HPE ProLiant Gen10 vs Gen11: How the Generations Compare

HPE launched the ProLiant Gen11 servers in late 2022 as a major platform update over Gen10 — DDR5 memory, PCIe Gen5, iLO 6, new Intel and AMD processors, and silicon-level security. Here's an accurate, side-by-side comparison to help you decide which generation fits your workload and budget.

Last updated: 2026

Choosing between HPE ProLiant Gen10 and Gen11 servers comes down to how much performance and future headroom you need versus your budget. Gen11 is a substantial architectural leap; Gen10 remains a proven, cost-effective workhorse widely available on the refurbished market. This guide compares them across processors, memory, I/O, management, and security, using the flagship DL380 (Intel) and DL385 (AMD) as reference points.

Gen10 vs Gen11 at a glance

Processors: more cores, and more choice

The processor generation is the biggest difference. On the Intel side, Gen10 used 1st and 2nd Gen Xeon Scalable (Skylake and Cascade Lake) with up to 28 cores per socket; Gen11 moves to 4th and 5th Gen Xeon Scalable (Sapphire Rapids and Emerald Rapids) with up to 64 cores. That's more than double the core count, plus DDR5 and PCIe Gen5 support baked into the platform.

On the AMD side, it's worth correcting a common misconception: AMD was available in Gen10, on the single-socket DL325 Gen10 and dual-socket DL385 Gen10, which used AMD EPYC 7001/7002 ("Naples"/"Rome") with up to 64 cores. What changed in Gen11 is the platform generation. The Gen11 AMD servers — DL325, DL345, DL365, and DL385 — launched with 4th Gen AMD EPYC 9004 ("Genoa" and "Bergamo"), with Bergamo reaching up to 128 cores per socket. HPE later refreshed the line to also support 5th Gen EPYC 9005 ("Turin"), pushing the ceiling to up to 160 cores per socket. You can browse compatible CPUs on each model's parts page, linked below.

Memory: DDR4 to DDR5

Gen11's move to DDR5 brings both higher speed and higher capacity. Using the DL380 as the reference:

• DL380 Gen10 — DDR4 across 24 DIMM slots, up to 2933 MT/s (2nd Gen Xeon), with a maximum of 3.0 TB using LRDIMMs (1.5 TB with RDIMMs).
• DL380 Gen11 — DDR5 across 32 DIMM slots (16 per processor), up to 5600 MT/s, with a maximum of 8.0 TB using 256 GB RDIMMs. Note that Gen11 is RDIMM-only — it does not use LRDIMMs — and full 2-DIMM-per-channel population runs at 4800 MT/s.

For the full breakdown of Gen11 memory, see our guide to maximum memory configurations for Gen11 servers and our explainer on memory rank. To buy modules, browse HPE Gen11 server memory or the model-specific DL380 Gen11 and DL380 Gen10 memory pages.

I/O and storage: PCIe Gen5 and EDSFF

Gen11 upgrades the I/O fabric from the Gen10's PCIe Gen3 to PCIe Gen5, which roughly quadruples per-lane bandwidth — a major benefit for NVMe storage, GPUs, and high-speed networking. Gen11 also introduces support for EDSFF (E3.S) drives alongside traditional SFF and LFF SAS/SATA and 2.5-inch NVMe, and adds OCP 3.0 networking with higher-bandwidth options up to 100GbE. For exactly which drives fit each Gen11 model, see our Gen11 drive compatibility guide. In practice, Gen11 can move far more data in and out of the server, which matters most for storage-dense and data-intensive workloads.

Management: iLO 5 to iLO 6 and GreenLake

Both generations use HPE's Integrated Lights-Out for out-of-band management, but Gen11 steps up from iLO 5 to iLO 6 and integrates with HPE GreenLake for Compute Ops Management — a cloud console for managing servers across edge and data center from a single interface. Gen11 also brings significantly faster firmware updates, automated issue notifications, and environmental monitoring including power and carbon-footprint metrics. Gen10, by comparison, relies on iLO 5 with optional HPE OneView and does not offer the same built-in cloud automation.

Security: silicon root of trust and zero trust

Security is a genuine Gen11 differentiator. Gen11 servers anchor their firmware to an HPE silicon root of trust — an immutable digital fingerprint embedded in an HPE ASIC (and tied to the AMD Secure Processor on EPYC models) that must be matched exactly before the server will boot, containing malicious firmware and enabling automated recovery of validated firmware. On top of that, Gen11 adds TPM 2.0 as standard, DMTF SPDM device attestation, iDevID platform certificates for stronger authentication, and security modes for FIPS 140-2 and CNSA compliance. It's a meaningfully deeper security posture than Gen10's.

Performance in the real world

The generational gains come from three things working together: roughly double the core count, the jump from DDR4 to DDR5 (substantially higher memory bandwidth), and PCIe Gen3 to Gen5 (much higher I/O throughput). The net effect is a large step up for parallel, memory-bound, and data-intensive workloads. HPE has published numerous world-record benchmark results for Gen11 across enterprise workloads — virtualization, databases, Java, and energy efficiency among them. As always, the right way to size the benefit is against your own workloads rather than headline figures: a lightly loaded application server may not need Gen11, while a virtualization host, large database, or AI/ML pipeline will use every bit of the extra bandwidth and cores.

Which models fit which workloads

The Gen11 AMD lineup is positioned by role, and each has a dedicated parts page:

• DL325 Gen11 — 1U single-socket, ideal for software-defined compute, CDN, VDI, and secure edge.
• DL345 Gen11 — 2U single-socket with more storage and expansion, good for virtualization and media workloads.
• DL365 Gen11 — 1U dual-socket, compute-dense for HPC and heavily parallel tasks.
• DL385 Gen11 — 2U dual-socket, accelerator-optimized for AI, big-data analytics, and GPU workloads.

On the Intel side, the DL380 Gen11 remains the versatile 2U flagship for general-purpose enterprise workloads.

Which should you choose?

• Choose Gen10 for budget-conscious, stable deployments: legacy and moderate-compute applications, backup and disaster-recovery infrastructure, or expanding an existing Gen10 fleet where uniformity matters. On the refurbished market, Gen10 delivers excellent value for proven workloads.
• Choose Gen11 when you need the performance and headroom: DDR5 bandwidth, PCIe Gen5 I/O, high core counts for virtualization and AI/ML, hybrid-cloud management via GreenLake, stronger security, and a longer useful life. The higher upfront cost is offset over time by efficiency and future-proofing.

One more consideration in 2026: HPE has since released Gen12 (Intel Xeon 6 and AMD EPYC 9005) — see our guide to maximum memory for Gen12 servers for a sense of that platform. If you're buying brand-new, it's worth comparing that generation too — but for most organizations weighing performance against cost, Gen10 and Gen11 remain the sweet spot on the value curve, especially through the refurbished channel.

Where to buy Gen10 and Gen11 parts

• DL380 Gen11 parts and DL380 Gen10 parts (Intel flagships)
• Gen11 AMD models: DL325, DL345, DL365, DL385
• Memory: HPE Gen11 server memory
• Any other model: HPE parts by server model

Not sure which generation or model fits your needs? Contact our team and we'll help you match the right server and parts to your workload and budget.

Frequently asked questions

What's the main difference between HPE ProLiant Gen10 and Gen11?

Gen11 is a full platform generation ahead: it uses DDR5 memory (up to 5600 MT/s) instead of DDR4, PCIe Gen5 instead of Gen3, iLO 6 with GreenLake management, newer processors (up to 64-core Intel and up to 128–160-core AMD), and a deeper silicon-root-of-trust security model. Gen10 remains a proven, cost-effective platform, especially on the refurbished market.

What processors do Gen10 and Gen11 use?

Gen10 Intel servers use 1st/2nd Gen Xeon Scalable (up to 28 cores), and Gen10 AMD servers (DL325 Gen10, DL385 Gen10) use EPYC 7001/7002 (up to 64 cores). Gen11 Intel servers use 4th/5th Gen Xeon Scalable (up to 64 cores), and Gen11 AMD servers use EPYC 9004 "Genoa/Bergamo" (up to 128 cores), extended to 5th Gen EPYC 9005 "Turin" (up to 160 cores) with the later refresh.

How much memory do Gen10 and Gen11 support?

Using the DL380 as reference: the DL380 Gen10 supports up to 3.0 TB of DDR4 across 24 DIMM slots at up to 2933 MT/s. The DL380 Gen11 supports up to 8.0 TB of DDR5 across 32 DIMM slots (16 per processor) at up to 5600 MT/s. Gen11 is RDIMM-only and runs at 4800 MT/s when all slots are populated.

Is Gen11 worth it over Gen10?

It depends on your workload. Gen11 is worth it for DDR5 bandwidth, PCIe Gen5 I/O, high core counts, AI/ML and virtualization, hybrid-cloud management, stronger security, and longevity. Gen10 is the better value for stable, moderate-compute, legacy, or backup workloads, and for expanding an existing Gen10 fleet.

Does Gen10 support AMD processors?

Yes. It's a common misconception that AMD arrived with Gen11. Gen10 offered AMD EPYC on specific models — the single-socket DL325 Gen10 and dual-socket DL385 Gen10 used EPYC 7001/7002 ("Naples"/"Rome"). The mainstream DL380 Gen10 is Intel-only, which is likely the source of the confusion.

What's new in iLO 6 and security on Gen11?

Gen11 upgrades to iLO 6 with GreenLake for Compute Ops Management, faster firmware updates, automated issue notifications, and environmental/carbon monitoring. Security adds TPM 2.0 as standard, an enhanced silicon root of trust (tied to the AMD Secure Processor on EPYC models), DMTF SPDM attestation, iDevID platform certificates, and FIPS 140-2 / CNSA modes.

Should I consider Gen12 instead?

Possibly, if you're buying brand-new. HPE has since released Gen12 with Intel Xeon 6 and AMD EPYC 9005 processors. For many organizations, though, Gen10 and Gen11 remain the best balance of performance and cost — particularly through the refurbished channel. Match the generation to your workload and budget.

The bottom line

Gen11 is a significant step up from Gen10 — roughly double the cores, DDR5 in place of DDR4, PCIe Gen5 in place of Gen3, iLO 6 with cloud management, and a stronger security foundation. Gen10 remains a dependable, budget-friendly platform for stable and moderate workloads. Match the generation to what you actually run, then find parts for your exact model or contact our team for help choosing.