{"title":"ProLiant DL380 Gen 10","description":"\u003cp data-end=\"479\" data-start=\"429\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"479\" data-start=\"429\"\u003eBuild Your Own HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 Server\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"780\" data-start=\"481\"\u003eCustomize your ideal server with our \u003cstrong data-end=\"569\" data-start=\"518\"\u003eHPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 Build-Your-Own servers\u003c\/strong\u003e. Configure your system with \u003cstrong data-end=\"695\" data-start=\"598\"\u003eIntel Xeon Scalable processors, DDR4 memory, RAID controllers, and SATA, SAS, or NVMe storage\u003c\/strong\u003e to support virtualization, databases, cloud environments, and business IT workloads.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1092\" data-start=\"782\"\u003eThe \u003cstrong data-end=\"816\" data-start=\"786\"\u003eDL380 Gen10 2U rack server\u003c\/strong\u003e is one of the most popular enterprise servers thanks to its powerful performance, flexible storage capacity, and strong expandability.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1092\" data-start=\"782\"\u003eAt \u003cstrong data-end=\"976\" data-start=\"955\"\u003eWholesale Servers\u003c\/strong\u003e, every system is professionally tested and ready to deploy for your \u003cstrong data-end=\"1091\" data-start=\"1045\"\u003edata center, business network, or home lab\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"hp-proliant-dl380-g10-3-5-12-bay-server","title":"HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 12-Bay 3.5\" Drives [Gen10]","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 12-Bay 3.5\" is the LFF capacity configuration of HPE's 2U dual-socket Gen10 platform: twelve large-form-factor 3.5\" SAS\/SATA hot-swap bays on the same Purley dual-socket motherboard, same memory architecture, same iLO 5 management, and same Smart Array RAID family as the 16-Bay 2.5\" canonical. This page covers the LFF chassis and its bulk-capacity storage profile.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the full platform-fact story (processors, memory architecture, FlexibleLOM networking, PCIe expansion, iLO 5 management, Smart Array controllers, power supplies, physical specs), see the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dl380-g10-2-5-16-bay-server\"\u003eDL380 Gen10 16-Bay 2.5\" canonical page\u003c\/a\u003e. Everything documented there applies to this 12-Bay LFF variant; this page focuses on what's different about the LFF chassis and the workloads it serves.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhat's Different About This Chassis\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 12-Bay 3.5\" is the bulk-capacity variant of the DL380 Gen10 family. Three things define it relative to the SFF siblings:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLFF drive support.\u003c\/strong\u003e Twelve 3.5\" hot-swap bays accept 7,200 RPM NL-SAS \/ SATA enterprise capacity drives at up to 20 TB each (current generation). The platform also accepts 3.5\" SAS HDDs at 10K or 15K RPM (legacy choice, rarely deployed today) and 3.5\" enterprise SATA HDDs. SFF 2.5\" drives are NOT supported in the 12-Bay 3.5\" backplane.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBulk-capacity workload profile.\u003c\/strong\u003e The 12-Bay LFF is sized for NAS, file serving, backup repository, archive, object storage, and Ceph capacity-tier OSD nodes. The storage profile is high-capacity, sequential-throughput-optimized; random IOPS per drive (150 to 200 on 7,200 RPM NL-SAS) is intentionally modest. This is bulk capacity in a 2U enterprise chassis.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e240 TB raw at maximum density.\u003c\/strong\u003e 12 x 20 TB NL-SAS = 240 TB raw, approximately 180 TB usable at RAID 6. This is the largest single-server capacity envelope in the Gen10 lineup and one of the densest 2U LFF capacities in the broader market.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 12-Bay LFF is the right chassis when capacity-per-dollar drives the design and high random IOPS is not the binding constraint. When the workload is random-IOPS-bound or NVMe-latency-sensitive, the SFF chassis (16-Bay or 24-Bay 2.5\") is the right call.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eStorage Architecture\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwelve 3.5\" SAS\/SATA hot-swap front bays. Optional mid-plane adds 4 LFF (16 LFF total) and optional rear 3LFF + 2 SFF on appropriate Gen10 12-Bay variants, totaling up to 19 LFF + 2 SFF drives on flagship configurations. The 12-Bay base configuration (twelve front bays only) is the most common WS-stocked variant.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCommon 12-Bay 3.5\" configurations we deploy:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNAS \/ file serving at scale:\u003c\/strong\u003e 12 x NL-SAS HDDs at 16 TB or 20 TB each. 12 x 20 TB NL-SAS at RAID 6 = 200 TB raw \/ approximately 160 TB usable. Suitable for general-purpose enterprise file shares, SMB\/CIFS departmental shares, NFS exports, and Windows Storage Server deployments. Memory at 128 GB to 256 GB is the practical range; file system caching from DRAM meaningfully improves read throughput on spinning disk arrays.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBackup repository (Veeam, Commvault, NetBackup):\u003c\/strong\u003e 12 x NL-SAS HDDs at RAID 6 or RAID 60 (when expanded with optional mid-plane to 16 LFF). The DL380 Gen10 12-Bay is widely deployed as Veeam ReFS repository or XFS landing for backup workloads where high write throughput and high capacity matter more than random IOPS. Pair with 25 GbE FlexibleLOM for backup ingestion at line rate.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCeph capacity-tier OSD nodes:\u003c\/strong\u003e 12 OSDs per node with NL-SAS HDDs, paired with separate flash-tier nodes for cache and metadata. The 12-Bay LFF is the right HPE platform for Ceph capacity tiers where cost-per-TB drives the design. Plan memory at 6 GB per OSD plus 16 GB overhead (96 GB to 128 GB per node typical).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArchive and tier-3 storage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Long-retention cold storage where data is written once and read rarely. 12 x 20 TB NL-SAS at RAID 6 with low memory and minimal CPU. Often deployed with HSM (hierarchical storage management) software that tiers data between this and faster storage.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eObject storage nodes (S3-compatible: MinIO, Scality, Cloudian, OSNexus):\u003c\/strong\u003e Software-defined object storage with the 12 LFF bays as the storage layer. The DL380 Gen10 12-Bay is a common building block for on-premises S3 deployments where the workload economics favor LFF over SFF.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMixed SAS SSD + NL-SAS tiered storage:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 to 2 SAS SSDs in the optional mid-plane SFF bays for metadata or hot-data tier alongside 12 NL-SAS HDDs for bulk; tiered approach meaningfully improves effective NAS throughput for frequently-accessed data.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch2\u003eRAID Strategy for LFF Capacity\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eRAID strategy on 12-Bay LFF is the most consequential choice in the configuration because rebuild times on 16 TB to 20 TB drives are long enough that single-parity is not safe:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRAID 6 mandatory for all NL-SAS \/ capacity configurations.\u003c\/strong\u003e Rebuild times on 16 TB to 20 TB NL-SAS HDDs at the 12-bay level commonly exceed 24 to 30 hours per drive; two-drive fault tolerance is non-negotiable. RAID 5 at this drive capacity is not a supportable production configuration.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRAID 60 for backup repositories and Veeam ReFS:\u003c\/strong\u003e Two RAID 6 sets striped (6 + 6 drives) provides redundancy per set with aggregate throughput approaching dual-controller bandwidth. Strong fit for Veeam ReFS where the underlying file system contributes additional resilience.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJBOD \/ HBA mode for software-defined storage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Smart Array E208i-a (HBA mode) is the controller for Ceph, ZFS, and similar software-defined stacks that require direct disk access. RAID handled at the software layer (Ceph replication, ZFS RAIDZ, etc.).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSmart Array P816i-a (4 GB FBWC) is the production hardware-RAID default for NAS and backup workloads.\u003c\/strong\u003e The 4 GB write cache absorbs burst writes meaningfully on NL-SAS arrays; sustained write throughput is bounded by spinning disk bandwidth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eBoot configuration: HPE M.2 enablement kit installs 1 or 2 M.2 SATA SSDs in a dedicated bay outside the 12 LFF data bays. We strongly recommend M.2 boot; capacity nodes should have all 12 LFF bays available for data.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMemory and Networking for Bulk Storage\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor NAS and file serving, plan memory at 128 GB to 256 GB per node. File system caching from DRAM is the primary lever to improve effective read throughput on spinning disk arrays; more memory equals more hot data served from cache rather than disk seeks. Workloads with high read-to-write ratios benefit disproportionately from large caches.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor Veeam repository and backup workloads, 128 GB is the practical minimum for serious repository nodes; 256 GB is common for high-concurrency backup environments. Veeam ReFS metadata caching benefits from substantial memory; XFS-based Linux repositories similarly benefit.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor Ceph capacity-tier OSDs, 96 GB to 128 GB per node (12 OSDs at 6-8 GB each plus daemon overhead). BlueStore deployments at this capacity benefit from the higher end of that range.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNetworking: the FlexibleLOM is the right slot for the primary network. For backup ingestion or NAS serving at production scale, 2 x 25 GbE SFP28 via the HPE 631FLR-SFP28 is the typical fit. For smaller-scale deployments, 2 x 10 GbE BASE-T or SFP+ FlexibleLOMs are adequate. 100 GbE FlexibleLOMs exist but are bandwidth-bound by PCIe Gen3 at the x8 mezzanine; for true 100 GbE throughput, the platform is Gen10+ with PCIe Gen4.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePower Sizing for LFF Capacity Workloads\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eConfiguration\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003ePSU Recommendation\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eEst. Peak Draw\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLight (2x Silver 4214, 64 GB, 12 NL-SAS HDDs, P816i-a)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2 x 500W Platinum (hot-plug redundant)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~360W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBalanced NAS (2x Gold 5218, 256 GB, 12 NL-SAS HDDs, P816i-a, 2 x 10 GbE)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2 x 800W Platinum\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~440W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eVeeam repository (2x Gold 5218, 256 GB, 12 NL-SAS HDDs, P816i-a, 2 x 25 GbE)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2 x 800W Platinum\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~460W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCeph capacity-tier OSD (2x Gold 5218, 128 GB, 12 NL-SAS HDDs, E208i-a, 2 x 25 GbE)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2 x 800W Platinum\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~420W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\u003cp\u003eLFF configurations draw meaningfully less peak power than SFF SSD configurations because spinning disks have lower steady-state power than enterprise SSDs at full load. 2 x 800W Platinum is the recommended PSU for production LFF deployments; the headroom over typical draw supports startup spin-up surge and accommodates fan ramp on high-temperature deployments.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhen to Pick a Different Chassis\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSFF SAS SSD storage:\u003c\/strong\u003e The \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dl380-g10-2-5-16-bay-server\"\u003eDL380 Gen10 16-Bay 2.5\"\u003c\/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hpe-dl380-g10-2-5-24-bay-chassis\"\u003e24-Bay 2.5\"\u003c\/a\u003e siblings are the right chassis for SAS SSD database storage, vSAN, and any workload bound by random IOPS or SSD-class latency.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNVMe-bound workloads:\u003c\/strong\u003e Gen10 LFF chassis has no native NVMe path. For NVMe storage tiers, evaluate the DL380 Gen10 Plus with NVMe-capable backplane.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003evSAN hybrid or all-flash:\u003c\/strong\u003e The 12-Bay LFF is not the right chassis for vSAN; the SFF siblings (16-Bay or 24-Bay 2.5\") are the vSAN platform.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHigher per-node bay count:\u003c\/strong\u003e When 12 LFF bays is not enough, the optional mid-plane (up to 16 LFF) and rear-drive cage (up to 19 LFF + 2 SFF) configurations are available on flagship 12-Bay variants. Verify configuration at quote time.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e1U dense compute:\u003c\/strong\u003e The DL360 Gen10 1U pair-partner with 4 LFF bays is denser per rack U for workloads where 12 bays per node is excess.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProduction greenfield past 2028:\u003c\/strong\u003e For long-horizon deployments, the DL380 Gen10 Plus 12-Bay LFF or Gen11 12-Bay LFF brings PCIe Gen4 \/ Gen5 and current-gen processor support.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eOur Assessment\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe DL380 Gen10 12-Bay 3.5\" LFF is the right HPE platform for bulk-capacity storage workloads where cost-per-TB drives the design: large-scale NAS, backup repository infrastructure, Ceph capacity-tier OSD nodes, object storage, and archive. The platform's PCIe Gen3 limitation is largely irrelevant for spinning disk bulk storage workloads (the binding constraint is drive bandwidth, not interconnect bandwidth). The DDR4-2933 memory ceiling and Cascade Lake CPU envelope are similarly well-matched to bulk storage workloads where compute and memory are sized to the workload, not the platform ceiling.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor HPE-standardized shops, the 12-Bay LFF is the natural fit for storage capacity workloads at refurbished-market economics. The Dell PowerEdge R740xd 12-Bay 3.5\" is the cross-vendor tier-equivalent; choice between platforms is typically driven by which vendor the shop is standardized on, not by capability deltas.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBottom line: For bulk capacity storage on the Gen10 platform, the 12-Bay 3.5\" LFF delivers proven enterprise reliability at meaningfully lower acquisition cost than current-generation alternatives. We deploy it most often as Veeam backup repository nodes, departmental NAS infrastructure, Ceph capacity-tier OSDs, and object storage building blocks.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWorkload Fit\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eExcels at ✅\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eWhere to look elsewhere ❌\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLarge-scale NAS \/ file serving (up to 240 TB raw)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRandom-IOPS-bound workloads (use SFF SSD siblings)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eVeeam, Commvault, NetBackup repository nodes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003evSAN hybrid or all-flash (use 16-Bay or 24-Bay)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCeph capacity-tier OSD clusters\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNVMe storage tiers (use DL380 Gen10+ with NVMe)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eObject storage (MinIO, Scality, Cloudian)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDatabase storage tiers (use SAS SSD on SFF chassis)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eArchive and tier-3 cold storage\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eProduction greenfield past 2028 (consider Gen10+ \/ Gen11)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMixed SSD + NL-SAS tiered storage\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMore than 16 LFF needed without flagship riser config\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eReady to Configure\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTell us your capacity target, workload type (NAS, backup, Ceph, object), memory target, networking requirements, and unit quantity. We respond within 24 hours. Volume pricing applies at 5 units and above. Every Wholesale Servers DL380 Gen10 12-Bay LFF ships after a 12+ hour burn-in test covering every PCIe slot, every memory channel, and every drive bay. Standard 180-day warranty included; 1-Year, 2-Year, and 3-Year Premium warranty options available. Call 1-800-778-1545 or use the quote form on this page.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf your deployment has a 3+ year production horizon, we will also quote the DL380 Gen11 or Gen10 Plus 12-Bay LFF for comparison on request.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HPE","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45951241617607,"sku":"BP-013608","price":1326.73,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0748\/4493\/0247\/files\/server-design-lab-hpe-proliant-dl380-g10-12-bay-35-drives-737679.png?v=1765539623"},{"product_id":"dl380-g10-2-5-16-bay-server","title":"HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 16-Bay 2.5\" Drives [Gen10]","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 16-Bay 2.5\" is the canonical SFF configuration of HPE's 2U dual-socket flagship, the platform that anchored mid-decade enterprise infrastructure for HPE shops the way the Dell R740 did for Dell shops. Sixteen 2.5\" hot-swap SAS\/SATA bays on the full Purley dual-socket platform with up to 24 DDR4 RDIMM\/LRDIMM slots, dual 1st or 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors (Skylake-SP \/ Cascade Lake-SP, LGA 3647), HPE iLO 5 management with Silicon Root of Trust, and HPE Smart Array Gen10 RAID. This page anchors the canonical DL380 Gen10 platform-fact documentation at Wholesale Servers; the 24-Bay 2.5\" and 12-Bay 3.5\" LFF sibling pages reference this page for shared platform vocabulary.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe DL380 Gen10 is the HPE-shop equivalent of the Dell R740 in tier and target workloads: 2U, dual-socket, broad chassis flexibility (LFF and multiple SFF densities), strong I\/O envelope, iLO 5 management. The Gen10 was widely deployed across mid-tier enterprise from 2017 through 2022 as the VMware standard, the database tier workhorse, and the vSAN hybrid cluster node of choice. In 2026, the Gen10 platform is widely deployed with excellent parts availability and deep institutional operating knowledge. For dev\/test infrastructure, expanding existing Gen10 estates, vSAN OSA clusters on vSphere 6.x or 7.x, lab environments, and budget-conscious production where current-gen Sapphire\/Emerald Rapids genuinely is not required, the DL380 Gen10 16-Bay is the cost-correct call.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 16-Bay 2.5\" is the canonical DL380 Gen10 chassis at Wholesale Servers because it is the storage-flexibility anchor of the family: enough bays for vSAN hybrid OSA with proper cache-to-capacity ratios, enough bays for all-SSD database storage tiers, enough bays for mixed SSD\/HDD tiered storage, and small enough to remain economical per-node for scale-out cluster designs. The 24-Bay 2.5\" sibling adds bay count for vSAN all-flash multi-disk-group architectures and Ceph OSD nodes; the 12-Bay 3.5\" LFF sibling shifts the storage profile to bulk capacity for NAS, backup, and object storage. We deploy the 16-Bay 2.5\" most often as VMware vSAN hybrid nodes, SQL Server and PostgreSQL database tiers with SSD storage, virtualization hosts with substantial local storage, and converged infrastructure workloads where the storage-to-compute ratio fits within 16 SFF bays.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eProcessors\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe DL380 Gen10 uses Intel's Purley platform with the LGA 3647 socket and supports both 1st Generation Xeon Scalable (Skylake-SP, 14 nm, 2017) and 2nd Generation Xeon Scalable (Cascade Lake-SP, 14 nm refresh, 2019). Both generations are drop-in compatible in the same socket; a Gen10 originally shipped with Skylake silicon can be upgraded to Cascade Lake without a motherboard swap. The 2nd gen Cascade Lake is the typical refurbished-market silicon today and is what we usually recommend.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCPU ceiling on Cascade Lake reaches 28 cores per socket on the Xeon Platinum 8280 (205W TDP). The mainstream-deployed envelope is 16 to 24 cores per socket on Gold 6230, 6240, 6248, 6252 SKUs. Memory speed depends on processor SKU: Gold 6200 and 5222 reach DDR4-2933 at 1 DPC; remaining Gold 5200 series, Gold 6100, Gold 5100, and Silver 4100 series cap at DDR4-2666. AVX-512 is supported across the Xeon Scalable line; 6200-series and the 5222 support 2x 512-bit FMA units, while 5200-series (other than 5222), 5100, 6100, and Silver SKUs support 1x 512-bit FMA. This affects HPC-style FP-heavy throughput; for typical virtualization and database workloads, it is rarely the deciding factor.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOur default recommendation for general-purpose virtualization is 2x Gold 6242 (16C \/ 32T at 2.8 GHz, 150W TDP, 22 MB cache) or 2x Gold 6248 (20C \/ 40T at 2.5 GHz, 150W TDP, 27.5 MB cache). For higher-density VDI or container workloads, 2x Gold 6230 (20C \/ 40T at 2.1 GHz) balances core count with thermal envelope. For SQL Server licensed by core, fewer faster cores work best: 2x Gold 6244 (8C \/ 16T at 3.6 GHz) or 2x Gold 6246 (12C \/ 24T at 3.3 GHz) deliver clock speed at lower license counts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMemory\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e24 DDR4 DIMM slots, twelve per CPU, six channels per CPU at 2 DPC. Mainstream maximum is 1.5 TB dual-socket with 64 GB RDIMMs (24 x 64 GB). Higher capacity is achievable with LRDIMMs: 128 GB LRDIMM x 24 = 3 TB dual-socket. NVDIMM-N is supported on the DL380 Gen10 but is restricted to 1st Generation Xeon Scalable (Skylake) only; if your workload needs NVDIMM-N, verify the CPU SKU. Intel Optane Persistent Memory 100-series (Apache Pass) is supported with Cascade Lake (2nd Gen Xeon Scalable) on M-suffix CPU SKUs (e.g., Gold 6240M, 6242M, 8260M); these are required for the high per-socket memory ceilings (4.5 TB per socket with L-series, 2 TB per socket with M-series).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHPE memory rules: DIMMs must be installed in even quantities for balanced operation. Mixing of RDIMM and LRDIMM is not supported in the same configuration. HPE DDR4 Smart Memory is required to achieve rated speeds; third-party DIMMs will operate at reduced speed even if compatible. We populate memory in matched sets of 12 (one per channel per CPU, balanced across both sockets) for production deployments. Asymmetric configurations work for limited-budget builds but trade off bandwidth.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor VMware vSAN hybrid nodes, 256 GB to 512 GB per node is the practical range; vSAN 7.x with 16 SFF bays at 4-6 disk groups uses memory aggressively for caching and metadata. For database workloads, plan for 75-90% of working set in memory plus headroom; SQL Server and PostgreSQL benefit significantly from large buffer pools.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eStorage\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 16-Bay 2.5\" SFF configuration provides sixteen front-mounted 2.5\" hot-swap bays accepting SAS, SATA, and (with the Universal Media Bay option and Premium SFF backplane) up to 2 NVMe drives via the optional bays. Native NVMe in the 16-Bay configuration is limited compared to Gen10+ or 11; for substantial NVMe storage, the platform of record is HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 Plus or DL380 Gen11 with the appropriate NVMe backplane.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCommon 16-Bay storage configurations we deploy:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVMware vSAN hybrid OSA (vSphere 6.x \/ 7.x):\u003c\/strong\u003e 2 to 4 SAS SSDs (1.6 TB to 3.84 TB write-intensive) for cache tier, 12 to 14 NL-SAS HDDs (4 TB to 16 TB) for capacity tier. The classic Gen10 vSAN hybrid deployment, fully supported on vSphere 7.x, proven to scale across hundreds of hybrid OSA clusters. vSAN 8.x ESA is NOT supported on Gen10; for ESA you need Gen10+ or Gen11.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAll-SAS SSD performance storage:\u003c\/strong\u003e 16 x SAS SSDs at RAID 10 yields 8 drives of usable capacity with strong write performance and predictable rebuild times. The typical fit is SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and other relational database storage tiers where NVMe latency is not the binding constraint and SAS endurance and dual-port redundancy matter.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMixed SSD + HDD tiered storage:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4 to 6 SAS SSDs for hot data alongside 10 to 12 NL-SAS HDDs for bulk; cost-effective tiering for general file serving, application data, and modest databases.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003evSAN all-flash OSA (smaller clusters):\u003c\/strong\u003e 4 SAS SSD cache + 12 SAS SSD capacity. For larger vSAN all-flash with multiple disk groups per node, the 24-Bay 2.5\" sibling provides better cluster economics.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eBoot configuration: HPE M.2 boot via the optional M.2 enablement kit installs 1 or 2 M.2 SATA SSDs in a dedicated bay outside the 16 data bays. We strongly recommend M.2 boot rather than consuming a data bay for OS. The HPE NS204i-p (Gen10+) NVMe boot device is not native to Gen10 (it's a Gen10+ option); on Gen10 the SATA M.2 enablement kit is the boot path of record.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSmart Array Controllers (HPE RAID)\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eHPE's Gen10 Smart Array lineup replaces the Dell PERC analogy: same role, different naming. The relevant controllers for DL380 Gen10 16-Bay are:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSmart Array P816i-a (4 GB FBWC):\u003c\/strong\u003e Flexible Smart Array slot, dual-controller, supports all 16 internal SFF bays plus external SAS expansion. The default recommendation for hardware-RAID production workloads with substantial write activity. Flash-backed write cache survives power loss. FBWC battery is a wear item; check status on used inventory.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSmart Array P408i-a (2 GB FBWC):\u003c\/strong\u003e Lower-cache version of the P816i-a, internal-only. Adequate for many production workloads without the cost of the 4 GB cache.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSmart Array E208i-a (HBA mode):\u003c\/strong\u003e 8-port HBA, no on-controller RAID. Required for vSAN OSA, Ceph, ZFS pass-through, and any software-defined storage stack that requires direct disk visibility. The HPE equivalent of Dell's HBA330.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSmart Array S100i (software RAID):\u003c\/strong\u003e SATA-only software RAID via Intel VROC-equivalent. Acceptable for boot drives in M.2 slots; we do not deploy it on production data arrays.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eOur default for production virtualization with hardware RAID is the P816i-a; the FBWC and 4 GB cache pay off on mixed workloads. For vSAN OSA the E208i-a is mandatory; vSAN requires direct disk access. For Ceph and ZFS the E208i-a is similarly the right choice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eNetworking\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe DL380 Gen10 ships with an embedded 4 x 1 GbE NIC on most BTO configurations (HPE 331i \/ Broadcom BCM5719). Higher-performance networking is delivered via the HPE FlexibleLOM slot, which accepts a wide range of LOM adapters: 4 x 1 GbE, 2 x 10 GbE BASE-T, 2 x 10 GbE SFP+, 2 x 25 GbE SFP28, and 2 x 100 GbE on appropriate FlexibleLOM cards. The FlexibleLOM does NOT consume a PCIe slot; it occupies a dedicated mezzanine slot on the riser. This is the HPE equivalent of Dell's rNDC and serves the same purpose: dense networking without sacrificing PCIe expansion.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor 10 GbE deployments, the typical FlexibleLOM is the HPE 562FLR-SFP+ (Intel X710, 2 x 10 GbE SFP+) or 562FLR-T (Intel X550, 2 x 10 GbE BASE-T). For 25 GbE the 631FLR-SFP28 (Mellanox ConnectX-4 LX) is standard. For VMware deployments, verify driver support against the FlexibleLOM you order; older Mellanox FlexibleLOMs have specific ESXi support matrices.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor dense networking beyond the FlexibleLOM, add-in PCIe NICs occupy the PCIe slots described below. 4 x 10 GbE on a single FlexibleLOM is achievable; for 4 x 25 GbE plan for a FlexibleLOM plus a single PCIe NIC.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePCIe Expansion\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe DL380 Gen10 supports up to 8 PCIe Gen3 slots distributed across three risers. Standard riser is the Primary Riser (slots 1-3); optional Secondary Riser (slots 4-6) requires a second CPU; optional Tertiary Riser (slots 7-8) can also be configured. Slot widths depend on the riser SKU chosen: HPE offers multiple riser SKUs from the standard x8 \/ x16 \/ x8 to the GPU-capable x16 \/ x16 \/ x16 configurations.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePCIe Gen3 is a meaningful limitation versus Gen10+ (PCIe Gen4) and Gen11 (PCIe Gen5). For NVMe SSDs operating at Gen4 link speeds, Gen3 caps the link to half-bandwidth; for 100 GbE NICs, Gen3 x8 is at the bandwidth ceiling. For most virtualization, database, and general-purpose workloads, PCIe Gen3 remains adequate; for AI inference with high-bandwidth GPUs or Gen4 NVMe-bound storage, this is where Gen10 hits its ceiling.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGPU support: the DL380 Gen10 with the x16 \/ x16 \/ x16 Primary and Secondary risers (HPE P14374-B21 and P14373-B21) supports up to 7 NVIDIA T4 16 GB single-width 70W GPUs, or 6 T4s balanced across both processors. Double-width GPUs are limited to 3 cards per platform on appropriate riser configurations; the platform supports up to 3 x 300W double-width accelerators (V100, RTX 6000, A30, A40) in flagship riser SKUs. The Gen10's GPU envelope is genuinely strong for a 2U rack; the limit is PCIe Gen3 bandwidth more than power or physical slots.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePower Supplies\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eHPE Flex Slot power supplies, hot-plug, redundant. Wattage options span 500W to 1600W in 94% Platinum and Titanium efficiency tiers. Dual PSU is standard for production deployments.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eConfiguration\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003ePSU Recommendation\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eEst. Peak Draw\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLight (2x Silver 4214, 128 GB, 4 SAS SSDs, P408i-a)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2 x 500W Platinum (hot-plug redundant)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~280W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBalanced (2x Gold 6242, 384 GB, 12 SAS SSDs + 4 NL-SAS, P816i-a)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2 x 800W Platinum\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~480W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHeavy (2x Gold 6248, 768 GB, 16 SAS SSDs vSAN AF, P816i-a, 2 x 25 GbE)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2 x 1000W Platinum\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~640W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaximum (2x Platinum 8280, 1.5 TB, 16 SAS SSDs, 3 x V100 GPUs)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2 x 1600W Titanium\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~1450W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor most 16-Bay 2.5\" deployments without GPUs, 2 x 800W Platinum is the recommended PSU. GPU configurations require 2 x 1600W Titanium. Single-PSU configurations are technically supported but we do not deploy single-PSU in production.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eManagement and Security: iLO 5\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eHPE iLO 5 is the integrated remote management controller on Gen10, the HPE counterpart to Dell iDRAC9. iLO 5 brought a major security upgrade over iLO 4: Silicon Root of Trust validates firmware integrity at the hardware level during boot, preventing firmware-level attacks via a hardware-anchored chain of trust. This is a meaningful security feature for production environments; it is the HPE equivalent of Dell's iDRAC9 System Lockdown \/ Silicon-Based Security on 14th gen.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eiLO 5 supports HTML5 remote console (no Java required), Redfish REST API, IPMI 2.0, virtual media via web upload, remote KVM, full server power and thermal telemetry, and integration with HPE OneView for fleet management. Standard iLO 5 includes remote console and basic management; iLO Advanced license unlocks virtual media via integrated remote console, directory services integration, and several enterprise features. Most refurbished Gen10 units arrive with iLO Standard; we can include iLO Advanced licenses on request at quote.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor VMware shops, iLO 5 integrates cleanly with vCenter Server via HPE OneView for vCenter. For broad fleet management, HPE OneView 5.x or 6.x is the management plane; OneView 8.x and InfoSight integration are also available.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePhysical Specs and Platform Notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e2U rack, approximately 27.83\" deep (708 mm). Weight 73.6 lbs (33.4 kg) at typical fully-loaded configuration. Standard EIA 19\" rack mount via HPE Easy Install rail kit (679368-001 \/ 728437-001 for SFF, 679365-001 \/ 737412-001 for variant configurations). Rail kits are not included with bare server purchase; verify at quote time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChassis is welded and not field-convertible between LFF and SFF; the 16-Bay 2.5\" backplane is fixed at the chassis level. To convert between bay counts or form factors, the chassis itself must be replaced (a separate chassis SKU).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCooling: six hot-plug fans in the standard configuration; high-temperature fans optional for sustained 35°C ambient deployments. Acoustic envelope is typical 2U rack server, not designed for office use.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eOur Assessment\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe DL380 Gen10 16-Bay 2.5\" is HPE's mid-decade 2U workhorse and remains a workhorse: widely deployed, well-understood, with mature firmware and broad parts availability. For HPE-standardized shops running VMware vSphere 7.x with vSAN hybrid OSA, the DL380 Gen10 16-Bay is the cost-correct platform when current-generation is genuinely not required. For database tiers with all-SAS SSD storage where NVMe latency is not the binding constraint, this platform delivers strong performance at meaningfully lower acquisition cost than Gen10+ or Gen11.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhere the platform falls short: vSAN 8.x ESA is not supported (no native NVMe backplane on 16-Bay; ESA requires Gen10+ or Gen11 with NVMe). PCIe Gen3 limits NVMe and high-speed networking ceilings. The platform's CPU support tops out at Cascade Lake (28 cores per socket maximum); modern Sapphire Rapids and Emerald Rapids workloads with high core counts and DDR5 bandwidth needs are outside the platform's envelope. HPE official support is winding down for Gen10; OneView and InfoSight continue, but HPE TAC engagement for Gen10-specific issues has narrowing horizons.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003evs DL360 Gen10 1U pair-partner: the DL360 is the 1U sibling with the same processor lineup, memory architecture, iLO 5, and Smart Array compatibility. The choice is form factor and storage profile: DL360 Gen10 8-Bay or 10-Bay 2.5\" for dense 1U deployments where storage requirements stay below 10 bays; DL380 Gen10 16-Bay where the storage-to-compute ratio needs the larger chassis.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003evs DL380 Gen10+ (Plus): the Gen10+ moves to 3rd Gen Xeon Scalable (Ice Lake, LGA 4189), PCIe Gen4, DDR4-3200, and native NVMe backplane options. For greenfield deployments running production beyond 2028, or for vSAN ESA, the Gen10+ is the right platform. For existing Gen10 estates or shorter lifecycle builds, the Gen10 economics are compelling.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003evs Dell PowerEdge R740 16-Bay 2.5\" (Dell tier-equivalent): same architectural tier, same Skylake\/Cascade Lake processor generation, same DDR4 generation. The Dell R740 has 24 DIMM slots versus Gen10's 24 DIMM slots (parity), Dell PERC vs HPE Smart Array (parity in function, different naming), iDRAC9 vs iLO 5 (parity in capability). The choice between R740 and DL380 Gen10 is typically driven by which vendor the shop is standardized on, not by capability deltas.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBottom line: For HPE-standardized environments where the workload fits the platform envelope, the DL380 Gen10 16-Bay 2.5\" delivers proven enterprise capability at refurbished-market economics. We deploy it most often as VMware vSAN hybrid OSA nodes, SQL Server database tiers with SAS SSD storage, and general-purpose 2U virtualization hosts where the 16-bay storage profile fits.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWorkload Fit\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eExcels at ✅\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eWhere to look elsewhere ❌\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eVMware vSAN hybrid OSA on vSphere 6.x \/ 7.x\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003evSAN 8.x ESA (use DL380 Gen10+ or Gen11)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL with SAS SSD storage\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNVMe-latency-bound databases (use DL380 Gen10+)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGeneral-purpose 2U virtualization for HPE shops\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWorkloads requiring DDR5 or Sapphire Rapids cores\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMixed SSD + HDD tiered storage in 16 SFF bays\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMore than 16 SFF bays needed (use 24-Bay sibling)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGPU inference with up to 6 NVIDIA T4 cards\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLFF bulk capacity workloads (use 12-Bay LFF sibling)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDev\/test, lab, training infrastructure at low cost\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eProduction workloads running beyond 2028 (consider Gen10+ or Gen11)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eExpansion of existing Gen10 estates\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003evSAN with all-NVMe disk groups (use Gen10+ with NVMe backplane)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eHonest Limitations\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePCIe Gen3 only.\u003c\/strong\u003e 48 lanes per CPU at Gen3 speeds. Gen4 NVMe SSDs operate at half-link bandwidth; 100 GbE NICs at x8 are at the Gen3 ceiling. For Gen4-bound workloads, Gen10+ is the platform of record.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNo native NVMe backplane on 16-Bay.\u003c\/strong\u003e NVMe in Gen10 16-Bay is via Universal Media Bay (up to 2 NVMe bays) or PCIe AIC; not native 16-bay NVMe. For substantial NVMe storage, the platform is Gen10+ or Gen11 with appropriate backplane.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003evSAN 8.x ESA not supported.\u003c\/strong\u003e vSAN OSA on vSphere 7.x is fully supported. ESA requires NVMe storage and is platform-restricted to Gen10+ or newer with NVMe backplane.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDDR4 generation, 2933 MT\/s ceiling.\u003c\/strong\u003e Gold 6200-series and 5222 reach 2933 at 1 DPC; the rest of the lineup caps at 2666. Modern bandwidth-heavy workloads benefit from DDR5; for those, Gen11 is the platform.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCPU ceiling at Cascade Lake 28 cores per socket.\u003c\/strong\u003e Workloads benefiting from 32, 40, 48, or 64 cores per socket (Ice Lake, Sapphire Rapids, Emerald Rapids) are outside the platform's envelope.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNVDIMM-N restricted to Skylake (1st gen Xeon Scalable).\u003c\/strong\u003e Cascade Lake CPUs require Optane PMem 100-series (Apache Pass) on M-suffix SKUs for persistent memory; NVDIMM-N is a Skylake-only path.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMixed RDIMM\/LRDIMM not supported.\u003c\/strong\u003e The platform requires homogeneous DIMM technology; mixing in the same configuration is unsupported.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHPE official support narrowing.\u003c\/strong\u003e Gen10 OneView and InfoSight integration continues, but HPE TAC engagement for Gen10-specific issues has decreasing horizons. Critical production workloads on multi-year horizons should evaluate the upgrade path.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eiLO Advanced license typically not included.\u003c\/strong\u003e Most refurbished Gen10 ship with iLO Standard. iLO Advanced (for integrated remote console virtual media, directory services, and several enterprise features) is licensed separately. We can include iLO Advanced licenses at quote.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFBWC battery is a wear item.\u003c\/strong\u003e Smart Array P816i-a and P408i-a use flash-backed write cache with a capacitor pack. The capacitor is a wear item with a service life of approximately 5 years; refurbished units may have aged capacitors. We test FBWC health during burn-in and replace when out of spec.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWelded chassis.\u003c\/strong\u003e Bay configuration is fixed at the chassis level. Converting between 8-bay, 16-bay, 24-bay SFF, or 12-bay LFF requires chassis replacement, not field reconfiguration.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHPE-only parts and firmware.\u003c\/strong\u003e Gen10 firmware updates require HPE Service Pack for ProLiant (SPP) and an active HPE account in most cases. Third-party drives and DIMMs may operate at reduced speed or with warning indicators in iLO 5.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eGeneration Context\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe DL380 Gen9 is the immediate predecessor: same 2U tier on the Intel Grantley platform (E5-2600 v3 Haswell \/ v4 Broadwell), DDR4-2400, iLO 4. The Gen9 is meaningfully older and operates at lower memory bandwidth, PCIe Gen3 (same as Gen10), and lacks Silicon Root of Trust. For workloads sized to Gen9 cost economics, the DL380 Gen9 16-Bay or 24-Bay variants at Wholesale Servers are options; the Gen10 brings Skylake\/Cascade Lake compute, iLO 5 security, and broader OS support.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe DL380 Gen10 Plus is the successor: same 2U chassis form factor, but new motherboard architecture with the LGA 4189 socket for 3rd Generation Xeon Scalable (Ice Lake, 10 nm). The Gen10 Plus brings PCIe Gen4, DDR4-3200, native NVMe backplane options, and the Silicon Root of Trust security model carried forward. For greenfield production with extended lifecycle, the Gen10 Plus is typically the right call. For cost-primary deployments fitting the Gen10 envelope, the Gen10 saves meaningful acquisition cost.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe DL380 Gen11 is the current-generation: 4th Gen Sapphire Rapids and 5th Gen Emerald Rapids Xeon Scalable, DDR5, PCIe Gen5, iLO 6, completely new platform. For workloads requiring current-gen capability (DDR5 bandwidth, CXL, PCIe Gen5 NVMe, very high core counts), the Gen11 is the platform of record.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCross-family pair-partner (1U sibling): The HPE ProLiant DL360 Gen10 is the 1U platform pair-partner, same processor lineup, same memory architecture, same iLO 5 and Smart Array compatibility, in the denser 1U form factor with fewer drive bays (4 LFF, 8 SFF, or 10 SFF). For dense rack deployments where 16 SFF bays per node is excess, the DL360 Gen10 is the right call.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCross-vendor tier-equivalent: Dell PowerEdge R740 is the architectural counterpart in the Dell catalog: same Purley platform, same processor support, same DDR4 generation, same tier positioning. Choice between R740 and DL380 Gen10 is typically driven by vendor standardization. Both are available at Wholesale Servers; if your shop is mixed-vendor, we can quote both for comparison.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFamily siblings (DL380 Gen10):\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e24-Bay 2.5\" SFF:\u003c\/strong\u003e Higher-density SFF for vSAN all-flash multi-disk-group nodes, Ceph OSD clusters, and large SAS SSD storage tiers where 24 bays per node improves cluster economics.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e12-Bay 3.5\" LFF:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bulk capacity for NAS, backup, archive, and object storage. Up to 240 TB raw with 20 TB NL-SAS drives.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eRequest a Quote\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTell us your workload, vSAN or storage design (if applicable), drive type and quantity, memory target, networking requirements, and unit quantity. We respond within 24 hours. Volume pricing applies at 5 units and above. Every Wholesale Servers DL380 Gen10 ships after a 12+ hour burn-in test covering every PCIe slot, every memory channel, and every drive bay. Standard 180-day warranty included; 1-Year, 2-Year, and 3-Year Premium warranty options available. Call 1-800-778-1545 or use the quote form on this page.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf your deployment has a 3+ year production horizon, we will also quote the DL380 Gen11 or Gen10 Plus for comparison on request.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HPE","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45951241650375,"sku":"BP-013609","price":804.68,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0748\/4493\/0247\/files\/server-design-lab-hpe-proliant-dl380-gen10-16-bay-25-drives-874519.png?v=1765539623"},{"product_id":"hpe-dl380-g10-2-5-24-bay-chassis","title":"HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 24-Bay 2.5\" Drives [Gen10]","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 24-Bay 2.5\" is the maximum SFF density configuration of HPE's 2U dual-socket Gen10 platform: twenty-four 2.5\" SAS\/SATA hot-swap bays on the same Purley dual-socket motherboard, same memory architecture, same iLO 5 management, and same Smart Array RAID family as the 16-Bay canonical. This page covers the 24-Bay storage architecture and when this chassis is the right call versus the 16-Bay 2.5\" canonical or the 12-Bay 3.5\" LFF sibling.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the full platform-fact story (processors, memory architecture, FlexibleLOM networking, PCIe expansion, iLO 5 management, Smart Array controllers, power supplies, physical specs), see the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dl380-g10-2-5-16-bay-server\"\u003eDL380 Gen10 16-Bay 2.5\" canonical page\u003c\/a\u003e. Everything documented there applies to this 24-Bay variant; this page focuses on what's different about the 24-bay chassis and the storage-design implications that follow from the higher bay count.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhat's Different About This Chassis\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 24-Bay 2.5\" is the storage-flagship variant of the DL380 Gen10 family. Three things define it relative to the 16-Bay canonical:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEight additional SFF bays.\u003c\/strong\u003e Twenty-four front-mounted 2.5\" hot-swap bays versus sixteen on the canonical, with no change to the memory, processor, or PCIe envelope. The chassis is the same external dimensions; the additional bays come from the dense backplane configuration (Box 1, Box 2, and Box 3 each populated with 8 SFF bays).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCluster-economics workloads.\u003c\/strong\u003e The 24-bay configuration is sized for vSAN all-flash with multiple disk groups per node, Ceph OSD nodes where per-node OSD count drives cluster economics, and SAS SSD database tiers requiring substantial local storage. These workloads benefit from the additional bays in ways that 16-bay configurations cannot accommodate.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSame Gen10 platform ceilings.\u003c\/strong\u003e The 24-Bay does not unlock additional capability beyond storage: same PCIe Gen3, same DDR4-2933 ceiling, same Cascade Lake processor lineup, same iLO 5, same Smart Array P816i-a \/ P408i-a \/ E208i-a options. Workloads that need PCIe Gen4, DDR4-3200, or Ice Lake compute should evaluate the DL380 Gen10 Plus, not the 24-Bay Gen10.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eStorage Architecture\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwenty-four 2.5\" SAS\/SATA hot-swap bays in three Box configurations (Box 1, Box 2, Box 3 at 8 bays each). The Smart Array P816i-a (4 GB FBWC) is the natural RAID controller for hardware-RAID configurations across all 24 bays; the E208i-a HBA is the natural controller for vSAN OSA, Ceph, and ZFS deployments requiring direct disk access.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCommon 24-Bay configurations we deploy:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVMware vSAN all-flash OSA with multiple disk groups (vSphere 6.x \/ 7.x):\u003c\/strong\u003e Up to 5 disk groups per node, each with 1 SSD cache + up to 4 SSD capacity drives. 24 bays supports 5 disk groups (5 cache + 19 capacity) or 4 disk groups (4 cache + 20 capacity). Multiple disk groups per node increases vSAN storage parallelism linearly; this is the canonical Gen10 vSAN all-flash node configuration. vSAN 8.x ESA is NOT supported on Gen10; for ESA the DL380 Gen10 Plus with NVMe backplane is the platform.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCeph OSD nodes (24 OSDs per node):\u003c\/strong\u003e With the E208i-a HBA in pass-through mode, each of the 24 bays becomes an independent OSD. The DL380 Gen10 24-Bay is widely deployed as Ceph OSD nodes in Red Hat Ceph Storage and SUSE Enterprise Storage clusters; the high OSD-per-node count and the secondary-market acquisition cost make compelling cluster economics. Plan memory at 6 GB per OSD plus 16 GB overhead (192 GB per node typical) and dedicated 25 GbE or 100 GbE cluster networking.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAll-SAS SSD database storage:\u003c\/strong\u003e 24 x SAS SSDs at RAID 10 yields 12 drives of usable capacity. With 3.84 TB SAS SSDs, that's 46 TB usable; with 7.68 TB, 92 TB usable. The typical fit is large SQL Server, Oracle, or PostgreSQL instances requiring substantial local SSD capacity with high endurance and dual-port redundancy.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTiered SSD + HDD at 24-bay density:\u003c\/strong\u003e 6 to 8 SAS SSDs for hot tier (cache or storage tier) alongside 16 to 18 NL-SAS HDDs for bulk capacity. With 16 TB NL-SAS HDDs and 7.68 TB SAS SSDs, this yields substantial tiered storage in a single 2U chassis: roughly 60 TB SSD raw and 280 TB HDD raw for a combined 340 TB before RAID overhead.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVeeam repository \/ backup target node:\u003c\/strong\u003e 24 NL-SAS HDDs at RAID 60 (two RAID 6 sets striped) provides high-capacity backup landing with two-drive fault tolerance per set. The Gen10's bandwidth envelope is well-matched to Veeam's typical backup throughput targets.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 24-bay storage configuration is where the Gen10 platform's PCIe Gen3 limitation becomes meaningful: aggregated throughput from 24 high-performance SAS SSDs can saturate Gen3 lanes to the Smart Array controller in some workloads. For workloads where this is the binding constraint, the DL380 Gen10 Plus with PCIe Gen4 is the upgrade path.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eRAID and Controller Guidance\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eRAID strategy at 24-bay scale matters more than at 16-bay because rebuild times and parity-group fault tolerance scale with array size:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRAID 6 mandatory for NL-SAS HDD arrays.\u003c\/strong\u003e Rebuild times on 16-20 TB NL-SAS drives at 24-bay density commonly exceed 36 hours; two-drive fault tolerance is non-negotiable. Never RAID 5 at this drive count and capacity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRAID 10 for SAS SSDs.\u003c\/strong\u003e Fast rebuild times, predictable write performance, fault tolerance per mirrored pair. Half the usable capacity, but the operational characteristics are correct for production database storage.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRAID 60 for backup targets.\u003c\/strong\u003e Two RAID 6 sets striped: 12 + 12 across 24 drives. Survives two drive failures per set; rebuilds happen in parallel per set; aggregate throughput meets Veeam-class backup repository requirements.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSmart Array P816i-a (4 GB FBWC) is the production hardware-RAID default.\u003c\/strong\u003e The 4 GB write cache pays off at 24-bay scale where Smart Array battery-backed write reordering meaningfully improves random write performance. FBWC battery health is a wear item; we verify at burn-in.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSmart Array E208i-a HBA mode for software-defined storage.\u003c\/strong\u003e vSAN, Ceph, and ZFS require direct disk access; the E208i-a is the supported HBA for these workloads on Gen10.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eBoot configuration: HPE M.2 enablement kit installs 1 or 2 M.2 SATA SSDs outside the 24 data bays. We strongly recommend this rather than consuming a data bay for OS, especially at 24-bay configurations where every data bay contributes to cluster or capacity economics.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMemory Sizing for 24-Bay Workloads\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 24-Bay platform's storage workloads typically require more memory than general-purpose 16-Bay configurations:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003evSAN all-flash, 5 disk groups per node:\u003c\/strong\u003e 384 GB to 768 GB per node. vSAN memory overhead grows with disk group count and capacity drive count; 5-disk-group nodes are at the high end of vSAN memory consumption.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCeph OSD nodes, 24 OSDs:\u003c\/strong\u003e 192 GB to 256 GB per node. Roughly 6 GB per OSD plus daemon overhead; some workloads benefit from 8 GB per OSD on BlueStore deployments with substantial capacity drives.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAll-SAS SSD database, 12-drive RAID 10:\u003c\/strong\u003e Memory sized to the workload, not the storage. SQL Server with 92 TB usable benefits from 768 GB to 1.5 TB depending on working-set size; PostgreSQL similar.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVeeam repository node:\u003c\/strong\u003e 128 GB to 256 GB. Veeam repository memory scales with concurrent backup jobs and ReFS \/ XFS cache requirements; 128 GB is the practical minimum for serious repository nodes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eHPE memory rules from the 16-Bay canonical apply identically: DIMMs in even quantities, no RDIMM\/LRDIMM mixing, HPE DDR4 Smart Memory required for rated speeds, matched sets of 12 for balanced production deployment.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePower Sizing for 24-Bay Workloads\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eConfiguration\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003ePSU Recommendation\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eEst. Peak Draw\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBalanced (2x Gold 6242, 384 GB, 24 SAS SSDs, P816i-a)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2 x 800W Platinum (hot-plug redundant)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~580W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHeavy (2x Gold 6248, 768 GB, 24 SAS SSDs vSAN AF, P816i-a, 2 x 25 GbE)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2 x 1000W Platinum\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~740W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eStorage-heavy (2x Gold 6230, 256 GB, 24 NL-SAS HDDs RAID 60, P816i-a)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2 x 800W Platinum\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~520W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaximum (2x Platinum 8280, 1 TB, 24 SAS SSDs, FlexibleLOM, 2 PCIe NICs)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2 x 1600W Titanium\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~1100W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor typical 24-bay deployments, 2 x 1000W Platinum is the recommended PSU. Heavily-populated all-SSD configurations with 2 x 25 GbE networking can push toward 800W steady-state; 1000W gives headroom for transient peaks. Single-PSU configurations are not deployed in production at this storage density.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhen to Pick a Different Chassis\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e16 SFF bays sufficient:\u003c\/strong\u003e The \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dl380-g10-2-5-16-bay-server\"\u003eDL380 Gen10 16-Bay 2.5\" canonical\u003c\/a\u003e is meaningfully lower-cost per node and is the right call when storage requirements stay below 16 SFF bays. vSAN hybrid OSA with 1-2 disk groups, all-SSD database tiers with 8-12 drives, and general-purpose 2U virtualization fit comfortably in the 16-bay envelope.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLFF capacity drives needed:\u003c\/strong\u003e The \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hp-proliant-dl380-g10-3-5-12-bay-server\"\u003eDL380 Gen10 12-Bay 3.5\" LFF sibling\u003c\/a\u003e is the right chassis for bulk NAS, backup, archive, and object storage workloads where 7,200 RPM NL-SAS capacity drives at 16 TB to 20 TB each deliver the storage economics.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003evSAN 8.x ESA target:\u003c\/strong\u003e The DL380 Gen10 platform (any chassis) does not support vSAN ESA. For ESA, the DL380 Gen10 Plus or Gen11 with NVMe backplane is the platform.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNVMe-bound workloads:\u003c\/strong\u003e The 24-Bay 2.5\" Gen10 SAS backplane does not support native NVMe across all 24 bays. For NVMe storage tiers, evaluate the DL380 Gen10 Plus 24-Bay NVMe configurations.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePCIe Gen4 NICs or accelerators required:\u003c\/strong\u003e Gen10 is PCIe Gen3 only. 100 GbE NICs operate at the Gen3 x8 ceiling; AI accelerators expecting Gen4 bandwidth are bottlenecked. The DL380 Gen10 Plus is the upgrade.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e1U form factor:\u003c\/strong\u003e The DL360 Gen10 1U pair-partner is denser per rack U, with bay options up to 10 SFF. For dense 1U deployments where 24 bays per node is excessive, the DL360 Gen10 is the right form factor.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eOur Assessment\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe DL380 Gen10 24-Bay 2.5\" is the storage-density specialist of the Gen10 family. For HPE-standardized shops building vSAN all-flash OSA clusters with multiple disk groups per node, Ceph OSD clusters with high per-node OSD count, or large SAS SSD database tiers, the 24-Bay 2.5\" is the right chassis. The economics are particularly compelling for Ceph deployments and Veeam repository nodes where per-node storage density drives total infrastructure cost.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Gen10 platform constraints (PCIe Gen3, no native NVMe backplane, vSAN OSA only, Cascade Lake CPU ceiling) apply identically to the 24-Bay as to the 16-Bay canonical; the 24-Bay does not unlock new platform capability beyond storage. For workloads where those constraints are binding, the DL380 Gen10 Plus or Gen11 is the platform of record.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor storage-density workloads on Gen10's PCIe Gen3 envelope, the 24-Bay delivers production-proven capability at meaningfully lower acquisition cost than current-generation alternatives. We deploy it most often as vSAN all-flash OSA nodes with 4-5 disk groups, Ceph OSD nodes at 24 OSDs per node, and Veeam backup repository nodes at high NL-SAS capacity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBottom line: When 16 SFF bays per node is not enough and you can accept the Gen10 platform envelope, the 24-Bay 2.5\" delivers the storage density at proven enterprise quality. When you can fit in 16 bays, the 16-Bay canonical is the cost-correct call.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWorkload Fit\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eExcels at ✅\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eWhere to look elsewhere ❌\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003evSAN all-flash OSA with multiple disk groups per node\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003evSAN 8.x ESA (use DL380 Gen10+ with NVMe)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCeph OSD clusters at 24 OSDs per node\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e16 OSDs sufficient (16-Bay lower cost)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLarge SAS SSD database storage tiers\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNVMe-bound database tiers (use DL380 Gen10+)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eVeeam repository nodes with 24 NL-SAS HDDs\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLFF capacity drives needed (use 12-Bay LFF)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTiered SSD + HDD at high density in 2U\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWorkloads bottlenecked on PCIe Gen3\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eExpansion of existing Gen10 vSAN estates\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eProduction greenfield with 3+ year horizon (consider Gen10+ or Gen11)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eReady to Configure\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTell us your vSAN, Ceph, or backup design, drive type and quantity, memory target, networking requirements, and unit quantity. We respond within 24 hours. Volume pricing applies at 5 units and above. Every Wholesale Servers DL380 Gen10 24-Bay ships after a 12+ hour burn-in test covering every PCIe slot, every memory channel, and every one of the 24 drive bays. Standard 180-day warranty included; 1-Year, 2-Year, and 3-Year Premium warranty options available. Call 1-800-778-1545 or use the quote form on this page.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf your deployment has a 3+ year production horizon, we will also quote the DL380 Gen11 or Gen10 Plus 24-Bay for comparison on request.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HPE","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45951241683143,"sku":"BP-013610","price":878.48,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0748\/4493\/0247\/files\/server-design-lab-hpe-proliant-dl380-g10-24-bay-25-drives-694439.png?v=1765539623"},{"product_id":"hpe-proliant-dl380-gen10-8-bay-build-your-own","title":"HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 8-Bay 2.5\" Drives","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 is the workhorse of the HPE enterprise server lineup — a 2U dual-socket rack server that has been the most widely deployed HPE platform in enterprise datacenters worldwide for the better part of a decade. Built on Intel Xeon Scalable processors (both 1st Gen Skylake and 2nd Gen Cascade Lake depending on configuration), the DL380 Gen10 covers an exceptional range of workloads: virtualization, database serving, NAS and SAN storage, analytics, and general enterprise application hosting. If you are buying HPE and haven't narrowed down to a specific model, the DL380 Gen10 is almost always where the conversation starts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 8-Bay 2.5\" configuration is the compute-first variant — eight SFF hot-swap bays for local SSD storage alongside the full dual-socket DL380 platform. It's the right starting point for virtualization hosts, database servers, and compute-primary deployments where moderate local SSD storage is needed but bulk storage lives on a SAN or NAS.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGen10 vs. Gen10+ vs. Gen9 — the positioning:\u003c\/strong\u003e Gen10 (2017–2019) is the current production-tier secondary market platform — mature, well-supported, excellent ROI. Gen10+ (2021) brings Ice Lake Xeon (3rd gen Scalable), PCIe Gen4, and extended lifecycle — at meaningfully higher acquisition cost. Gen9 (2014–2016) is the previous generation equivalent of the Dell 13th gen — significantly lower cost, but the same platform age caveats apply. We offer all three and will recommend the right one for your lifecycle and budget at quote time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eHPE Platform Vocabulary — Key Differences from Dell\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you're more familiar with Dell PowerEdge, the HPE equivalents are:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eiLO (Integrated Lights-Out)\u003c\/strong\u003e = iDRAC. iLO 5 is the Gen10 management controller — equivalent to iDRAC9 in capability. iLO Advanced license = iDRAC9 Enterprise (remote KVM, advanced features). iLO Standard ships by default and lacks remote console access.\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHPE Smart Array\u003c\/strong\u003e = PERC RAID controllers. P408i-a (2 GB cache) ≈ PERC H730P. P816i-a (4 GB cache) ≈ PERC H740P. E208i-a (no cache) ≈ PERC H330 \/ HBA330.\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlexibleLOM (FlexLOM)\u003c\/strong\u003e = OCP mezzanine slot. Primary NIC connectivity goes here — same concept as Dell's OCP 3.0 slot.\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHPE Persistent Memory (NVDIMM)\u003c\/strong\u003e = Optane PMem equivalent (supported on Gen10 with 2nd Gen Xeon Scalable).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eProcessors\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eDual Intel Xeon Scalable processors — the DL380 Gen10 supports both 1st Generation (Skylake, launched 2017) and 2nd Generation (Cascade Lake, launched 2019) Xeon Scalable depending on the specific configuration. Up to 28 cores per CPU on Skylake, up to 28 cores per CPU on Cascade Lake (though higher core count SKUs are available). TDP range from 85W Bronze\/Silver through 205W Platinum.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOur recommendation:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2nd Generation Cascade Lake processors wherever the application profile justifies them — better IPC, hardware-level speculative execution mitigations, higher memory speed support (2933 MT\/s vs. 2666 MT\/s on Skylake at 1 DPC), and Optane PMem compatibility. For workloads where the generation distinction doesn't matter — file serving, backup, dev\/test — 1st Gen Skylake at lower acquisition cost is fully adequate.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHeatsink requirement for high-TDP CPUs:\u003c\/strong\u003e Processors above 150W require high-performance heatsinks. HPE uses a different heatsink designation than Dell — confirm with our team at quote time for any configuration with 165W+ processors.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMemory\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e24 DDR4 DIMM slots — 12 per CPU, six memory channels per socket. Maximum 3 TB with LRDIMMs. HPE Persistent Memory (NVDIMM-N) supported on Gen10 with 2nd Gen Xeon.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFull 2 DPC population (2 DIMMs Per Channel) maximizes memory bandwidth — the same channel utilization logic as Dell R640. At 2 DPC on most Cascade Lake SKUs, speed settles at 2666 MT\/s — the bandwidth gain from all six channels running at 2666 MT\/s consistently outperforms partial population at 2933 MT\/s for memory-bound workloads. For 1st Gen Skylake configurations, maximum memory speed is typically 2666 MT\/s at 1 DPC, 2400 MT\/s at 2 DPC.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eiLO Advanced Memory Error Detection:\u003c\/strong\u003e The DL380 Gen10's iLO 5 provides per-DIMM memory error logging and predictive failure analytics — a meaningful advantage for large-memory configurations where early DIMM failure detection avoids unplanned downtime.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eStorage — 8 SFF Bays\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eEight 2.5\" SAS\/SATA hot-swap bays on a Smart Array backplane. Same general storage flexibility as the Dell R640\/R740 8-Bay SFF configurations — SAS SSDs for performance, SATA SSDs for mixed workloads, SAS HDDs for capacity, and mixed configurations for tiered approaches.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHPE NVMe implementation note:\u003c\/strong\u003e The DL380 Gen10 supports NVMe via PCIe riser expansion (NVMe add-in cards) rather than native backplane NVMe in the standard 8-bay configuration. HPE introduced native backplane NVMe more comprehensively in the Gen10+ generation. For NVMe-primary storage architectures, the Gen10+ configurations or dedicated NVMe PCIe cards are the paths. We'll advise on the best NVMe approach for your specific design at quote time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHPE Secure Encryption:\u003c\/strong\u003e The DL380 Gen10 supports drive-level encryption through the Smart Array controller — a compliance feature worth noting for regulated data environments.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eM.2 boot drives:\u003c\/strong\u003e HPE Gen10 supports M.2 SATA\/NVMe boot drives via an optional M.2 enablement kit — the equivalent of Dell's BOSS module. We include this on builds where OS isolation from the data storage pool is a requirement. Confirm at quote time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSmart Array RAID Controllers\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSmart Array P816i-a (4 GB Flash-backed Write Cache, FBWC):\u003c\/strong\u003e Our top recommendation for production workloads with meaningful write I\/O. The P816i-a supports up to 16 drives and uses flash-backed write cache — no battery to replace, capacitor-backed with NAND persistence. Equivalent in capability to Dell's H740P. For database workloads, vSAN with hardware RAID, and any application where write latency matters, start here.\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSmart Array P408i-a (2 GB FBWC):\u003c\/strong\u003e Standard production recommendation for mixed or read-dominant workloads. Supports up to 8 drives in the internal configuration. The most common controller we quote for general-purpose DL380 Gen10 deployments.\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSmart Array E208i-a (no cache, HBA mode):\u003c\/strong\u003e For software-defined storage (vSAN, Ceph, Windows Storage Spaces) where the software layer manages redundancy. Passes drives directly to the OS without hardware RAID. Required for vSAN deployments — same reasoning as Dell's HBA330.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHPE FBWC vs. Dell battery-backed cache:\u003c\/strong\u003e HPE uses Flash-Backed Write Cache (FBWC) — capacitor-backed with NAND persistence — instead of Dell's battery-backed NV cache. In practice, both protect cached writes through power events. FBWC has the advantage of no battery replacement cycle (typical HPE battery backup module lifespan is 3 years; FBWC capacitors are rated for the server's lifecycle). We consider them equivalent in production protection capability.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eNetworking\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFlexibleLOM mezzanine slot plus PCIe expansion slots. Standard networking options:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHPE Ethernet 10Gb 2-port 562SFP+ FLR-SFP+ Adapter:\u003c\/strong\u003e Our standard recommendation for most DL380 Gen10 deployments — dual-port 10 GbE via FlexLOM, leaving PCIe slots available for storage and other expansion.\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHPE Ethernet 25Gb 2-port 640SFP28 Adapter:\u003c\/strong\u003e For high-throughput virtualization nodes, storage-serving configurations, or environments where 10 GbE is insufficient. Recommended for vSAN all-flash nodes and NVMe-backed storage configurations.\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHPE Ethernet 10Gb 4-port 561FLR-T RJ45 Adapter:\u003c\/strong\u003e For environments requiring copper 10 GbE — common in deployments without SFP+ switching infrastructure.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePower Supplies\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eHPE Flex Slot hot-swap redundant PSUs. Standard options for the DL380 Gen10:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e2x 500W Flex Slot Platinum:\u003c\/strong\u003e For Silver\/Bronze CPU configurations with moderate drive population and no GPU. Tight headroom for fully-loaded Gold\/Platinum builds.\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e2x 800W Flex Slot Platinum:\u003c\/strong\u003e Our standard recommendation for dual Gold\/Platinum builds with full memory and SSD drive population. Adequate for most general-purpose configurations.\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e2x 1600W Flex Slot Titanium:\u003c\/strong\u003e For GPU configurations, high-TDP CPU combinations, or fully-loaded storage configurations. Titanium efficiency delivers measurable savings in large-scale deployments.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePower planning:\u003c\/strong\u003e A dual Gold 6230 (Cascade Lake) configuration with 24 DIMMs and 8x SAS SSDs draws approximately 420–520W at peak. For GPU-equipped configurations, factor in GPU TDP using the same methodology as Dell builds — CPU TDP × 2 + memory + drives + GPU TDP, sized to 70–75% PSU capacity for longevity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eManagement — iLO 5\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eiLO 5 Standard\u003c\/strong\u003e ships on all DL380 Gen10 units. It provides basic hardware monitoring, SNMP alerting, and SSH\/REST API access — but without remote KVM console. For production datacenter deployment, iLO 5 Advanced license is required.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eiLO 5 Advanced (required for production):\u003c\/strong\u003e Adds remote KVM console (HTML5 and Java), virtual media, HPE Intelligent Provisioning (OS deployment without physical media), Agentless Management Service integration, Active Health System logging, and Silicon Root of Trust. The equivalent of Dell iDRAC9 Enterprise. We include the iLO Advanced license on every production build we configure.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSilicon Root of Trust:\u003c\/strong\u003e The DL380 Gen10 introduced HPE's Silicon Root of Trust — firmware signed at the silicon level, preventing unsigned firmware from running. Equivalent in concept to Dell's Silicon Root of Trust in iDRAC9, and a meaningful security advantage over Gen9 and earlier platforms.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTrusted Platform Module (TPM):\u003c\/strong\u003e Optional TPM 2.0 module — include it. Same compliance framework requirements as Dell deployments (NIST, CMMC, FedRAMP).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePhysical Specs\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eForm factor:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2U rack — 86.8mm H × 447mm W (slightly wider than Dell 2U), chassis depth approximately 748mm\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePCIe slots:\u003c\/strong\u003e Up to 8 PCIe 3.0 slots depending on riser configuration — comparable to the Dell R740\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCPU hot-plug:\u003c\/strong\u003e Not supported\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePlatform maturity:\u003c\/strong\u003e Gen10 launched in 2017. Mature platform with stable firmware, strong parts availability, and HPE Pointnext support still available. No immediate end-of-support pressure for most configurations.\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAccessories:\u003c\/strong\u003e HPE Ball Bearing Sliding Rail Kit (Gen8\/9\/10 2U SFF) for rack mounting; HPE Gen10 Security Bezel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eOur Assessment\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe DL380 Gen10 8-Bay 2.5\" is the right HPE platform for the widest range of enterprise workloads — virtualization hosts, database servers, application serving, and compute-primary deployments where moderate local SSD storage covers the need and bulk storage lives on a SAN or NAS. It's the HPE equivalent of the Dell R640, and for shops standardized on HPE infrastructure and iLO management, it's typically the default recommendation for new workloads that don't have specific requirements driving them to the DL360 (1U), DL380 Gen10+ (newer Xeon), or DL560 (4-socket).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhere it excels:\u003c\/strong\u003e VMware vSphere and vSAN nodes, Microsoft Hyper-V clusters, SQL Server and Oracle deployments, general enterprise application serving, VDI workloads, and any compute-primary deployment where HPE is the preferred platform.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhere to look instead:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNeed 1U?\u003c\/strong\u003e → \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dl360-g10-chassis\"\u003eDL360 Gen10 8-Bay\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNeed more SFF bays?\u003c\/strong\u003e → \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dl380-g10-2-5-16-bay-server\"\u003eDL380 Gen10 16-Bay\u003c\/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hpe-dl380-g10-2-5-24-bay-chassis\"\u003eDL380 Gen10 24-Bay\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNeed LFF capacity drives?\u003c\/strong\u003e → \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hp-proliant-dl380-g10-3-5-12-bay-server\"\u003eDL380 Gen10 12-Bay 3.5\"\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNeed Ice Lake Xeon \/ PCIe Gen4?\u003c\/strong\u003e → \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hpe-proliant-dl380-gen10-plus-8-bay-build-your-own\"\u003eDL380 Gen10+ 8-Bay\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBudget-first, shorter lifecycle?\u003c\/strong\u003e → \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dl380-g9-2-5-8-bay-server\"\u003eDL380 Gen9 8-Bay\u003c\/a\u003e — significantly lower cost, same generational caveats as Dell 13th gen\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRefurbished context for 2026:\u003c\/strong\u003e The DL380 Gen10 launched in 2017 and has been in production environments for 7–9 years. Platform maturity is excellent — HPE Pointnext support still active, firmware stable, parts plentiful. For workloads that don't require Ice Lake (Gen10+) or PCIe Gen4, the Gen10 delivers excellent ROI at secondary market pricing. We test every refurbished DL380 Gen10 through HPE's Active Health System diagnostics and verify iLO firmware, Smart Array firmware, and drive health before shipment.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWorkload Fit\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ctable\u003e  \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eThis server excels at\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eConsider alternatives for\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e  \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e✅ VMware vSphere \/ vSAN nodes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e❌ 1U form factor required (use DL360 Gen10)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e  \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e✅ Microsoft Hyper-V clusters\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e❌ Ice Lake \/ PCIe Gen4 needed (use Gen10+)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e  \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e✅ SQL Server and enterprise databases\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e❌ More than 8 SFF bays needed\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e  \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e✅ General enterprise application serving\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e❌ LFF capacity drives required\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e  \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e✅ VDI and high-density virtualization\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e❌ Budget-primary shorter lifecycle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003ch2\u003eReady to Configure?\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTell us your workload, memory target, storage configuration, iLO Advanced licensing preference, and quantity. Our account team returns a validated configuration with formal pricing within 24 hours. Volume pricing at 5 units and above. We can quote both Gen10 and Gen10+ side-by-side if you want to evaluate the generational premium against your lifecycle requirements.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HPE","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45951302926535,"sku":"BP-013539","price":669.87,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0748\/4493\/0247\/files\/server-design-lab-hpe-proliant-dl380-gen10-8-bay-25-drives-589493.png?v=1765539743"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0748\/4493\/0247\/collections\/proliant-dl380-gen-10-999822.jpg?v=1765540188","url":"https:\/\/wholesaleservers.com\/collections\/hpe-proliant-dl380-gen10-build-your-own.oembed","provider":"Wholesale Servers","version":"1.0","type":"link"}