HPE Proliant DL380 G10 8-Bay 2.5"
Configure Your System:
1 Processor Required
Step 1: Choose a generation and tier
The DL380 Gen10 takes both waves of Intel's Xeon Scalable family. 1st Gen (Skylake) is the value entry: mature, plentiful, and the lowest cost into this platform. 2nd Gen (Cascade Lake) is the same socket refined: better clocks per watt and faster memory support, and our default recommendation when the price gap is modest.
Within each generation, the tiers are the same story: Silver for value compute, Gold for the mainstream where nearly every serious build lands, and Platinum for dense consolidation at the top of the range.
One connection worth knowing: your processor sets your memory speed. Higher tiers and the newer generation run the DIMMs faster, so a Silver chip quietly caps the memory bus you paid for. It is one of the honest arguments for Gold.
Whichever you pick, populate both sockets; half the memory channels and PCIe lanes route through the second CPU.
Step 2: Choose your CPU
Running Windows Server? Two 8-core CPUs land exactly on the 16-core base license. Our picks are the Gold 6134 (8 cores, high clocks) in 1st Gen and the Gold 6234 in 2nd Gen: top per-core performance with nothing wasted on the license.
Virtualizing on vSphere? VMware licenses a 16-core minimum per socket, so the 8-core strategy buys you nothing there; take 16-core parts and use every core you are paying to license.
General consolidation lands in the middle Golds, and the high-core Golds and Platinums are how one DL380 replaces a shelf of older servers.
Not sure where your workload lands? We configure these daily; call 1-800-778-1545.
2 Heat Sink Optional
What still matters is airflow discipline. Keep every drive bay blank and internal baffle installed; the DL380 cools front to back, and an open path lets air skip the components that need it. HPE's thermal engineering on this chassis is genuinely good, and it holds up exactly as long as the airflow path stays intact.
It was engineered for datacenter intake air; it will run in a well-ventilated closet, but fan and component life is better in a real cold aisle. If your build includes GPUs or high-TDP silicon in a warm room, call 1-800-778-1545 before checkout and we will confirm the whole thermal picture.
3 Memory (RAM) 24 DIMM slots, modules added in sets of 2 Required
Twelve matched DIMMs, six per socket, engages every channel once at full speed, and that is our default for this chassis. Memory bandwidth is exactly what virtualization hosts and databases feel, and twelve channels of it is the Gen10's quiet advantage over its predecessor.
Twenty-four DIMMs doubles capacity at two per channel with no speed penalty on this platform, and it is the natural full build when RAM is the constraint.
Your processor sets the speed: the newer generation and higher tiers run the DIMMs faster, which is part of what you buy when you step up in the processor step. The configurator pairs the right DIMMs with your chip.
In between, populate in multiples of six and keep both sockets even; a lopsided population starves channels you paid for.
Whichever count you choose, buy it as one matched set, now. Hunting for matching DIMMs a year into production means a maintenance window and rank-matching roulette, and a mismatch clocks the whole bank down.
Common landing spots: 96 GB (12x 8 GB) for general duty, 192 GB (12x 16 GB) is our default virtualization host, 384 GB (12x 32 GB or 24x 16 GB) for dense consolidation, and 768 GB (24x 32 GB) when the workload lives in RAM.
4 RAID Controllers Optional
What it gives you: full hardware RAID across the backplane with a battery-protected write cache, which is what keeps parity arrays performing under real write load, plus the modern Smart Array feature set.
The part worth knowing: the P408i also runs in HBA mode, passing drives straight through to the operating system. That matters because it makes this one controller correct for both storage philosophies, traditional hardware RAID for Windows and general virtualization duty, and direct drive access for vSAN, Storage Spaces Direct, Ceph, ZFS, and TrueNAS builds. If your build is software-defined, tell us at quote time and we will ship it configured the right way.
Array guidance for the hardware RAID path: RAID 10 where write latency matters, RAID 6 over RAID 5 on large spinning drives, and a hot spare on any array whose rebuild you would rather not race.
5 Storage Drives Select up to 8 drives (0/8 Slots Used) Optional
The 2.5" DL380 Gen10 takes SAS and SATA in both flavors, with NVMe where the backplane supports it, and by this generation the honest guidance leans flash: SSDs for virtualization datastores, databases, and application volumes, with 10K SAS spinning drives as the bulk tier behind them rather than the main event. If storage latency is the whole product, NVMe on this platform is a genuine option, and we will spec the backplane details with you.
Buy new, and on flash we will add the technical reason to the usual one: endurance is consumed by writes, and every drive here ships with its full write budget ahead of it. We steer you away from refurbished on drives specifically, and we say that as a company that sells refurbished servers all day.
Plan the boot volume out of your data bays: a small RAID 1 pair of SSDs in two bays is the standard pattern on this platform. It costs you two bays and it is worth it; a boot failure and a data failure should never be the same event.
Fair warning on capacity math: RAID overhead, hot spares, and filesystem headroom mean usable space lands well under the sum of the labels. Size for the usable number, and when in doubt, one drive size up is cheap insurance.
6 Remote Access Required
Every unit includes the integrated iLO controller with the standard feature set: health monitoring, remote power control, and basic management through a clean modern interface. The dividing line is the Advanced license, which unlocks the full remote console and virtual media, meaning you can reach the server's screen, mount an ISO, and rebuild an OS from anywhere, even when the operating system is down. Without it, any problem below the OS level means walking to the rack.
Our pick is the Advanced license, and on a production host the math is short: the license costs a fraction of one emergency site visit, and the first bad firmware day pays for it. iLO 5 also brings HPE's silicon root of trust and firmware protection machinery, and the Advanced tier is where its best capabilities live.
Standard iLO is the right call only when the server sits down the hall and someone can physically reach it without ceremony, and even then, think about whether that stays true for the machine's whole life.
If you are deploying 5 or more units, take the Advanced license on all of them. Fleet management without remote console access does not work in practice.
7 Power Supply 2x included in build Required
2x 500W is the configurator default and covers a real share of DL380 builds: mid-range Scalable silicon, a sensible memory load, and a bay of SSDs land inside it, and HPE's Gen10 supplies are excellent at partial load.
2x 800W is our pick the moment the build fills out: higher-TDP Gold or Platinum processors, a full backplane, or a heavy DIMM count. The price step is small and it buys the 50 percent load target, where a PSU runs at peak efficiency, runs cooler, and lasts longer than one working near its limit. On the 24-bay chassis or the 12-bay spinning-disk build, start here; spinning drives pull their peak current at spin-up, exactly when the server is busiest bringing everything else online.
Watch the estimated TDP counter at the bottom of the page as you add components to see where your build lands, and when it sits between two tiers, size up; the price difference is a rounding error against the headroom you get back. If GPUs are in your plans, call us before checkout, because power and airflow change together.
8 Network Cards Required
Quad 1 GbE covers file, print, and light application duty, and it is the honest budget answer when the clients are desktops on gigabit switching.
10 Gb is the practical floor for the virtualization and database work a Gen10 host gets bought for; a modern hypervisor on gigabit networking is bottlenecked at the card, not the CPUs. The dual 10 Gb options are the sweet spot: production on the fast pair, management on the embedded ports.
Then port type, and this is the one that catches people. SFP+ ports take fiber or DAC cables and talk to datacenter-grade switches. BASE-T ports are 10 Gb copper on ordinary RJ45. Neither is better; they must simply match your switch. Order SFP+ against a copper-only switch and the server racks up with nothing to plug into.
Need more ports, or separate links for storage and VM traffic? PCIe network cards stack on top of whatever you choose here. Call 1-800-778-1545 and we will spec the whole path, switch ports included.
9 Operating System Required
The good news on this platform: the Gen10's Xeon Scalable processors are fully supported by every modern OS, so the choice is about your environment, not compatibility.
Windows Server 2022 is the mainstream pick, and Windows Server 2025 is fully supported if you want the newest platform. Licensing is per core with a 16-core base, which is why our processor guidance steers Windows buyers to two 8-core CPUs: the 16-Core license covers that build exactly. Past 16 total cores, you need the larger tiers, and heavy VM density is where Datacenter edition with unlimited virtualization rights earns its keep. On CALs, count your users and round up.
Fair warning on Evaluation Editions: free and fully functional for 180 days, then they expire. Right for labs and proof-of-concept, wrong for production.
VMware ESXi is fully supported on this platform for shops standing on vSphere; we will install the version your cluster runs.
Proxmox VE is our quiet favorite for new virtualization deployments: open-source KVM with clustering and live migration, no per-core license math, and it makes a Gen10 host one of the best price-to-capability hypervisors on our floor.
Ubuntu Server LTS covers Linux application duty with five years of free updates, and No OS is there for teams imaging from their own deployment infrastructure.
Not sure which fits? Tell us the workload at quote time, or call 1-800-778-1545.
WServer Warranty
HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 8-Bay 2.5" Drives Detailed Review
The 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.
The 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.
Gen10 vs. Gen10+ vs. Gen9 — the positioning: 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.
HPE Platform Vocabulary — Key Differences from Dell
If you're more familiar with Dell PowerEdge, the HPE equivalents are:
- iLO (Integrated Lights-Out) = 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.
- HPE Smart Array = PERC RAID controllers. P408i-a (2 GB cache) ≈ PERC H730P. P816i-a (4 GB cache) ≈ PERC H740P. E208i-a (no cache) ≈ PERC H330 / HBA330.
- FlexibleLOM (FlexLOM) = OCP mezzanine slot. Primary NIC connectivity goes here — same concept as Dell's OCP 3.0 slot.
- HPE Persistent Memory (NVDIMM) = Optane PMem equivalent (supported on Gen10 with 2nd Gen Xeon Scalable).
Processors
Dual 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.
Our recommendation: 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.
Heatsink requirement for high-TDP CPUs: 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.
Memory
24 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.
Full 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.
iLO Advanced Memory Error Detection: 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.
Storage — 8 SFF Bays
Eight 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.
HPE NVMe implementation note: 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.
HPE Secure Encryption: The DL380 Gen10 supports drive-level encryption through the Smart Array controller — a compliance feature worth noting for regulated data environments.
M.2 boot drives: 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.
Smart Array RAID Controllers
- Smart Array P816i-a (4 GB Flash-backed Write Cache, FBWC): 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.
- Smart Array P408i-a (2 GB FBWC): 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.
- Smart Array E208i-a (no cache, HBA mode): 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.
HPE FBWC vs. Dell battery-backed cache: 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.
Networking
FlexibleLOM mezzanine slot plus PCIe expansion slots. Standard networking options:
- HPE Ethernet 10Gb 2-port 562SFP+ FLR-SFP+ Adapter: Our standard recommendation for most DL380 Gen10 deployments — dual-port 10 GbE via FlexLOM, leaving PCIe slots available for storage and other expansion.
- HPE Ethernet 25Gb 2-port 640SFP28 Adapter: 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.
- HPE Ethernet 10Gb 4-port 561FLR-T RJ45 Adapter: For environments requiring copper 10 GbE — common in deployments without SFP+ switching infrastructure.
Power Supplies
HPE Flex Slot hot-swap redundant PSUs. Standard options for the DL380 Gen10:
- 2x 500W Flex Slot Platinum: For Silver/Bronze CPU configurations with moderate drive population and no GPU. Tight headroom for fully-loaded Gold/Platinum builds.
- 2x 800W Flex Slot Platinum: Our standard recommendation for dual Gold/Platinum builds with full memory and SSD drive population. Adequate for most general-purpose configurations.
- 2x 1600W Flex Slot Titanium: For GPU configurations, high-TDP CPU combinations, or fully-loaded storage configurations. Titanium efficiency delivers measurable savings in large-scale deployments.
Power planning: 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.
Management — iLO 5
iLO 5 Standard 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.
iLO 5 Advanced (required for production): 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.
Silicon Root of Trust: 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.
Trusted Platform Module (TPM): Optional TPM 2.0 module — include it. Same compliance framework requirements as Dell deployments (NIST, CMMC, FedRAMP).
Physical Specs
- Form factor: 2U rack — 86.8mm H × 447mm W (slightly wider than Dell 2U), chassis depth approximately 748mm
- PCIe slots: Up to 8 PCIe 3.0 slots depending on riser configuration — comparable to the Dell R740
- CPU hot-plug: Not supported
- Platform maturity: 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.
- Accessories: HPE Ball Bearing Sliding Rail Kit (Gen8/9/10 2U SFF) for rack mounting; HPE Gen10 Security Bezel
Our Assessment
The 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).
Where it excels: 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.
Where to look instead:
- Need 1U? → DL360 Gen10 8-Bay
- Need more SFF bays? → DL380 Gen10 16-Bay or DL380 Gen10 24-Bay
- Need LFF capacity drives? → DL380 Gen10 12-Bay 3.5"
- Need Ice Lake Xeon / PCIe Gen4? → DL380 Gen10+ 8-Bay
- Budget-first, shorter lifecycle? → DL380 Gen9 8-Bay — significantly lower cost, same generational caveats as Dell 13th gen
Refurbished context for 2026: 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.
Workload Fit
| This server excels at | Consider alternatives for |
|---|---|
| ✅ VMware vSphere / vSAN nodes | ❌ 1U form factor required (use DL360 Gen10) |
| ✅ Microsoft Hyper-V clusters | ❌ Ice Lake / PCIe Gen4 needed (use Gen10+) |
| ✅ SQL Server and enterprise databases | ❌ More than 8 SFF bays needed |
| ✅ General enterprise application serving | ❌ LFF capacity drives required |
| ✅ VDI and high-density virtualization | ❌ Budget-primary shorter lifecycle |
Ready to Configure?
Tell 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.
Save Your Design
Click the Add to Quote button at the bottom of your screen to save your design as a draft order for future reference and to check for discounts, lead time, and availability. Most servers ship within 1-3 days.
