HPE ProLiant DL320 Gen11 Storage Controllers
Genuine HPE storage controllers for the HPE ProLiant DL320 Gen11, new and refurbished. The Gen11 portfolio is tri-mode — one controller family handling NVMe, SAS and SATA — in PCIe plug-in and OCP forms, with embedded Intel VROC as the controller-free route and the NS204i-u as the dedicated boot device.
DL320 Gen11 Storage Controller Specifications
- Cached tri-mode RAID: MR416i-p and MR416i-o at x16 lanes with 8GB cache, MR408i-o at x8 lanes with 4GB cache
- Cache-less tri-mode: MR216i-p and MR216i-o at x16 lanes — passthrough for software-defined storage
- SR932i-p: x32 lanes with 8GB wide cache — HPE requires an x16 physical and electrical riser slot
- External SAS: Smart Array E208e-p SR Gen10, 8 external 12G SAS lanes, no cache, up to 8 external drives
- Boot: NS204i-u Gen11 hot-plug boot device — two 480GB M.2 NVMe SSDs in pre-configured hardware RAID1
- Cache protection: the 96W Smart Storage Li-ion battery kit or the Smart Storage Hybrid Capacitor is required whenever a controller is selected
Order cache protection with the controller. HPE requires the 96W Smart Storage Li-ion battery kit or the Smart Storage Hybrid Capacitor whenever a controller is selected. Slots are tight too — one PCIe internal controller per server, and with only the primary riser fitted the whole server takes one PCIe card.
Which RAID controller does the DL320 Gen11 use?
| Controller | Form factor | Cache | Lanes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MR416i-p / MR416i-o | PCIe plug-in / OCP | 8GB | x16 |
| MR408i-o | OCP | 4GB | x8 |
| MR216i-p / MR216i-o | PCIe plug-in / OCP | None | x16 |
| SR932i-p | PCIe plug-in | 8GB wide cache | x32 |
| Smart Array E208e-p | PCIe plug-in | None | 8 external 12G SAS |
Slot arithmetic matters more here than on a two-socket server. HPE allows one PCIe internal controller per server, and two counting OROC. There are only two PCIe 5.0 x16 riser slots, and with just the primary riser fitted the whole server takes one PCIe card.
Choosing the Right DL320 Gen11 Storage Controller
- Order cache protection with the controller — a Smart Storage Li-ion battery or Hybrid Capacitor is required whenever a controller is selected.
- Don't mix families: internal MR-series and internal SR-series controllers cannot be selected together, and each uses its own RAID configuration tool.
- Check the chassis rules first: a PCIe internal controller is not supported in the 4LFF CTO server, and OROC controllers are not supported in the 12LFF CTO server.
- -p versus -o is placement: -p models take a PCIe riser slot, -o models occupy the single OCP 3.0 slot, where they compete with your network adapter.
- Direct attach is a real option — embedded Intel VROC SATA gives RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10 with no card at all; see our guide to NVMe drives in HPE servers.
Complete Your DL320 Gen11 Build
Match your controller with DL320 Gen11 drives and a Smart Storage battery or capacitor, then memory, processors, networking adapters, power supplies, or the DL320 Gen11 parts page. Neighboring generation: DL320 Gen12 storage controllers. Two-socket alternatives: DL360 Gen11 controllers and DL380 Gen11 controllers. Catalog-wide: HPE parts by server model.
DL320 Gen11 Storage Controllers FAQ
Which RAID controllers are supported in the HPE ProLiant DL320 Gen11?
The HPE tri-mode Gen11 family: MR416i-p and MR416i-o at x16 lanes with 8GB cache, MR408i-o at x8 lanes with 4GB cache, the cache-less MR216i-p and MR216i-o at x16 lanes, and the SR932i-p at x32 lanes with 8GB wide cache. The Smart Array E208e-p SR Gen10 covers external 12G SAS.
Do DL320 Gen11 RAID controllers need a battery?
Yes. HPE states that if any controller is selected, either the 96W Smart Storage Lithium-ion Battery with 145mm cable kit or the Smart Storage Hybrid Capacitor with 145mm cable kit must be selected as well.
How many storage controllers can a DL320 Gen11 take?
HPE allows one PCIe internal controller per server, and two internal controllers counting PCIe and OROC together. Slot supply is the real limit: there are two PCIe 5.0 x16 riser slots, and the secondary riser is an option.
What is the difference between -p and -o controllers on the DL320 Gen11?
Mounting. The -p models are PCIe plug-in cards that use a riser slot; the -o models install in the OCP 3.0 slot. This server has only one OCP 3.0 slot, so an -o controller and an OCP network adapter cannot both be fitted.
Can the DL320 Gen11 run drives without a RAID controller?
Yes. Embedded Intel VROC SATA supports RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10, and Intel VROC NVMe covers directly attached NVMe SSDs. HPE notes that VROC operates in UEFI mode only, that VROC SATA is off by default, and that VROC NVMe has no PCIe card support.
Which controller do I need for the 4SFF GPU Dense chassis?
HPE states that MR416i-p is the only controller supported with the GPU Dense CTO server when the 4SFF drive cage is fitted, and that SR932i-p can be selected with the GPU CTO server only if the 8EDSFF drive cage is selected.
✅ Looking for a specific DL320 Gen11 storage controller? Browse our full selection below.
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