The Complete Guide to HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 Plus Server

Published June 9, 2025 · By Pro Disk Network

The DL380 Gen10 Plus remains one of the most versatile 2U rack servers ever built. This guide covers configurations, CPU options, storage layouts, and buying ti

Why the DL380 Gen10 Plus Still Matters

HPE's ProLiant DL380 has been the world's best-selling server for over a decade. The Gen10 Plus variant, built on Intel Xeon Scalable 3rd Generation (Ice Lake) processors, shipped from mid-2021 through 2023 and remains widely deployed. Even with the Gen11 now available, the Gen10 Plus offers compelling value for buyers who do not need DDR5 or PCIe Gen 5 and want to save 40-55% by purchasing refurbished or new-old-stock units.

At Pro Disk Network, the DL380 Gen10 Plus is consistently among our top 5 selling server models. This guide covers everything you need to know to configure one correctly.

Platform Overview

The DL380 Gen10 Plus is a 2U rack server with the following base specifications:

• CPU: 1 or 2 Intel Xeon Scalable 3rd Gen (Ice Lake-SP) processors, LGA 4189 socket
• Memory: Up to 32 DDR4 DIMM slots (16 per CPU), supporting RDIMMs up to 3200 MT/s. Maximum capacity: 8TB (using 256GB LRDIMMs)
• Storage: Multiple chassis options from 8 LFF (3.5-inch) bays to 24 SFF (2.5-inch) bays, with NVMe options up to 20 bays
• PCIe: Up to 10 PCIe Gen 4.0 expansion slots (varies by riser configuration)
• Network: Embedded 4-port 1GbE (BCM5719), optional OCP 3.0 slot for additional NICs
• Management: HPE iLO 5 (Integrated Lights-Out) with dedicated management port
• Power: Redundant hot-plug PSUs (500W, 800W, or 1600W options)

CPU Selection

The Xeon Scalable 3rd Gen lineup for the DL380 Gen10 Plus spans from 8-core Bronze to 40-core Platinum. Here are the SKUs we sell most frequently:

Budget / Entry:

• Xeon Silver 4314 (16C/32T, 2.4 GHz) - Solid choice for file servers, DNS, DHCP, and light virtualization. Around $500-700 per CPU.
• Xeon Silver 4316 (20C/40T, 2.3 GHz) - Better multi-threaded performance for busier VM hosts. $700-900 per CPU.

Mid-Range / General Purpose:

• Xeon Gold 6330 (28C/56T, 2.0 GHz) - The sweet spot for most virtualization and database workloads. High core count at a reasonable price: $1,200-1,600 per CPU.
• Xeon Gold 6338 (32C/64T, 2.0 GHz) - When you need more cores without jumping to Platinum pricing. $1,800-2,200 per CPU.

High Performance:

• Xeon Platinum 8358 (32C/64T, 2.6 GHz) - Higher base clock than Gold 6338 with larger L3 cache. Best for latency-sensitive workloads. $2,800-3,500 per CPU.
• Xeon Platinum 8380 (40C/80T, 2.3 GHz) - Maximum core count for the platform. Ideal for dense consolidation scenarios. $4,000-5,000 per CPU.

Always deploy dual CPUs if you need more than 16 DIMM slots, more than 5 PCIe slots, or plan to use NVMe drives in certain bay positions that are wired to the second CPU.

Memory Configuration Best Practices

The DL380 Gen10 Plus has 8 memory channels per CPU (16 per dual-socket server). HPE supports three DIMM types:

• RDIMM - Standard registered DIMMs, available up to 64GB per module. Best price-per-GB for mainstream capacities.
• LRDIMM - Load-reduced DIMMs, available up to 256GB per module. Required for configurations above 2TB per socket.
• NVDIMM - Persistent memory option for specific in-memory database use cases. Limited adoption.

Population rules:

• Populate DIMMs in sets of 8 (one per channel) for balanced bandwidth
• Start with the farthest slot from the CPU (Slot 1 in each channel)
• Do not mix RDIMM and LRDIMM within the same server
• 2 DPC (two DIMMs per channel) drops maximum speed from 3200 to 2933 MT/s

Popular configurations from Pro Disk Network:

• 256GB: 8x Samsung M393A4K40DB3-CWE (32GB DDR4-3200 RDIMM) --- $280-350 total
• 512GB: 16x 32GB RDIMM or 8x 64GB RDIMM --- $550-700 total
• 1TB: 16x SK Hynix HMAA8GR7AJR4N-XN (64GB DDR4-3200 RDIMM) --- $1,100-1,400 total

Storage Layout Options

HPE offers multiple chassis configurations. The most common:

8 LFF (3.5-inch) SAS/SATA - Best for bulk storage with large-capacity HDDs (Seagate Exos X20 20TB, WD Ultrastar DC HC560 20TB). Maximum raw capacity: 160TB.

24 SFF (2.5-inch) SAS/SATA/NVMe - The most versatile option. Run a mix of SAS SSDs for databases and SATA SSDs for general storage. With the Universal Media Bay option, the rear two bays support NVMe.

8 SFF NVMe + 16 SFF SAS/SATA - Hybrid approach that gives you 8 direct-attach NVMe bays wired to the CPUs for maximum storage performance alongside 16 SAS/SATA bays behind the SmartArray controller.

For RAID, the DL380 Gen10 Plus uses the HPE Smart Array P408i-a (included) or optional P816i-a for expanded SAS connectivity. NVMe drives bypass the RAID controller entirely and connect directly to the CPU via the backplane, using software RAID (Intel VROC) or passed through individually to the OS.

iLO 5 Management

HPE iLO 5 is one of the best out-of-band management platforms in the industry. Every DL380 Gen10 Plus includes iLO Standard (free), with optional upgrades:

• iLO Standard - Remote power control, health monitoring, virtual media boot, text console
• iLO Advanced - Adds graphical remote console (full KVM), persistent remote console, video recording of server events, and Federation management for multi-server environments

An iLO Advanced license costs $300-500 and is a one-time purchase (no subscription). For any server you plan to manage remotely, it is worth every dollar. We sell iLO Advanced licenses at Pro Disk Network alongside the hardware.

Pricing at Pro Disk Network

New-old-stock DL380 Gen10 Plus (factory sealed, full HPE warranty):

• Base CTO chassis with single Silver 4314, 32GB, no drives: $3,200 - $3,800
• Mid-range config (2x Gold 6330, 512GB, 8x 1.92TB SAS SSD): $9,500 - $11,000

Refurbished DL380 Gen10 Plus (Grade A, 1-year Pro Disk Network warranty):

• Dual Gold 6330, 512GB RAM, 8-bay SFF: $4,800 - $5,800
• Dual Platinum 8358, 1TB RAM, 24-bay SFF: $8,500 - $10,000

Refurbished DL380 Gen10 (previous gen, even better value):

• Dual Gold 6248R, 512GB RAM: $3,500 - $4,200
• Dual Gold 6248R, 768GB RAM: $4,000 - $4,800

The Gen10 Plus commands a 20-30% premium over the non-Plus Gen10 in the refurbished market. For most workloads, the Gen10 (non-Plus) delivers 90% of the performance at a notably lower price. Browse our HPE server catalog to compare configurations and current pricing.