HP ProLiant DL380 Gen9 24B SFF Xeon E5-2643 v3 3.4GHz 32GB 2x 600GB SAS P440 4GB FBWC

2U rack server with 24 SFF bays

The HP ProLiant DL380 Gen9 is a 2U rack server designed for data-centre workloads that need dense local storage. It ships with a single Intel Xeon E5-2643 v3 six-core processor running at 3.4 GHz and 32 GB of DDR4 ECC registered memory across 24 DIMM slots. The Smart Array P440 controller with 4 GB flash-backed write cache manages RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50 and 60 across twenty-four 2.5-inch SAS bays. Dual 500 W redundant hot-swap power supplies keep the platform running during a supply failure.

Upgrades from single-socket or smaller-bay systems

Moving to this chassis makes sense when a workload outgrows a 1U server with fewer drive slots or a single-socket configuration that cannot address the full 3 TB memory ceiling. The 24-bay layout supports up to 36 total cores with a second processor, and the 12 Gb / 6 Gb SAS controller handles 15 K 600 GB drives at full speed. Organisations staying on a single processor or needing only a handful of drives will not use the extra bays, memory slots or second-socket headroom.

Tool-less rails and cabled drive cages

The server mounts on tool-less rack rails and the SFF drive cages pull out without cables, so drive swaps and cage additions are straightforward. The P440 controller requires the flash-backed write cache module to be seated correctly; a loose module is the most common cause of degraded RAID performance. Memory population rules are strict — DIMMs must be installed in matched sets per processor channel or the system will halt at POST. No operating system is included, so an installation media and driver bundle must be prepared before first boot.