Enterprise Server Platform Comparison
Choosing between HPE ProLiant, Dell PowerEdge, or Supermicro determines expandability, management, and total cost of ownership.
2U Server Specifications
| Spec | HPE DL380 Gen10 | Dell R740 | Dell R750 | Supermicro 2U |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Xeon Scalable 1st/2nd | Xeon Scalable 1st/2nd | Xeon Scalable 3rd | Xeon 1st-4th |
| Max CPUs | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Max Memory | 3TB (24 DIMM) | 3TB (24 DIMM) | 4TB (32 DIMM) | 2-4TB |
| Drive Bays | 8-24 SFF | 8-16 SFF | 8-24 SFF | 8-24 SFF |
| PCIe Slots | 3x Gen3 | 3-6x Gen3 | 3-6x Gen4 | 3-6x Gen3/4/5 |
| Management | iLO 5 | iDRAC 9 | iDRAC 9 | IPMI + BMC |
| NIC Slot | FlexibleLOM | rNDC | rNDC | OCP 3.0 |
| Refurbished Price | $2K-3.5K | $1.8K-3K | $3K-5K | $1.5K-2.5K |
HPE DL380 Gen10: Enterprise Management Leader
World's best-selling server. iLO 5 is the most comprehensive remote management controller. FlexibleLOM modular NIC slot. Silicon Root of Trust for security compliance. Best for: enterprise environments with SLA requirements.
Dell PowerEdge R740/R750: Balanced Enterprise
iDRAC 9 comparable to iLO 5. OpenManage for fleet management. R750 adds PCIe Gen4 and 3rd-gen Xeon. Best for: organizations with existing Dell infrastructure.
Supermicro: Maximum Flexibility and Cost Efficiency
Support Xeon 1st-4th gen, AMD EPYC, ARM. PCIe Gen3/4/5 options. OCP 3.0 NIC slot. 20-30% lower chassis cost. Best for: AI/HPC deployments and cost-optimized environments.
Decision Matrix
| Scenario | Platform | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise standard | HPE DL380 | Best mgmt + security |
| Dell fleet | Dell R750 | OpenManage integration |
| AI/HPC GPU server | Supermicro | Max PCIe for GPUs |
| Budget-constrained | Supermicro (refurb) | Lowest per-unit cost |
Frequently Asked Questions
ConnectX adapters in all platforms?
Yes. HPE: FlexibleLOM + PCIe. Dell: rNDC + PCIe. Supermicro: OCP 3.0 + PCIe.
How much memory per server?
Compute: 128-256GB. Virtualization: 256-512GB. Database: 256-512GB. AI (per GPU): 256-512GB + HBM.
Browse our servers collection for current availability.