top of page

HPE ProLiant DL380 Comparison: Gen10 vs. Gen11 - 7 Key Takeaways and Upgrade Mistakes to Avoid

Updated: 4 days ago

HPE ProLiant servers are one of the most selling servers in their category. In this article we'll analyze the differences between HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen 10 and Gen11.



Save money with us: Get your HPE server including 5-year warranty and no upfront payment. Get in touch with us now.


1. Architectural Overview: HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 vs Gen11


Gen10: Released in 2017, the Gen10 came out when AMD had just introduced its 1st generation EPYC processor and Intel was well-known for its Purley microarchitecture. The key feature of the Gen10 was its focus on security, using silicon root of trust technology.


Gen11: Launched in 2022, the Gen11 is designed for today's mixed environment of local and cloud computing. It aims to provide a user-friendly cloud experience, secure solutions you can trust, and improved performance for various types of computing tasks. It uses AMD's 4th generation EPYC processor (known as "Genoa") and Intel's upcoming Sapphire Rapids processor.


2. Performance and Efficiency: HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 vs Gen11


Gen10: The Gen10 was a significant leap from its predecessors, offering robust performance for its time. However, it was designed and optimized for the workloads and IT landscapes of 2017.


Gen11: The Gen11 promises up to 1.68x more virtualization performance and a 19% improvement in price/performance compared to Gen10 Plus servers. It can accommodate up to 2.2x more users for Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) and boasts up to 3.37x higher compute-intensive floating point throughput performance compared to the Gen10.


3. Security Improvments: HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 vs Gen11


Gen10: The standout feature was the silicon root of trust technology, ensuring servers weren't compromised during the boot process.


Gen11: While retaining the foundational security features of the Gen10, the Gen11 has expanded its secure supply chain, supports authentication through platform certificates and iDevID, and integrates TPM (Trusted Platform Module) by default. It also leverages the DMTF’s security protocol and data model (SPDM) to verify third-party components, adding another layer of protection.


4. Management and Cloud Integration: HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 vs Gen11


Gen10: HPE's iLO management controller and OneView were the primary tools for infrastructure management, providing a reliable on-premises management solution.


Gen11: HPE introduced HPE GreenLake for Compute Ops Management, a SaaS offering that extends management from on-premises to hybrid edge-to-cloud environments. This tool ships standard with all Gen11 servers and claims firmware updates can happen up to five times faster across thousands of servers. Additionally, it provides carbon footprint emission metrics and automates issue notification and case creation.


5. Workload Optimization: HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 vs Gen11


Gen10: Designed for the workloads of its era, the Gen10 was optimized for traditional data center tasks but lacked features tailored for modern hybrid cloud environments.


Gen11: The Gen11 is engineered for a hybrid world, optimized for both on-premises and cloud workloads. Whether it's scale-out cloud-native applications or traditional scale-up tasks, the Gen11 is built to handle them efficiently.


6. Future-Proofing and Ecosystem: HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 vs Gen11


Gen10: While robust for its time, the Gen10's architecture is now several years old, and its compatibility with emerging technologies might be limited.


Gen11: HPE has indicated that the Gen11 portfolio will expand to support more workloads and industry use cases in the near future. This includes enhanced support for software-defined data centers, big data workloads, Telco 5G Services, and more.


7. Conclusion: HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 vs Gen11


We read a lot of HPE promotional material before writing this article and, to be honest, in most cases, the HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 works perfectly fine. There are other options for upgrading your existing server infrastructure, such as adding more or better HDDs, SSDs, memory modules, CPUs (processors), or even purchasing fully configured servers from the secondary market at a much lower price.


If the organization is leaning towards a hybrid IT environment or is looking to use the latest server technology for a competitive edge, the Gen11 is a good choice. However, if the Gen10 infrastructure meets the organization's needs and there's no immediate demand for hybrid cloud capabilities or the latest performance features—or if there is simply no budget—upgrading or purchasing the Gen10 is definitely the right choice.


If you're looking for refurbished HPE servers or components, contact us now to take advantage of our no upfront payment policy and a five-year warranty.


Save money with us: Get your HPE server including 5-year warranty and no upfront payment. Get in touch with us now.


bottom of page