HP vs Dell Server Network Adapters: Which to Buy in 2026
Both vendors run the same Broadcom and Intel silicon, so the chipset is not the decision. Connector type, 10GbE depth and bracket are. A buying guide built from 1,720 sellable adapters in live stock.
Two catalogues that look interchangeable and are not
HP and Dell are the two deepest sources of second-hand server network adapters, and on paper their cards look alike — same Broadcom and Intel silicon underneath, same speeds, similar prices. The differences that decide a purchase are almost never the chipset. They are the connector, the bracket, and whether the host firmware will accept the card at all.
Pro Disk Network currently stocks 910 sellable HP adapters and 810 Dell, both starting at $47.37. The rest of this guide is about which of those two piles you should be looking in.
Where the two catalogues actually differ
| HP / HPE | Dell | |
|---|---|---|
| Sellable adapters | 910 (HP) + 195 (HPE) | 810 |
| Of those, 10GbE | 142 (HP) + 35 (HPE) | 282 |
| Of those, 1GbE | 68 (HP) + 18 (HPE) | 67 |
| Entry price | $47.37 | $47.37 |
Dell has roughly twice the 10GbE depth. If you are building or expanding a 10-gig fabric and are not tied to a chassis, that is the larger pool to shop and usually the better price per port simply because there is more of it.
HP's advantage is at the other end: the 1GbE and legacy management-network cards that keep older ProLiant estate in service.
The trap that costs most buyers a return
Neither vendor uses a plain PCIe card everywhere.
- HPE FlexibleLOM is a proprietary edge connector. It is not PCIe, it does not fit
a standard slot, and a FlexibleLOM card will not seat in a Dell or a generic server. It is also genuinely scarce second-hand — we hold only 7 sellable FlexibleLOM cards against 910 HP adapters overall, so do not plan a refresh around finding them.
- Dell rNDC / bNDC (rack and blade Network Daughter Cards) are the equivalent
Dell-only connector, and carry the same warning in reverse.
If the server has an empty standard PCIe slot, buy a standard PCIe card from either vendor and sidestep the whole problem. Check the slot before you check the brand.
Choosing the speed tier
Current sellable depth across all brands, which is a fair proxy for what the second-hand market can actually supply:
| Speed | Sellable adapters |
|---|---|
| 10GbE | 609 |
| 1GbE | 200 |
| 25GbE | 186 |
| 100GbE | 91 |
| 40GbE | 33 |
10GbE is the volume tier and the value tier. 25GbE is available but roughly a third of the depth, and 40GbE is now the thinnest tier of all — it was largely skipped in favour of 25 and 100, so treat 40GbE as a repair-only purchase rather than a design choice for a new build.
Copper or fibre
| Media | Sellable adapters |
|---|---|
| Base-T copper | 387 |
| SFP28 | 242 |
| RJ-45 | 164 |
| SFP+ | 18 |
Base-T runs on the structured cabling already in the building and needs no optics, which is why it dominates the used market. SFP-cage cards cost less per port at 25G and above, but the optics or DAC cables are a separate line item — budget for both ends of every link, not just the card.
Note the SFP+ figure is small (18) because most SFP-cage stock here is the newer SFP28 cage, which is backward compatible with 10G optics. If you need 10G fibre, an SFP28 card is usually the better buy anyway.
Port count
Dual-port is the default: 382 sellable, against 100 quad-port and 50 single-port. Quad-port cards are worth it where slots are scarce rather than where ports are — a single quad card in a 1U chassis with two slots frees the second slot for storage.
Form factor and bracket
169 sellable adapters are low-profile. A low-profile card in a full-height chassis needs the tall bracket, and second-hand cards frequently ship with the wrong one. Confirm which bracket is included before ordering; a bracket is a cheap part that is surprisingly hard to source on its own.
The short answer
- Building 10-gig capacity, no chassis lock-in? Shop the Dell pool first — it has
282 sellable 10GbE cards against HP's 142.
- Keeping older ProLiant estate alive? HP's catalogue is deeper for 1GbE and
management cards.
- Server has a free standard PCIe slot? Ignore the badge, buy on speed, media and
port count, and take whichever is cheaper.
- Server needs FlexibleLOM or an NDC? Confirm the exact connector before buying,
and expect thin supply.
Network Adapter Guides
This guide is part of a set covering server network adapters end to end:
- Server network adapter buying guide — start here
- HP vs Dell server network adapters — you are here
- ConnectX vs Intel vs Broadcom — chipset comparison
- Broadcom 5720 / 5719 / 57810 guide — by part number
- HP ProLiant network adapters — by platform
Where to Buy These Parts
Adapter pricing in this category starts at $47.37 across both vendors, and depth is what decides value more than brand.
- By vendor - HP server network cards, Dell server network cards, all server network cards
- By speed - 10GbE and 25GbE PCIe adapters
- High-bandwidth - Mellanox ConnectX adapters
- Storage networking - Fibre Channel HBAs
- Optics and cabling - 10G SFP+ transceivers, DAC twinax cables, network and fiber cables
- Switching - 10G and 25G switches, managed switches
_Pro Disk Network ships from the United States. Stock is refurbished and tested by default; new units are available on request. Contact us for a quote on quantities._