HPE ProLiant DL320 Gen11 Drives
Genuine HPE hot-plug drives for the HPE ProLiant DL320 Gen11, new and refurbished, tested before shipping. Four chassis types set the front end — 4 LFF, 8+2 SFF, 12 LFF, or GPU Dense — and the cage decides what fits.
DL320 Gen11 Drive Specifications
- Chassis types: 4 LFF, 8+2 SFF, 12 LFF, and GPU Dense with a 4SFF U.3 or 8EDSFF NVMe cage
- Interfaces and carriers: SAS 24G and 12G, SATA 6G, NVMe Gen5 and Gen4 — in SFF Basic Carrier, LFF Low Profile, EDSFF E3.S EC1 and M.2 2280
- Direct attach rules: the 8SFF x1 backplane runs 8 SATA drives, the 8SFF x4 backplane runs 8 NVMe U.3, and the 2SFF cage runs either 2 NVMe U.3 or SATA
- NVMe lanes: 4 x8 PCIe 5.0 connectors per socket, supporting up to 8 direct attach x4 NVMe bays, on SFF models only
- SSD endurance classes: Read Intensive and Mixed Use, offered in SAS, SATA and NVMe
Read the backplane rule before the capacity. On direct attach the 8SFF x1 backplane supports SATA drives only and the 8SFF x4 backplane supports NVMe U.3 drives only, so NVMe on the x1 cage needs a tri-mode controller. The 8EDSFF cage's own note caps it at four EDSFF drives with the direct-connect kit fitted.
What drives fit the DL320 Gen11?
| Chassis | Front bays | Interfaces | Maximum HPE states |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 LFF | 4 LFF Low Profile | SAS 12G, SATA 6G | 80.0 TB (4 × 20 TB) HDD |
| 8+2 SFF | 8 SFF BC plus optional 2 SFF cage | SAS, SATA, NVMe U.3 | 153.0 TB (8+2 × 15.3 TB) SAS SSD |
| 12 LFF | 12 LFF Low Profile | SAS 12G, SATA 6G | 240.0 TB (12 × 20 TB) HDD |
| GPU Dense | 4 SFF U.3 or 8 EDSFF E3.S | SAS, SATA, NVMe | 61.44 TB (4 × 15.36 TB) EDSFF NVMe |
Those are HPE's maximums per CTO chassis, and the option list runs past them — the LFF list reaches 26TB per spindle. Read the cage notes before the capacity: the 8EDSFF cage is named for eight bays, and its own note caps it at four EDSFF drives with the direct-connect kit fitted. See our Gen11 drive compatibility guide and EDSFF E3.S guide.
Choosing the Right DL320 Gen11 Drives
- Never mix interfaces, endurance classes or drive types within one RAID array — build arrays from identical drives.
- Match endurance to workload: Read Intensive for read-heavy serving, Mixed Use for write-heavy databases — our DWPD guide explains the classes.
- Keep the OS off the front bays: boot from the NS204i-u module or the two onboard M.2 connectors. M.2 NVMe runs at PCIe Gen3 maximum here, and SATA M.2 cannot be mixed with NVMe M.2.
- Plan cooling with the drive — the high-performance fan kit is required for the 24G SAS SSDs, and is listed generally for high-performance NVMe drives and certain backplanes.
Complete Your DL320 Gen11 Build
Drives pair with DL320 Gen11 storage controllers, memory, processors, networking, power supplies, or the DL320 Gen11 parts page. Neighboring generation: DL320 Gen12 drives. Catalog-wide: all HPE server SSDs, EDSFF NVMe SSDs, U.3 SSDs, and parts by server model.
DL320 Gen11 Drives FAQ
How many drives fit in a DL320 Gen11?
It depends on the chassis. HPE offers a 4 LFF chassis, an 8+2 SFF chassis, a 12 LFF chassis, and a GPU Dense chassis that takes either a 4SFF U.3 cage or an 8EDSFF NVMe cage.
Does the HPE ProLiant DL320 Gen11 support 3.5-inch LFF drives?
Yes, in the 4 LFF and 12 LFF chassis, on the LFF Low Profile carrier. HPE's stated maximums are 80.0 TB (4 x 20 TB) for the 4 LFF server and 240.0 TB (12 x 20 TB) for the 12 LFF server, and the LFF option list reaches 26TB per spindle.
Can I run NVMe drives in the 8SFF DL320 Gen11?
The backplane decides. On direct attach the 8SFF x1 tri-mode backplane supports 8 SATA drives only, while the 8SFF x4 tri-mode backplane supports 8 NVMe U.3 drives only. A tri-mode controller changes what each cage can carry.
What is the difference between Read Intensive and Mixed Use SSDs?
Endurance. Read Intensive drives cost less per TB and suit read-heavy serving; Mixed Use drives are built for write-heavy databases and virtualization. Match the class to your workload and never mix classes in one array.
Can I boot the DL320 Gen11 without using a front drive bay?
Yes. The NS204i-u Gen11 hot-plug boot device carries two 480GB M.2 NVMe SSDs in pre-configured hardware RAID1, and the chassis has two onboard M.2 module connectors. HPE notes that M.2 NVMe drives run at a maximum of PCIe Gen3 speed in this server.
Do 24G SAS SSDs need anything special in the DL320 Gen11?
Yes - HPE requires the 1U High Performance Fan Kit for the 24G SAS SSD options, Read Intensive and Mixed Use alike. The same kit is required for processors above 185W TDP, so many builds carry it anyway.
✅ Looking for a specific DL320 Gen11 drive? Browse our full selection below.
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