HPE ProLiant ML350 Gen12 Networking Adapters
Genuine HPE network adapters for the HPE ProLiant ML350 Gen12, new and refurbished. This tower has no embedded network ports: every build needs at least one OCP 3.0 or PCIe adapter, and the slot you put it in — OCP A, OCP B, or a riser slot fed by the first or second processor — decides how many lanes it gets and what else has to be in the box.
ML350 Gen12 Networking Specifications
- Embedded: none; a dedicated 1Gb iLO management port is the only standard network connection
- OCP 3.0 slots: two — OCP A (slot 14), x8 from the system board and shared with OCP-type RAID controllers, and OCP B (slot 15), the default networking slot and the only one with Wake-on-LAN and shared NIC
- OCP cabling: OCP B always needs an enablement cable kit (CPU1 x8, CPU2 x8 or CPU2 x16); an x16 OCP adapter in OCP A needs the CPU1 OCP SlotA x16 cable kit
- PCIe slots: four Gen5 x8 slots on the standard primary riser from CPU 1; slots 5 to 10 on the secondary and tertiary risers need the second processor, and the 2x16 Secondary Riser Kit is the sellable route to x16 slots
- Adapters listed: Broadcom BCM5719 and Intel E610-IT4 1Gb 4-port BASE-T; Broadcom BCM57412 SFP+ and BCM57416 BASE-T 10Gb; Broadcom BCM57414 and BCM57504, Intel E810-XXVDA2 and E810-XXVDA4, Mellanox MCX631 and NVIDIA NVMe-oF Crypto 10/25Gb; Intel E810-CQDA2 and NVIDIA NVMe-oF Offload 100Gb, in OCP 3.0 and PCIe form
- InfiniBand and Fibre Channel: HPE NDR/Ethernet 400Gb 1-port OSFP and NDR200/200GbE 2-port QSFP112 PCIe5 x16 adapters; HPE SN1610Q 32Gb and SN1700Q 64Gb host bus adapters, 1-port and 2-port
x16 means a second processor on this tower. HPE marks the 4-port 25Gb BCM57504 and E810-XXVDA4, both 100Gb PCIe adapters and both InfiniBand cards as requiring x16 bandwidth, and the sellable x16 slots are on the 2x16 Secondary Riser Kit, which is fed by CPU 2. The 2-port 25Gb cards and everything below fit the four x8 slots on the standard primary riser, and an x8 OCP adapter in OCP B needs only the CPU1 enablement cable kit.
Which slot takes which adapter?
| Position | Lanes | Takes | Requires |
|---|---|---|---|
| OCP A (slot 14) | x8 from the system board, x16 with the CPU1 SlotA x16 cable kit | OCP 3.0 NIC or an -o RAID controller | Nothing for an x8 NIC; taken by an OROC controller if one is fitted |
| OCP B (slot 15) | x8 from CPU 1 or CPU 2, x16 from CPU 2 | OCP 3.0 NIC | An OCP B enablement cable kit; the x16 kit needs CPU 2 |
| Primary riser, slots 1 to 4 | PCIe Gen5 x8 each, CPU 1 | x8 PCIe adapters | Standard |
| Secondary riser, slots 5 to 8 | 4 × x8, or 2 × x16 in slots 6 and 8, CPU 2 | x8 or x16 PCIe adapters | Second processor and the riser kit |
| Tertiary riser, slots 9 and 10 | PCIe Gen5 x8 each, half-height, CPU 2 | x8 PCIe adapters | Second processor and the riser kit |
The x16 rule is the one that catches people. HPE marks the 4-port 25Gb BCM57504 and E810-XXVDA4, both 100Gb PCIe cards and both InfiniBand adapters as requiring x16 bandwidth, and the sellable x16 slots are on the 2x16 Secondary Riser Kit — which needs the second processor. On the OCP side, the BCM57504 and the 100Gb E810-CQDA2 need the x16 cable kit.
Choosing the Right ML350 Gen12 Network Adapter
- Start with OCP B. It is the default slot, it has WOL and shared NIC, and an x8 OCP adapter there needs only the CPU1 x8 enablement cable kit and no processor decision.
- Two ports at 25Gb is x8; four ports is x16. The 2-port SFP28 cards fit the standard primary riser; the 4-port cards need the 2x16 secondary riser and a second processor.
- Fast adapters change the fan plan. HPE notes that 100Gb-or-faster cards may raise fan speed at idle, and requires the Redundant Fan Kit for 200Gb-or-faster Ethernet or InfiniBand.
- InfiniBand has inlet limits. With active optical cables and processors above 270W the server is held to 25°C inlet; with DAC it runs to 30°C with any cage combination. Cables and transceivers are purchased separately.
Complete Your ML350 Gen12 Build
x16 adapters need the second processor and the secondary riser, so check ML350 Gen12 processors and the riser and OCP cable kits on the ML350 Gen12 parts page before ordering a card. Also available: ML350 Gen12 memory, drives, storage controllers, whose -o models compete for OCP A, and power supplies. The adjacent generation is ML350 Gen11 networking adapters, the rest of the range sits under HPE ProLiant ML tower server parts, and every model is indexed under HPE parts by server model.
ML350 Gen12 Networking Adapters FAQ
Does the ML350 Gen12 have onboard network ports?
No. HPE lists the network ports as none, with a choice of OCP 3.0 or stand-up PCIe adapter, and configure-to-order servers default to a Broadcom BCM5719 1Gb 4-port BASE-T OCP3 adapter. The only standard network connection is the dedicated 1Gb iLO management port.
How many OCP adapters can the ML350 Gen12 take?
Up to two OCP networking adapters, in OCP A (slot 14) and OCP B (slot 15). OCP B is the default and the only slot supporting Wake-on-LAN and shared NIC; OCP A is also the only home for an OCP-type RAID controller, so a build with an -o controller has one OCP slot for networking.
Do I need a cable kit for an OCP network adapter?
For OCP B, always: HPE requires an OCP B enablement kit, available as CPU1 x8, CPU2 x8 or CPU2 x16 cable kits. For OCP A, only when the adapter needs x16 lanes, such as the BCM57504 4-port or the 100Gb E810-CQDA2, using the CPU1 SlotA x16 cable kit.
Can I use a 100GbE adapter in the ML350 Gen12?
Yes. The Intel E810-CQDA2 is listed in both PCIe and OCP 3.0 form, alongside the NVIDIA 100Gb NVMe-oF Offload adapter. The PCIe versions need x16 bandwidth, which means the 2x16 Secondary Riser Kit and a second processor; the OCP version needs the x16 OCP cable kit.
Does the ML350 Gen12 support InfiniBand?
Yes. HPE lists NDR/Ethernet 400Gb 1-port OSFP and NDR200/200GbE 2-port QSFP112 PCIe5 x16 adapters. Both require the 2x16 secondary riser, a second processor and the Redundant Fan Kit, with inlet temperature limits that depend on whether AOC or DAC cabling is used.
Which slots work with only one processor installed?
The four PCIe Gen5 x8 slots on the primary riser, OCP A at x8 or x16, and OCP B at x8 through the CPU1 cable kit. Slots 5 to 10, including the x16 slots on the 2x16 secondary riser, are wired to the second processor.
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