{"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","url":"https:\/\/wholesaleservers.com\/products\/hpe-proliant-dl380-gen10-8-bay-build-your-own","provider":"Wholesale Servers","version":"1.0","type":"link"}