HPE ProLiant BL465c Gen8 Drives
Genuine HPE hot-plug drives for the HPE ProLiant BL465c Gen8, new and refurbished, tested before shipping. A half-height blade has room for two small form factor bays, they take the SmartDrive (SC) carrier only, and the Smart Array P220i behind them runs 6G SAS but only 3G SATA.
BL465c Gen8 Drive Specifications
- Bays: two hot-plug small form factor (2.5-inch) bays, each taking a SAS, SATA, SAS solid state or SATA solid state drive
- Carrier: the SmartDrive (SC) hot-plug carrier introduced with Gen8; HPE drives from previous generation servers are not compatible with these bays
- Maximum internal capacity: 2.4TB on two 1.2TB SAS drives, 2.0TB on two 1TB SATA drives, or 3.2TB on two 1.6TB SAS or SATA solid state drives
- Interface: the integrated Smart Array P220i supports 6G SAS and 3G SATA, and 12G SAS and 6G SATA drives negotiate down to the rate the controller supports
- RAID: RAID 0 and RAID 1 only, across up to 64 logical drives with the controller's 512MB flash backed write cache
- Formats stocked: 7.2K midline SAS and SATA, 10K and 15K enterprise SAS including 512e parts, and SAS and SATA solid state drives in mainstream and performance endurance classes
SAS and SATA are not equal here. The integrated Smart Array P220i runs 6G SAS but only 3G SATA, so a 6G SATA drive negotiates down the moment it seats while a SAS drive keeps full rate. With two SmartDrive bays and RAID 0 and RAID 1 only, the choice is a mirror or two independent volumes — 2.4TB on SAS, 3.2TB on solid state.
What fits in the two BL465c Gen8 drive bays?
| Drive family | Both bays filled | Rate on this blade | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAS enterprise and midline | 2.4TB on 2 × 1.2TB | 6G | Boot and transactional work at the full controller rate |
| SATA midline | 2.0TB on 2 × 1.0TB | 3G | Bulk capacity where interface rate does not matter |
| SAS solid state | 3.2TB on 2 × 1.6TB | 6G | Latency-sensitive local storage, at full rate |
| SATA solid state | 3.2TB on 2 × 1.6TB | 3G | Cheaper flash, at half the SAS interface rate |
SAS and SATA are not equal citizens here. A 6G SATA drive gives up half its interface the moment it seats, while a SAS drive of the same capacity runs at full rate. With two bays the other decision is just as short: a RAID 1 mirror, or two independent RAID 0 volumes with no redundancy.
Choosing the Right BL465c Gen8 Drive
- The carrier decides whether a drive will seat. SmartDrive (SC) parts fit; the older SFF carriers from G6 and G7 blades do not, and no adapter bridges them.
- Do not pay for an interface the controller cannot use. HPE documents that 12G SAS and 6G SATA drives negotiate down to the P220i's 6G SAS and 3G SATA rates, so the faster labels buy nothing here.
- Mixing SAS drives with SAS SSDs costs you RAID 1. HPE supports the combination but limits it to two separate RAID 0 volumes, and mixing other drive types is not supported at all.
- Buy the pair, not the drive. In a two-bay mirror, matched capacity, spindle speed and sector format is the difference between a clean rebuild and a degraded array.
- Past 3.2TB the answer is outside the blade. A D2200sb storage blade, or external SAS through a P721m mezzanine controller, is how these servers grow beyond two bays.
Complete Your BL465c Gen8 Build
Growth means looking outward — see BL465c Gen8 storage controllers for the external SAS mezzanine, or the full BL465c Gen8 parts listing, which carries the D2200sb storage blade. Also available: memory, networking adapters and processors, with the previous generation at BL465c G7 drives. Background reading: SAS vs SATA hard drives, what 512e drives are and the HPE parts by server model index.
BL465c Gen8 Drives FAQ
How many drives does a BL465c Gen8 hold?
Two. The blade has two hot-plug small form factor bays, each taking a SAS, SATA or solid state drive.
What is the maximum storage capacity of a BL465c Gen8?
2.4TB on two 1.2TB SAS drives, 2.0TB on two 1TB SATA drives, or 3.2TB on two 1.6TB SAS or SATA solid state drives.
Will drives from a BL465c G7 work in a Gen8 blade?
No. The BL465c Gen8 uses the SmartDrive (SC) hot-plug carrier, and HPE states that drives from previous generation servers are not compatible with its drive bays.
Does the BL465c Gen8 support RAID 5?
No. The integrated Smart Array P220i supports RAID 0 and RAID 1 only, which is all that two drive bays can use in any case.
Do SATA drives run at 6G in a BL465c Gen8?
No. The P220i supports 6G SAS and 3G SATA, so a 6G SATA drive negotiates down to 3G in this blade. A SAS drive of the same capacity keeps the full 6G rate.
Can I mix a hard drive and an SSD in a BL465c Gen8?
Standard SAS drives can be mixed with SAS solid state drives, but doing so limits the blade to two separate RAID 0 volumes rather than a mirror. Mixing other drive types is not supported.
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