The ML350 Gen10 and DL380 Gen10 are HPE's two mainstream Gen10 servers, and the choice between them is not really a specification question. One is a 5U tower and one is a 2U rack server. Where the machine has to live usually decides it before any table does.
Drive configurations compared
These are the chassis configurations TekBoost lists for each platform.
| ProLiant ML350 Gen10 | ProLiant DL380 Gen10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | 5U tower | 2U rackmount |
| Generation | HPE Gen10 | HPE Gen10 |
| 2.5" configurations | Up to 8 SAS/SATA Up to 16 SAS/SATA |
Up to 8 SAS/SATA Up to 16 SAS/SATA Up to 24 SAS/SATA |
| 3.5" configurations | Up to 8 SAS/SATA | Up to 12 SAS/SATA |
| Maximum listed drive count | 16 | 24 |
What the difference actually means
Where it lives decides most of these
The ML350 stands on a floor, needs no rails and no cabinet, and is generally quieter because a tower has room for larger, slower fans. The DL380 needs 2U of rack space and rails, and in a cabinet it is the obvious choice. A branch office, a workshop, a studio or a small business without a comms room is ML350 territory regardless of what the drive columns say.
The DL380 reaches further on drives
Twenty-four 2.5" bays against sixteen, and twelve 3.5" against eight. If the server is a capacity-led role — backup target, file server, hyperconverged node — the rack platform scales further in a fraction of the physical volume.
They overlap more than the form factors suggest
At 8 or 16 x 2.5", and at 8 x 3.5", the two platforms hold the same number of drives. For a general-purpose server at those capacities the storage decision is a tie, which is exactly why the siting question dominates.
Density is the rack platform's real argument
One DL380 occupies 2U. One ML350 occupies the floor. If more than two or three servers are planned, rack mounting stops being a preference and becomes the only practical layout — and at that point the comparison is between DL models rather than against a tower at all.
Choosing between them
- No rack on site — ML350 Gen10. This is the most common reason and it is a good one.
- Noise matters — office, studio, classroom — ML350 Gen10.
- More than sixteen drives — DL380 Gen10.
- Existing cabinet, or more servers planned — DL380 Gen10.
What these figures describe
The table sets out the chassis configurations these platforms were built in. It does not describe the drive cage fitted to a particular unit, and cage configuration on ProLiant chassis is decided at build.
Where to go next
- HPE ProLiant ML350 Gen10 specifications and options
- HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 specifications and options
- DL360 Gen10 compared with DL380 Gen10
- HPE ProLiant Gen10 server guide
- Plan drive capacity and RAID with the Storage & RAID Advisor
- Browse refurbished HPE ProLiant servers
Hardware bought from TekBoost carries our standard 3-year warranty with Next Business Day part replacement, subject to the terms, exclusions and conditions on that page. HPE support entitlements and software subscriptions are separate and are not included. To have a configuration checked against real stock, request a quote.