HPE ProLiant DL320e Gen8 Drives
Genuine HPE hard drives and SSDs for the HPE ProLiant DL320e Gen8, new and refurbished, tested before shipping. The chassis decides everything here: this 1U server was built as either an 8 SFF or a 4 LFF machine, and HPE states the two are not upgrade paths for each other in either direction.
DL320e Gen8 Drive Specifications
- Bays: 8 SFF (2.5-inch) hot-plug, or 4 LFF (3.5-inch) hot-plug or non-hot-plug, plus an optical drive bay
- Carriers: Gen8 SmartDrive (SC) carriers, with SC Converter carriers for 2.5-inch drives in the 3.5-inch bays; blanks are 666987-B21 (SFF) and 666986-B21 (LFF)
- Interfaces: 12G SAS, 6G SAS and 6G SATA — 15K and 10K enterprise, 7.2K midline, 512e and SSD
- Documented maximums: 16.0TB on four 4TB LFF drives, 9.6TB on eight 1.2TB SFF SAS drives, 6.4TB on eight 800GB SFF SSDs
- Mixing rule: mixing standard SAS drives with SAS SSDs is supported but limits the configuration to two separate RAID 0 volumes; other types must not be mixed
- Cabling: the Mini SAS Cable Kit (685018-B21) is required for compatibility with 4LFF hot-plug drives and the H222 and P222 controllers
The embedded controller is SATA, not SAS. The HPE Dynamic Smart Array B120i has six internal SATA connectors and no flash-backed write cache, so every SAS hard drive and SAS SSD on this page needs a Smart Array P222, P420 or P421, or an H220, H221 or H222 HBA, in one of the server's two PCIe slots. A 4LFF hot-plug build also needs the Mini SAS Cable Kit (685018-B21).
What drives fit the DL320e Gen8?
| Drive family | Interface | Carrier | Capacities listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise 15K and 10K | 12G and 6G SAS | SFF SC, LFF SC Converter | 300GB to 1.8TB |
| Midline 7.2K | 12G and 6G SAS | SFF SC, LFF SC | 500GB to 8TB |
| Midline 7.2K | 6G SATA | SFF SC, LFF SC, LFF non-hot-plug | 500GB to 8TB |
| Solid state | 6G SATA | SFF SC, LFF SC Converter | 80GB to 3.84TB |
| Solid state | 12G SAS | SFF SC, LFF SC | 400GB to 1.92TB |
Read the interface column against your controller. The embedded Dynamic Smart Array B120i is a SATA controller with six internal SATA connectors, so every SAS drive above needs a Smart Array card or an H-series HBA in one of the two PCIe slots. HPE adds that drive, controller, firmware and backplane should run at the same rate or the subsystem negotiates down.
Choosing the Right DL320e Gen8 Drives
- Identify the chassis first. SFF and LFF are separate builds with separate backplanes, and neither is an upgrade path to the other.
- SAS is a controller decision. The embedded B120i handles SATA; SAS drives need a P222, P420, P421 or an H-series HBA.
- Keep each array uniform. The only documented mix is SAS hard drives with SAS SSDs, and it forces two separate RAID 0 volumes.
- Order blanks with a partial fill: 666987-B21 for SFF, 666986-B21 for LFF.
- Check the warranty per drive: HPE states hard drives carry either a one year or three year warranty. Background: SAS versus SATA, SmartDrive carriers and 512e drives.
Complete Your DL320e Gen8 Build
Drives pair with DL320e Gen8 storage controllers, then memory, networking adapters, power supplies and rack options, or the full DL320e Gen8 parts page. Neighbors: DL320e Gen8 v2 drives and ML310e Gen8 drives. Catalog-wide: SFF SAS SmartDrive hard drives and parts by server model.
DL320e Gen8 Drives FAQ
How many drives does the HPE ProLiant DL320e Gen8 hold?
Eight in the SFF chassis or four in the LFF chassis. The QuickSpecs list the hard drive bays as 8 SFF drive bays or 4 LFF non-hot-plug or hot-plug, with an optical drive bay available on both versions.
Can I convert a DL320e Gen8 from LFF to SFF drives?
No. HPE states plainly that LFF versions are not an upgradeable option from SFF models, or vice versa, and that the same applies between non-hot-plug LFF and hot-plug LFF. The chassis and backplane are fixed at build time.
What is the maximum internal storage of the DL320e Gen8?
HPE's maximum internal storage table quotes 16.0TB from four 4TB LFF SAS or SATA drives, 9.6TB from eight 1.2TB SFF SAS drives, 6.4TB from eight 800GB SFF SSDs, and 12.0TB from four 3TB non-hot-plug LFF SATA drives.
Does the DL320e Gen8 support SAS drives?
Yes, but not from the embedded controller. The HPE Dynamic Smart Array B120i is a SATA controller with six internal SATA connectors, so SAS hard drives and SAS SSDs need a Smart Array P222, P420 or P421 card, or an H220, H221 or H222 host bus adapter.
Can I mix hard drives and SSDs in a DL320e Gen8?
Only in one documented combination. HPE states that mixing standard SAS drives with SAS SSD drives is supported within the server, but limits the RAID configuration to two separate RAID 0 volumes. Mixing other drive types is not supported.
Do I need a cable kit for 4LFF hot-plug drives?
Yes. The QuickSpecs note that the HPE DL320e Gen8 Mini SAS Cable Kit, part number 685018-B21, is required for the server to be compatible with 4LFF hot-plug drives and with the H222 and P222 controllers.
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