HPE ProLiant DL384 Gen12 Networking Adapters
Genuine HPE network and fabric adapters for the HPE ProLiant Compute DL384 Gen12, new and refurbished. The standard rear interfaces list a dedicated 1Gb iLO port and no data-network port, so every Ethernet and InfiniBand link on this server comes from an adapter — in a full height half length x16 Gen5 PCIe slot, or an OCP 3.0 x16 slot where the factory configuration includes one.
DL384 Gen12 Networking Specifications
- Slots: full height half length x16 Gen5 PCIe, two per superchip in HPE's recommended configuration — two on a single GH200, four on an NVL2 — or one PCIe plus one OCP 3.0 x16 per superchip; the count is set at the factory
- Ethernet PCIe: Mellanox MCX631102AS-ADAT 10/25Gb 2-port SFP28 and MCX623106AS-CDAT 100Gb 2-port QSFP56
- OCP: Mellanox MCX631432AS-ADAI 10/25Gb 2-port SFP28 OCP3
- InfiniBand: NDR200 200Gb and NDR 400Gb 1-port OSFP PCIe5 x16 adapters, XDR CX8 Crypto adapters as 2×400GbE 1-port OSFP and 400GbE 2-port QSFP112 PCIe6 x16 HHHL, and the XDR PCIe Gen6 x16 Multi Host/Socket Direct auxiliary card with 250mm MCIO cable kit
- Bluefield DPUs: B3220 NDR200/200Gb 2-port QSFP112 FHHL and B3140H NDR/400Gb 1-port QSFP112 HHHL
- Quantity rules: one North-South B3220 per server, up to four East-West B3140H per server, other NIC and fabric adapters up to four per server; low speed Ethernet at 10/25 or 100GbE in any remaining slot, in any combination
- Ambient limits: HPE publishes supported inlet temperatures for the 200 and 400Gb cards by configuration and cable type, from 30°C down to 18°C, with 18°C to 22°C dry bulb as its high-density air-cooling specification
- Cables: DAC for copper, or transceivers and cables for fiber, purchased separately; for RJ-45, HPE points to the 453154-B21 SFP to RJ-45 adaptor and its auto-negotiation customer advisory
Fabric adapters on this server come with quantity and airflow rules. HPE supports one North-South B3220 DPU and up to four East-West B3140H DPUs per server, other NIC and fabric adapters up to four per server, and publishes supported inlet temperatures for the 200 and 400Gb cards that fall to 18°C in some configurations. Check the slot count your server was built with, and your inlet temperature, before ordering a second high-speed card.
Which DL384 Gen12 adapter goes where?
| Adapter | Speed and ports | Form factor | HPE's rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mellanox 10/25Gb 2-port SFP28 | 10/25GbE, 2 ports | PCIe, or OCP 3.0 | Any remaining slot, any combination |
| Mellanox 100Gb 2-port QSFP56 | 100GbE, 2 ports | PCIe | Any remaining slot, any combination |
| InfiniBand NDR200 and NDR 1-port OSFP | 200Gb or 400Gb, 1 port | PCIe5 x16 | Up to four fabric adapters per server; ambient limits apply |
| InfiniBand XDR CX8 Crypto | 2×400GbE 1-port, or 400GbE 2-port | PCIe6 x16 HHHL | Up to four per server; auxiliary card for Socket Direct |
| Bluefield B3220 DPU | 200Gb, 2 ports | FHHL | One North-South per server |
| Bluefield B3140H DPU | 400Gb, 1 port | HHHL | Up to four East-West per server |
The temperature column in HPE's tables is the one that surprises people. On a single-superchip server in the two-PCIe configuration, one 400Gb B3140H is supported to 30°C on active optical or direct attach cable, but two of them bring the limit to 18°C optical and 23°C copper; in the one-PCIe-plus-OCP configuration a single 400Gb card is already at 18°C optical and 19°C copper. The XDR CX8 adapters are PCIe6 x16 parts; the server's slots are documented as x16 Gen5.
Choosing the Right DL384 Gen12 Network Adapter
- Count the slots you were built with. Two PCIe per superchip, or one PCIe and one OCP, less one where the four-EDSFF drive option was taken — none of it changes in the field.
- Separate the fabric from the rest. HPE positions the InfiniBand, Ethernet and Bluefield adapters as the AI fabric; the 10/25Gb and 100Gb Mellanox cards fill whatever is left.
- Respect the Bluefield counts. One B3220 North-South and up to four B3140H East-West per server, following the NVIDIA fabric design recommendations HPE has adopted.
- Check your inlet temperature before the second 400Gb card. Several configurations are supported only within HPE's 18°C to 22°C high-density air-cooling range.
- Budget for optics or copper. No cable or transceiver is included with any adapter here, and an RJ-45 connection needs the SFP adaptor HPE names.
Complete Your DL384 Gen12 Build
Adapters and drives draw on the same factory slot budget — see DL384 Gen12 drives before committing a slot — then DL384 Gen12 power supplies and the full DL384 Gen12 parts listing. For a wider PCIe and OCP range on a conventional Gen12 platform, see DL380 Gen12 networking adapters and DL580 Gen12 networking adapters, with the rest of the range under HPE ProLiant DL rack server parts and every model indexed under HPE parts by server model.
DL384 Gen12 Networking Adapters FAQ
Does the DL384 Gen12 have built-in Ethernet ports?
The standard rear interfaces list one dedicated 1Gb iLO management port and no data-network port. OCP 3.0 slots are optional and set at the factory, so data networking comes from the PCIe and OCP adapters listed here.
How many network adapters can a DL384 Gen12 take?
As many as the factory configuration has slots for: two full height half length x16 Gen5 PCIe slots per superchip in HPE's recommended configuration, or one PCIe and one OCP 3.0 slot per superchip. HPE supports other NIC and fabric adapters up to four per server, and the slot count cannot be changed in the field.
Which InfiniBand adapters work in the DL384 Gen12?
The NDR200 200Gb and NDR 400Gb 1-port OSFP PCIe5 adapters, the XDR CX8 Crypto adapters in 2x400GbE 1-port OSFP and 400GbE 2-port QSFP112 forms, and the XDR Socket Direct auxiliary card with its 250mm MCIO cable kit.
How many Bluefield DPUs does HPE support in a DL384 Gen12?
One North-South B3220 200Gb 2-port adapter per server and up to four East-West B3140H 400Gb 1-port adapters per server, following NVIDIA's fabric design recommendations as HPE has aligned to them.
Do the 200Gb and 400Gb adapters need special cooling?
They need the right inlet temperature. A single 400Gb B3140H in the two-PCIe single-superchip configuration is supported to 30C, but two of them bring the limit to 18C on active optical cable, and HPE's high-density air-cooling specification is 18C to 22C dry bulb.
Are cables and transceivers included with the adapters?
No. HPE states that DAC cables for copper environments, or transceivers and cables for fiber, must be purchased separately. For RJ-45 connections HPE points to the 453154-B21 SFP to RJ-45 adaptor and its auto-negotiation customer advisory.
Can I use 10Gb or 25Gb cards alongside the fabric adapters?
Yes. HPE states that low speed Ethernet cards at 10/25 or 100GbE can be used in any remaining slots in any combination, and the 10/25Gb SFP28 adapter is offered in both PCIe and OCP3 form.
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