a, fit the modular controller slot on the system board rather than a standard PCIe slot.
- Tower servers
- Tower server parts follow the same rules: identify the model and generation, then match socket, memory type and drive carrier. Towers usually have more space for full-height cards and graphics. Cooling shrouds, drive cages and power cabling, however, tend to be specific to the model.
- Intel processors across brands
- A Xeon with a given S-spec is the same silicon whether it came out of a Dell, an HPE or a white-box server, which makes Intel server parts the most portable in the range. What ties a CPU to a platform is the heatsink, the bracket and BIOS support. Second-generation Xeon Scalable chips such as the Gold 5218R and Gold 6240 need a BIOS that recognises them, so update firmware before swapping CPUs in an early 14th-generation or Gen10 machine.
Typical deployments
Virtualisation hosts
On most hypervisor hosts, memory runs out before CPU does, so spend on RAM first. Fill channels in matched sets, with identical size and rank in each channel, and keep both sockets balanced. If you then need more cores, the Xeon Gold 5218R offers 20 cores at 125W. That sits inside the rating of Dell's standard 1U heatsink, so an R640 core upgrade may not need new cooling.
Licensed databases
SQL Server and Oracle are licensed per core, so a dense CPU can cost more in licences than in hardware. Fewer, faster cores make better sense here. The Xeon Gold 6136 pairs 12 cores with a 3.00GHz base clock. At 150W it needs cooling to match, which matters most in 1U chassis such as the R640 and DL360 Gen10.
Adding a second processor
Turning a single-socket build into a dual takes more than one CPU. You need:
- a processor identical to the first
- a heatsink for the second socket
- any mounting hardware the platform uses, such as Dell's Scalable CPU bracket
- memory for the DIMM slots that only come alive once the second CPU is fitted
Some chassis also need extra fans, so read the platform's requirements before ordering.
Storage controllers and rebuilds
Decide first whether the operating system or the controller should own the disks. ZFS, Ceph and Storage Spaces Direct want pass-through, whereas traditional parity arrays suit a cached hardware RAID controller. The HPE E208i-a SAS3 controller is a 2-port card without onboard cache, which makes it a sensible fit for mirrored boot drives or pass-through. On cached LSI-based cards, a worn backup battery often pushes the controller into slower write-through mode, and replacing the battery is a cheap fix.
Spares and break-fix
For production estates, keep spares of the parts that stop a server booting or take longest to source. That usually means a CPU, a heatsink, a DIMM of each size you run and the RAID controller. Match spares by OEM part number and, for processors, by S-spec, so the replacement behaves exactly like the part that failed.
GPU and compute
Before anything else, check the slot, the card's length and height, and the power connector. Passively cooled datacentre cards rely on chassis airflow and belong in servers designed for them. Actively cooled cards suit workstations and towers. Rack platforms may also need a specific riser to take a full-length card.
Why buy from Compuwyze
- Dell, HPE and Intel parts listed with OEM part numbers or S-specs, so you can match what is already in the server
- 12-month return-to-base warranty on parts and components
- Orders for parts placed before 2pm are aimed to ship the same day
- Free UK delivery on orders over £50, normally arriving the next working day once shipped
- International delivery by FedEx economy or priority, usually within 2 to 5 days
- Single parts or bulk orders, with larger and heavier consignments sent on pallets
Frequently asked questions
How do I know a part will fit my server?
Start with the exact model and generation of the server, then compare part numbers. Product titles carry the OEM part number or the Intel S-spec where one applies. Check it against the label on the part you are replacing, or against the hardware inventory in iDRAC or iLO. If you are still unsure, send us the server model before ordering.
Can I mix different processors in a dual-socket server?
No. Both sockets need the same processor model, and ideally the same stepping, which the S-spec identifies. A mismatched pair will usually stop the server at POST, or leave it running an unsupported configuration.
Can I mix RDIMM and LRDIMM memory?
No. Choose one type for the whole server. Within that type, match capacity and rank across each channel. Many platforms will boot with mixed sizes, but uneven population can reduce memory bandwidth.
Do Dell and HPE servers accept non-OEM parts?
Often they work, but PowerEdge and ProLiant systems can raise health warnings or run fans harder when they don't recognise a component. For those platforms, OEM-branded used server parts with the original part number avoid the problem, and they keep firmware updates straightforward.
What happens if the part I order doesn't suit my system?
We accept returns within 30 days. Return shipping is paid by the customer, so it is worth checking the part number and generation carefully before you order.
Can I sell you the parts I take out?
Yes. If an upgrade leaves you with spare CPUs, memory or controllers, you can sell your decommissioned hardware to us rather than leaving it on a shelf.