HPE ProLiant DL120 Gen9 Processors

Processor reference for the HPE ProLiant DL120 Gen9, the single-socket 1U server of the Gen9 entry line. One socket means one processor, and HPE documents every CPU for this server as an -L21 kit, naming the E5-2600 v4 parts FIO Processor Kits — factory installed options. What matters on a machine already in a rack is what the fitted part allows: the memory speed it holds, and whether the chassis can run redundant fans behind it.

DL120 Gen9 Processor Specifications

• Sockets: one, on the Intel C610 Series chipset; the eight DIMM slots, four channels and two DIMMs per channel all belong to that single processor
• Families: Intel Xeon E5-2600 v3 and E5-2600 v4, plus the single-socket E5-1600 v3 and v4 parts, which HPE lists at 0.0GT/s because they carry no inter-socket link
• Core range: from four cores on the E5-2623v4 and E5-1620v4 up to 22 cores on the E5-2699v4, with L3 cache from 10MB to 55MB
• Wattage range: 55W on the E5-2630Lv4 and E5-2630Lv3, through 85W and 105W mainstream parts, to 135W and 145W at the top and 140W on the E5-1600 frequency parts
• Memory speed by processor: 1600MT/s on the E5-2603v3 and E5-2609v3, 1866MT/s on the E5-2603v4 and E5-2609v4, 2133MT/s across most of the mid range, and 2400MT/s on the E5-2650v4 and above
• Cooling limit: fan redundancy is not supported for processors exceeding 105W

105W is the line that shapes this chassis. HPE does not support fan redundancy for processors exceeding 105W, so a 145W 22-core part and a five-fan redundant DL120 Gen9 are not the same machine. The 65W E5-2650Lv4 is the interesting exception: fourteen cores and the full 2400MT/s memory tier inside a wattage the chassis can cool redundantly.

How Much Processor Does This Chassis Actually Take?

The line that matters on this chassis runs at 105W, not at a core count. Above it HPE does not support fan redundancy, so the 22-core and the high-clock parts and a fully redundant 1U server are not the same machine. That is what makes the L parts interesting here: an E5-2650Lv4 carries fourteen cores and the full 2400MT/s memory tier inside 65W, which is a configuration the chassis can cool with five fans.

Choosing the Right DL120 Gen9 Processor

• There is no second socket, and no second bank of memory behind one. All eight DIMM slots work with the single processor fitted, so adding capacity is a memory question, never a CPU one.
• The processor sets the memory speed. An E5-2609v3 holds DDR4 at 1600MT/s and an E5-2630v4 at 2133MT/s, whatever the modules are rated at.
• Check the 105W line before anything else. A server built with the redundant fan kit constrains the processor choice, and a processor above 105W constrains the cooling.
• E5-1600 parts buy clock, not cores. The E5-1620v4 and E5-1650v4 reach 3.5 and 3.6GHz at four and six cores, and draw 140W doing it.
• HPE shipped these as factory kits. Every processor option documented for this server is an -L21 part, and the E5-2600 v4 range is named FIO Processor Kit, so the part fitted at build time is usually the part that stays.

Complete Your DL120 Gen9 Build

The processor decides the memory ceiling, so read it alongside DL120 Gen9 memory, and alongside power supplies for the fan redundancy rule. Also available: DL120 Gen9 drives, storage controllers and networking adapters, or the full DL120 Gen9 parts listing. Background reading: the importance of memory speed. Other models are listed under HPE parts by server model.

DL120 Gen9 Processors FAQ

How many processors does a DL120 Gen9 take?
One. HPE describes the DL120 Gen9 as a 1U single-socket server, and every pre-configured and configure-to-order model in the QuickSpecs lists a single processor.

Which processors does the DL120 Gen9 support?
Intel Xeon E5-2600 v3 and v4 parts, and the single-socket E5-1600 v3 and v4 parts, on the Intel C610 chipset. The documented range runs from four cores up to the 22-core E5-2699v4.

Does adding memory require a second processor on this server?
No, because there is no second socket. All eight DIMM slots are served by the single processor, so the full 256GB is reachable on a one-CPU machine.

Which processor gives the fastest memory on a DL120 Gen9?
Any part in the 2400MT/s group: the E5-2650Lv4, E5-2650v4, E5-2660v4, E5-2690v4, E5-2695v4, E5-2698v4, E5-2699v4, E5-1620v4 or E5-1650v4. E5-2600 v3 parts top out at 2133MT/s.

Can I run a 145W processor with redundant fans?
No. HPE states that fan redundancy is not supported for processors exceeding 105W, so the redundant fan configuration and the highest-wattage parts are mutually exclusive.

Were DL120 Gen9 processors sold as field upgrades?
HPE documents them as -L21 kits, and names the E5-2600 v4 range FIO Processor Kits - factory installed options. In practice the processor in a DL120 Gen9 is normally the one the server was built with.

✅ Looking for a specific DL120 Gen9 processor? Browse our full selection below.

Why Global One?

• Trusted by thousands. Over 36,000 customers in 100+ countries trust Global One Technology to deliver mission-critical HP Enterprise hardware - including Fortune 500 businesses, schools, hospitals, and federal, state, and local goverment agencies.
• HPE is our specialty! We only sell genuine HP Enterprise parts.
• EASY ordering process. Purchase online now with credit card or PayPal!
• FAST shipping. Global One Technology ships orders received by 4pm ET the same day and offers NEXT DAY delivery to US customers.