HPE ProLiant DL560 Gen11 vs DL380 Gen11: Quad-Socket Scale-Up or Dual-Socket Scale-Out?

Both the HPE ProLiant DL560 Gen11 and DL380 Gen11 are 2U rack servers built on Intel Xeon Scalable processors, but they answer very different questions. The DL560 Gen11 is a quad-socket scale-up machine engineered to consolidate large databases and dense virtualization onto fewer boxes, while the DL380 Gen11 is HPE's best-selling dual-socket workhorse for general-purpose scale-out workloads. This comparison breaks down where each one earns its place in the rack.

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The short answer

For workloads that need a single large memory pool and high core count in one OS image — big in-memory databases, SAP, monolithic OLTP, or maximum VM density per node — the DL560 Gen11 wins on consolidation and licensing efficiency. For mainstream virtualization, web/app tiers, storage-heavy roles, and broad horizontal scaling, the DL380 Gen11 is the more economical and flexible choice. Most data centers run a fleet of DL380s and reserve DL560s for the handful of scale-up workloads that justify four sockets.

HPE ProLiant DL560 Gen11 vs HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen11, head to head

HPE ProLiant DL560 Gen11

HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen11

Performance

Up to 4 Xeon CPUs and far higher aggregate core count per nodeadvantage

Up to 2 Xeon CPUs; excellent per-node performance for most workloads

Scalability

Scale-up: 4 sockets, up to 16TB DDR5 in one image

Scale-out: add more 2U nodes horizontally; 32 DIMM slots

Management / AIOps

iLO 6, HPE GreenLake for Compute Ops Management

Same iLO 6 and GreenLake Compute Ops Management

Security

Silicon Root of Trust, secure boot, iLO 6

Identical Silicon Root of Trust and secure supply chain

Ecosystem / Flexibility

Optimized for large memory and CPU density; fewer drive options

Widest storage/GPU/expansion options in the ProLiant lineadvantage

Support

HPE Pointnext, GreenLake, standard global warranty

Same HPE Pointnext and GreenLake support coverage

Price / Value

Higher entry cost; value comes from consolidation

Lower acquisition cost; best price/performance for scale-outadvantage

Federal / TAA

TAA-compliant configs available via authorized channels

Specifications side by side

Form factor: 2U rack; 2U rack
Max sockets: 4 (quad-socket); 2 (dual-socket)
Processor family: 4th/5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable; 4th/5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable
Max cores per CPU: Up to 64 cores (5th Gen); Up to 64 cores (5th Gen)
DIMM slots: Up to 64 (16 per CPU); 32 (16 per CPU)
Max memory: Up to 16TB DDR5; Up to 8TB DDR5
Memory speed: DDR5 up to 5600 MT/s; DDR5 up to 5600 MT/s
PCIe: PCIe Gen5; up to ~6 slots; PCIe Gen5; up to ~8 slots
OCP slots: Up to 2 OCP 3.0; Up to 2 OCP 3.0
Storage options: NVMe/SAS/SATA SFF; designed for compute density; SFF/LFF/EDSFF; up to 30+ SFF, broad NVMe options
Management: iLO 6 + GreenLake Compute Ops Mgmt; iLO 6 + GreenLake Compute Ops Mgmt
Security: Silicon Root of Trust, secure boot; Silicon Root of Trust, secure boot

Where HPE ProLiant DL560 Gen11 wins

Four sockets in a 2U chassis for high core and memory density per node
Up to 16TB DDR5 in a single OS image for large in-memory databases
Consolidates many small servers, reducing rack space and management points
Strong fit for per-socket or per-core software licensing economics on big workloads
Same iLO 6 security and GreenLake management as the rest of ProLiant

Where HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen11 wins

Lower acquisition cost and the best price/performance for mainstream workloads
Industry's most versatile storage menu — SFF, LFF, and EDSFF NVMe
Ideal building block for horizontal scale-out and HCI clusters
Broad GPU and expansion flexibility with up to ~8 PCIe Gen5 slots
Proven, ubiquitous platform with deep spare-parts and ecosystem support

Which one should you buy?

Consolidating a large Oracle or SQL Server OLTP database that needs one big memory pool

Pick HPE ProLiant DL560 Gen11. Four sockets and up to 16TB of DDR5 keep the working set in memory and the database in a single node, simplifying licensing and reducing east-west traffic.

Standing up a VMware or hypervisor cluster for general virtualization

Pick HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen11. Dual-socket DL380 nodes give the best price/performance and let you scale the cluster horizontally as demand grows.

Maximizing VM density per rack unit to cut data center footprint

Pick HPE ProLiant DL560 Gen11. Quad-socket core counts and massive memory let you pack far more VMs per 2U node, shrinking the host count and management overhead.

Storage-heavy roles like backup targets, file servers, or NVMe-dense app tiers

Pick HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen11. The DL380's SFF/LFF/EDSFF flexibility and high drive counts make it the better-fitting, more economical platform for capacity-driven roles.

SAP HANA or other large in-memory analytics that scale up rather than out

Pick HPE ProLiant DL560 Gen11. Scale-up four-socket architecture with very large memory aligns with in-memory database designs that prefer fewer, larger nodes.

Frequently asked

What is the main difference between the HPE ProLiant DL560 Gen11 and DL380 Gen11?

The DL560 Gen11 is a quad-socket (4-CPU) scale-up server with up to 16TB of memory, while the DL380 Gen11 is a dual-socket (2-CPU) scale-out workhorse with up to 8TB. The DL560 consolidates large workloads onto one big node; the DL380 is built for broad, cost-effective horizontal scaling.

Are both servers the same 2U size despite the socket difference?

Yes. Both are 2U rack servers. HPE engineered the DL560 Gen11 to deliver four sockets in the same 2U footprint as the dual-socket DL380, which is what makes it so attractive for compute and VM density per rack unit.

Which server is better for virtualization — DL560 or DL380?

It depends on your strategy. The DL380 Gen11 is the default choice for most virtualization clusters because of its price/performance and scale-out flexibility. The DL560 Gen11 wins when you want maximum VM density per node to reduce host count, licensing points, and footprint.

How much memory does each ProLiant Gen11 server support?

The DL560 Gen11 supports up to 64 DIMM slots and as much as 16TB of DDR5, while the DL380 Gen11 supports 32 DIMM slots and up to 8TB of DDR5. Both run DDR5 at speeds up to 5600 MT/s with 5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors.

Do the DL560 and DL380 Gen11 use the same management and security?

Yes. Both use HPE iLO 6, Silicon Root of Trust, secure boot, and integrate with HPE GreenLake for Compute Ops Management, so operational tooling and security posture are consistent across the two platforms.

Is the DL560 Gen11 worth the extra cost over the DL380 Gen11?

For scale-up workloads — large databases, SAP HANA, or high VM density — the consolidation and licensing savings often offset the higher acquisition cost. For mainstream scale-out workloads, the DL380 Gen11 delivers better value, which is why most fleets are DL380-heavy with select DL560 nodes.

Are TAA-compliant or GSA-schedule configurations available for these servers?

Yes. As an authorized HPE reseller, we can source TAA-compliant DL560 Gen11 and DL380 Gen11 configurations and quote them through federal and SLED procurement vehicles including GPC, SAP, FAR, and GSA eBuy, with documentation to support compliance requirements.

Can both servers be acquired through HPE GreenLake consumption models?

Yes. Both the DL560 Gen11 and DL380 Gen11 are available through traditional purchase and through HPE GreenLake pay-per-use consumption. We can structure either acquisition model to match your capital or operating-expense preferences.

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