HPE ProLiant DL980 G7 Hard Drives
Genuine HPE hot-plug hard drives for the HPE ProLiant DL980 G7, new and refurbished, tested before shipping. For a server this size the front end is deliberately small: the internal SAS backplane supports up to eight 2.5-inch SFF drives in positions 1 to 8, no hard drives ship standard, and the documented internal ceiling is 7.2TB.
DL980 G7 Drive Specifications
- Bays: up to eight hot-plug small form factor (2.5-inch) SAS drives on the internal SAS backplane, positions 1 to 8
- Shipped standard: none — HPE ships this server with no hard drives, alongside a slimline DVD in its own drive bay
- Maximum internal capacity: 7.2TB on eight 900GB SFF SAS drives
- Solid state ceiling: 3.2TB on eight 400GB SFF SAS solid state drives
- Documented drive families: SAS hot-plug SFF enterprise drives from 72GB 6G 15K up to 1200GB 12G 10K, plus 6G SAS enterprise performance and mainstream SSDs
- Controllers: the embedded HPE Smart Array P410i, standard on the server, or an HPE Smart Array P812 with 1GB flash backed write cache
Eight sockets, eight drive bays. The internal SAS backplane supports up to eight hot-plug 2.5-inch SFF drives in positions 1 to 8, with a documented internal ceiling of 7.2TB on 900GB SAS. There is no large form factor option, and no hard drives ship standard — bulk capacity belongs on external SAS enclosures.
How much storage actually fits in a DL980 G7?
| Where the storage sits | Quantity supported | Documented maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Internal SFF SAS hard drives | up to 8, positions 1 to 8 | 7.2TB on 900GB drives |
| Internal SFF SAS solid state drives | up to 8, positions 1 to 8 | 3.2TB on 400GB drives |
| External SAS enclosures | up to 8 D2600 or 4 D2700 per P411 or P812 | 960TB attached |
The arithmetic is the point: eight sockets and 4TB of memory sit behind eight drive bays. On a DL980 G7 the internal drives are a boot and local-working set, and bulk capacity belongs on external SAS enclosures or a SAN. Size the internal array for what has to survive an enclosure being offline, not for the database itself.
Choosing the Right DL980 G7 Hard Drive
- 2.5-inch SFF SAS is the only internal form factor. The backplane supports eight SFF drives and there is no large form factor cage for this chassis, so a 3.5-inch drive has nowhere to seat.
- Match the whole storage path. HPE notes that the drive, the controller, the firmware and the backplane should all operate at the same data transfer rate, or system bandwidth is negotiated down to suit the slowest of them.
- Drives arrive in HPE hot-plug carriers. Since no drives ship with the server, a machine bought second-hand often arrives with empty bays and needs complete drive assemblies rather than bare disks.
Complete Your DL980 G7 Build
The controller decides the RAID levels and whether the array survives a power loss, so read DL980 G7 storage controllers before committing to a layout. Also available: DL980 G7 memory, processors, networking adapters and power supplies, or the full DL980 G7 parts listing. Background reading: SAS vs SATA hard drives and choosing the right spindle speed, and every model is listed under HPE parts by server model.
DL980 G7 Hard Drives FAQ
How many hard drives does a DL980 G7 hold?
Eight. The internal SAS backplane supports up to eight hot-plug 2.5-inch SFF drives in positions 1 to 8, on the embedded Smart Array P410i or an HPE Smart Array P812.
Does the DL980 G7 use 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch drives?
2.5-inch only. The internal backplane is built for small form factor drives, and there is no large form factor cage option for this chassis.
What is the maximum internal storage capacity of a DL980 G7?
7.2TB, on eight 900GB SFF SAS drives. A solid state configuration reaches 3.2TB on eight 400GB SAS SSDs.
Do any hard drives ship with the server?
No. HPE ships the DL980 G7 with no hard drives as standard. A slimline DVD drive is standard in its own bay.
How do I add more storage than eight drives?
Externally. A Smart Array P411 or P812 supports up to eight D2600 or four D2700 disk enclosures, and the documented external maximum is 960TB across 80 MSA60 enclosures.
Will a faster drive speed up an older array?
Not necessarily. HPE notes that the drive, controller, firmware and backplane all negotiate to a common data transfer rate, so a faster drive on a slower path runs at the slower speed.
✅ Looking for a specific DL980 G7 drive? Browse our full selection below.
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