Principled Technologies releases study showing Dell PowerEdge R4715 offers strong SQL Server performance for SMBs

PT testing found the server could deliver up to 2.4x the NOPM, 87% more performance per watt, and 67% more NOPM/dollar than a legacy HPE ProLiant DL320 Gen11.

ROUND ROCK, TX, UNITED STATES, October 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — As transaction volumes grow, aging database servers can slow customer transactions, disrupt operations, and limit growth for small and midsize businesses. Principled Technologies (PT) compared Microsoft SQL Server Standard Edition online transaction processing (OLTP) performance on an HPE ProLiant DL320 Gen11 server with a 16-core Intel Xeon Gold 5416S processor to two configurations of the Dell PowerEdge R4715: one with a 16-core AMD EPYC 9135 processor and SATA SSDs, and one with a 32-core AMD EPYC 9335 processor and NVMe SSDs. PT used the HammerDB TPROC-C benchmark to measure new orders per minute (NOPM) and power consumption, then calculated performance per watt and performance per dollar.

Small and midsize organizations often depend on databases for customer transactions, inventory, reservations, reporting, and other daily operations. Modernizing a single-socket database server can provide more performance headroom while helping organizations manage power and software licensing costs.

Key takeaways
• Higher transaction performance: The 16-core Dell PowerEdge R4715 delivered 28 percent more NOPM than the HPE system, and the 32-core configuration delivered 147 percent more (2.4x the) NOPM.
• Better performance per watt: The 16-core and 32-core Dell configurations delivered 25 percent and 87 percent more performance per watt, respectively. The 16-core configuration used similar power to the HPE system, while the 32-core configuration used 31 percent more power to do far more database work.
• Better value: The 32-core Dell PowerEdge R4715 delivered 67 percent more NOPM per dollar than the HPE system, based on discounted quotes PT received on September 8, 2026.
• More from SQL Server Standard licensing: The 32-core configuration reaches the maximum 32-core limit supported by a single SQL Server Standard Edition instance, so organizations can increase performance without moving to a more expensive software tier.

According to the report, for SMBs these results mean “faster database response times and greater capacity to support business growth without adding complexity.” The report concludes, “By combining strong transaction-processing performance with better energy efficiency, the Dell PowerEdge R4715—in either AMD EPYC processor configuration—delivers better overall efficiency and helps businesses get more from their server investment.”

Frequently asked questions
• What workload did PT use? PT ran the HammerDB TPROC-C workload, an industry-standard OLTP benchmark that models a high-volume wholesale supplier, on Microsoft SQL Server 2025 and Windows Server 2025.
• Why does the 32-core configuration matter? A single SQL Server Standard Edition instance supports up to 32 cores, so the 32-core AMD EPYC 9335 configuration uses the full capacity of that edition within one socket.
• What else does the Dell PowerEdge R4715 offer? The 1U, single-socket server supports DDR5 memory, up to three PCIe Gen5 expansion slots, SAS, SATA, and NVMe storage options, integrated iDRAC10 management, and Dell OpenManage automation tools.

Read the Dell PowerEdge R4715 and AMD EPYC SQL Server report for details on the results.

About Principled Technologies, Inc.
Principled Technologies, Inc. is the leading provider of fact-based marketing and competitive analysis backed by transparent methodologies.

Principled Technologies, Inc. is located in Durham, North Carolina, USA. For more information, please visit www.principledtechnologies.com.

Sharon Horton
Principled Technologies, Inc.
press@principledtechnologies.com
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