HPE ProLiant BL420c Gen8 Processors

Genuine HPE processor option kits for the HPE ProLiant BL420c Gen8, new and refurbished. This blade is an Intel Xeon E5-2400 machine, not an E5-2600 one: it takes one or two E5-2400 series processors on the Intel C600 chipset, with three memory channels per socket, and HPE requires that all processors within the blade are identical.

BL420c Gen8 Processor Specifications

• Sockets: two, upgradeable from a single-processor blade; the platform is documented for the Intel Xeon E5-2400 and E5-2400 v2 families, and the kits here are E5-2400 series
• Eight-core kits stocked: E5-2470 at 2.3GHz and E5-2450 at 2.1GHz, both 95W, plus the 70W E5-2450L at 1.8GHz — each with 20MB of L3 cache
• Six-core kits stocked: E5-2440 at 2.4GHz, E5-2430 at 2.2GHz and E5-2420 at 1.9GHz, all 95W, plus the 60W E5-2430L at 2.0GHz — each with 15MB of cache
• Quad-core kits stocked: E5-2407 at 2.2GHz and E5-2403 at 1.8GHz, both 80W with 10MB of cache
• Features: Intel Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost on every model except the E5-2403 and E5-2407; the letter L denotes lower wattage
• What each socket opens: a processor in socket 1 enables mezzanine slot 1; one in socket 2 enables mezzanine slot 2 and the other six DIMM slots, and every kit here is complete with heatsink and fans

A second processor is not only about cores. It opens the other six DIMM slots and it enables mezzanine expansion slot 2, which is the only slot a Smart Array P721m or a quad-port network mezzanine can use. It has to be identical to the first: HPE does not support mixing processor models in one blade.

How many cores, and at what memory speed?

On this blade the processor sets the memory ceiling as firmly as the modules do, and the bottom row costs twice: an E5-2403 pins DDR3 at 1066MHz whatever is in the twelve slots, and carries neither Hyper-Threading nor Turbo Boost. The top of the table is the same trade in reverse — the E5-2450L gives eight cores inside 70W, the E5-2470 eight faster ones at 95W.

Choosing the Right BL420c Gen8 Processor

• Both sockets must carry the same part. HPE states that all processors within the server must be identical and that mixing different processor models is not supported.
• A second processor does two other things. It opens the other six DIMM slots, and it makes mezzanine slot 2 accessible — the only slot a Smart Array P721m or a quad-port card can use.
• The memory kit list follows the processor family. HPE documents separate memory options for E5-2400 and E5-2400 v2 blades, and the E5-2400 family cannot take 1866MHz or 1600MHz low voltage SmartMemory.
• Hyper-Threading is not universal. The E5-2403 and E5-2407 carry neither Hyper-Threading nor Turbo Boost, which matters more than their clock speed on virtualised workloads.
• These are blade-specific kits. Every option kit HPE lists for this server is a BL420c Gen8 kit with its own heatsink and fans, so a processor pulled from a rack server is not a drop-in replacement.

Complete Your BL420c Gen8 Build

Processor choice sets the memory clock and opens the second mezzanine slot — see BL420c Gen8 memory, networking adapters and storage controllers alongside this page. Also available: BL420c Gen8 drives and the full BL420c Gen8 parts listing. The E5-2600 half-height blade of this generation is the BL460c Gen8 and the AMD one is the BL465c Gen8, both indexed under HPE parts by server model.

BL420c Gen8 Processors FAQ

Which processors does the BL420c Gen8 support?
Intel Xeon E5-2400 and E5-2400 v2 series, one or two of them. The kits listed here are E5-2400 series, running from the eight-core E5-2470 at 2.3GHz down to the quad-core E5-2403 at 1.8GHz.

Can I put an E5-2600 processor in a BL420c Gen8?
No. HPE documents this blade for the Intel Xeon E5-2400 and E5-2400 v2 families only, with three memory channels per socket. The E5-2600 parts used by the BL460c Gen8 are a different processor family on a different memory layout.

Can I mix different processors in a BL420c Gen8?
No. HPE states that all processors within the server must be identical and that mixing different processor models is not supported. Both sockets carry the same part number.

Does adding a second processor do anything besides add cores?
Yes, two things. It makes the other six DIMM slots usable, and it is required before the second mezzanine slot will work - which is where an external SAS controller or a quad-port network mezzanine has to go.

Which processors support Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost?
All of them except the E5-2403 and E5-2407, which carry neither. The letter L denotes a lower wattage part, such as the 70W E5-2450L and the 60W E5-2430L.

Do BL420c Gen8 processor kits include a heatsink?
Yes. Every processor option kit listed for this blade comes complete with heatsink and fan or fans, and the kits are specific to the BL420c Gen8.

✅ Looking for a specific BL420c Gen8 processor? Browse our full selection below.

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