The ProLiant ML350 Gen10 is Hewlett Packard Enterprise's two-socket 4U tower server, with 24 DIMM slots and a rack conversion that takes it to 5U. Tower servers answer a different question from rack servers, and the question is where the machine has to stand rather than how fast it runs. Everything else about this platform follows from that.
A tower sits in an office, a stockroom, a clinic or a branch comms cupboard rather than behind a locked cage door, so it needs an optical drive, front-accessible media bays and a chassis that tolerates ambient noise and dust. The ML350 Gen10 carries all three, and our configurator carries option groups for them that the rack ProLiant servers of the same generation legitimately do not have.
The ML350 Gen10 is a 4U tower that occupies 5U in a rack
HPE builds the ML350 Gen10 as a 4U tower and our lineup census records the consequence in a single line: it takes 5U of height when racked. The extra rack unit is the rail hardware, not the chassis, and it is the number that gets left out of most rack elevations. A cabinet planned at 4U for an ML350 Gen10 will be one unit short when the server arrives.
That is worth planning around rather than discovering, because a tower is frequently bought for a site that does not have a rack yet and racked later when the site grows. Both deployments are legitimate on this platform - it is one of the few dual-socket servers designed to work standing up and lying down - but the rack figure is 5U and the tower figure is a floor-standing chassis, and quoting the second while planning the first is the mistake this section exists to prevent.
ML350 Gen10 chassis options and the media bays a tower has
HPE documents three chassis for the ML350 Gen10 and our catalogue carries the two hot-plug ones. The 8 SFF chassis takes optional SFF or LFF drive cage kits, an NVMe Express Bay, up to two half-height 5.25-inch media bays and one slim-line DVD bay kit. The 4 LFF chassis takes optional LFF or SFF drive cage kits, up to two half-height media bays and one slim-line DVD bay kit. HPE also documents a 4 LFF non-hot-plug chassis, which takes non-hot-plug LFF cage kits, and which is not a configuration we build.
| Chassis | Front bays | Cage extension | Media bays | In our catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 SFF hot-plug | 8 x 2.5-inch | Optional SFF or LFF cage kits, plus an NVMe Express Bay | Up to two half-height 5.25-inch, plus a slim-line DVD bay kit | Yes |
| 4 LFF hot-plug | 4 x 3.5-inch | Optional LFF or SFF cage kits | Up to two half-height 5.25-inch, plus a slim-line DVD bay kit | Yes |
| 4 LFF non-hot-plug | 4 x 3.5-inch | Optional non-hot-plug LFF cage kits | Up to two half-height 5.25-inch, plus a slim-line DVD bay kit | Not built |
The two half-height media bays are the detail that separates this chassis from every rack ProLiant of the same generation. They accept an internal tape drive, which is why an ML350 Gen10 turns up so often as a branch-office backup target with the tape inside the server rather than beside it. Our configurator sells the base chassis at eight 2.5-inch or four 3.5-inch drives; the SFF and LFF cage kits that extend either front end are quoted separately, because which kit fits which box is chassis-specific.
Configuring an ML350 Gen10: the option groups a tower has that a rack server does not
Three option groups exist on this configurator that the DL360 Gen10 and DL380 Gen10 do not carry, and each one answers a question that only a tower gets asked. The Optical Drive group exists because a tower in a branch office is frequently the only machine on site with a drive in it. The External Storage Controller group exists because a tower's growth path is an external enclosure rather than a mid-plane cage. And the Host Bus Adapter group exists because a tower is the machine that ends up attached to a tape library or a small fibre channel target.
The rest of the build order matches the rack siblings. Chassis first, because it fixes the bay count and the drive form-factor. Processors next, as a CPU Socket 1 selection and an optional second socket. Memory as a quantity in steps of two, capped at twelve, which is the single-processor-safe ceiling on a 24-slot server wired at twelve slots per processor. Then drives, the storage controller, the power supply pair and the cords, then the operating environment and warranty.
On the operating environment, both virtualization paths are quotable with the hardware. VMware ESXi is the incumbent across a large share of installed Gen10 estates, including tower deployments used as a branch hypervisor. Proxmox Virtual Environment is the alternative we sell outright as an authorized reseller, with subscriptions and support on the same order rather than sourced elsewhere - which for a single-server branch site with no dedicated administrator is frequently the more practical arrangement.
Processors and memory on the ML350 Gen10
The ML350 Gen10 takes up to two Intel Xeon Scalable processors from the 1st or 2nd generation and carries 24 DDR4 DIMM slots at twelve per processor. Maximum memory is 3 TB with load-reduced DIMMs and 1.5 TB with registered DIMMs, both at 2933 MT/s. A single-processor build has twelve usable slots and half the stated capacity, no matter how many modules arrive with the server, which is why our configurator caps the DIMM quantity at twelve rather than 24 on a machine whose second socket may be empty.
| Attribute | ML350 Gen10 |
|---|---|
| Form-Factor | 4U tower, 5U when racked |
| Sockets | 2 |
| Processor platform | Intel Xeon Scalable, 1st and 2nd generation |
| DIMM Slots | 24, twelve per processor |
| Memory type | DDR4 registered and load-reduced |
| Maximum memory | 3 TB load-reduced, 1.5 TB registered, both at 2933 MT/s |
| Front Bays | 8 x 2.5-inch or 4 x 3.5-inch base, extended by cage kits |
| Media bays | Up to two half-height 5.25-inch, plus a slim-line DVD bay kit |
| Storage Controllers | HPE Smart Array E208i-a, P408i-a and P816i-a modular |
| Accelerators | Supported in slots 5 and 7 |
| Power supplies | 500 W non-hot-plug, 500 W and 800 W Platinum, 800 W Titanium, 1600 W Platinum |
| Lifecycle status | RETIRED; QuickSpecs a00021852enw version 44, 28 July 2025 |
Memory ceilings are the one place where the tower and the rack models of this generation differ slightly on paper: the DL360 Gen10 and DL380 Gen10 are quoted at 1.54 TB with registered DIMMs where the ML350 Gen10 is quoted at 1.5 TB. The load-reduced figure is 3 TB across all three. Anyone comparing the three on a spreadsheet should compare like DIMM types rather than the headline number, because the load-reduced and registered figures differ by roughly a factor of two on every one of them.
Smart Array controllers, external storage and host bus adapters
Three HPE Smart Array modular controllers cover this generation, separated by lane count and cache rather than by feature list. The E208i-a, 804326-B21, has eight internal lanes and no cache. The P408i-a, 804331-B21, has eight internal lanes and 2 GB of cache. The P816i-a, 804338-B21, has sixteen internal lanes and 4 GB of cache. Each part carries its cache size in its own product name, so the split is confirmable from the part number rather than taken on trust. Our own live listing previously named only two of the three; the P816i-a belongs on the list, and it is the controller that matches a tower carrying more than eight drives.
| Controller | Part | Internal lanes | Cache | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HPE Smart Array E208i-a | 804326-B21 | 8 | None | 4 LFF and small SFF builds where write cache is not needed |
| HPE Smart Array P408i-a | 804331-B21 | 8 | 2 GB | The 8 SFF base chassis |
| HPE Smart Array P816i-a | 804338-B21 | 16 | 4 GB | Builds extended past eight bays with cage kits |
Beyond the internal controller, a tower grows outward rather than inward, and both option groups for that exist on this configurator. An external storage controller drives a disk enclosure sitting beside the server, which on a floor-standing machine is a more practical expansion path than a mid-plane cage. A host bus adapter drives a tape library or a small fibre channel target, which is the other job an ML350 Gen10 is commonly given in a branch or departmental role. Both belong on the quote if the server is replacing an older tower that already has either attached.
Expansion, accelerators and power on the ML350 Gen10
Accelerator support on the ML350 Gen10 is documented by slot rather than by part count: our census extraction from a00021852enw records accelerator support in slots 5 and 7. That is a narrower proposition than the four-card capability of the Gen11 tower that replaced it, and it is worth sizing against the power supplies fitted rather than against slot availability alone.
Power runs from a 500 W non-hot-plug supply at the entry point through 500 W and 800 W Platinum and 800 W Titanium Flex Slot options to 1600 W Platinum. The non-hot-plug entry supply is a genuinely tower-shaped option - it suits a single-processor branch server that will never have a redundant pair - but it is also the one to check on a used purchase, because a server bought expecting hot-plug redundancy and delivered with a fixed supply is a server that cannot be serviced without downtime. Our configurator quotes supplies and cords as matching pairs; a mismatched pair is not a redundant pair on any HPE Flex Slot platform.
Where the ML350 Gen10 sits in the ProLiant lifecycle
The ML350 Gen10 is marked RETIRED in HPE's own QuickSpecs banner, meaning the document is withdrawn and the base products are no longer available for sale from HPE. The document identifier is a00021852enw and the most recent revision recorded in our census is version 44, dated 28 July 2025. Version 1 of that document is dated 25 September 2017, which our census carries as the launch proxy for the platform.
HPE publishes no support-end date for this server on any public surface, so none is quoted here, and any vendor that quotes one should be asked which HPE notice it comes from. Enterasource does not host, mirror or reproduce HPE QuickSpecs documents; the document identifier is the reference, and every figure on this page can be checked against it.
HPE ProLiant ML350 Gen10 vs Dell PowerEdge T640
The ML350 Gen10 and the Dell PowerEdge T640 are the two vendors' dual-socket towers from the same silicon era, and like their rack equivalents they are close enough on compute that the decision is made on ecosystem. Both are Intel Xeon Scalable 1st and 2nd generation platforms with 24 DDR4 DIMM slots. The differences are the controller family, the management stack and what each vendor puts in the front of the chassis.
| Attribute | HPE ProLiant ML350 Gen10 | Dell PowerEdge T640 |
|---|---|---|
| Chassis form | 4U tower, 5U when racked | Dual-socket tower, Dell 14th generation |
| Processor platform | Intel Xeon Scalable, 1st and 2nd generation | Intel Xeon Scalable, 1st and 2nd generation |
| DIMM Slots | 24, twelve per processor | 24, matching the rest of Dell's 14th generation dual-socket line in our catalogue |
| Stated maximum memory | 3 TB load-reduced, 1.5 TB registered at 2933 MT/s | 3 TB load-reduced on our 14th generation listings |
| Media bays | Up to two half-height 5.25-inch, plus a slim-line DVD bay kit | See the PowerEdge T640 listing for its own front-bay layout |
| Storage Controllers | HPE Smart Array E208i-a, P408i-a, P816i-a | Dell PERC |
| Management | HPE Integrated Lights-Out | Dell iDRAC9 |
Choose the ML350 Gen10 where the estate already runs HPE management tooling and Smart Array controllers, or where the internal tape bay matters because the site backs up to tape held inside the server. Choose the T640 where the estate runs iDRAC and PERC. On the Dell side the single-socket tower a rung below is the PowerEdge T440, and the rest of that line is in the Dell PowerEdge range.
Choosing within the Gen10 ProLiant line
The ML350 Gen10 is the tower member of the Gen10 line, and the decision against its siblings is about where the server has to live rather than what it has to do, since all of them share the same Xeon Scalable generations and the same 24-slot DDR4 architecture.
| Model | Form-Factor | Front chassis options | DIMM Slots | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ML350 Gen10 | 4U tower, 5U racked, 2 sockets | 8 SFF, 4 LFF, plus cage kits and media bays | 24 | Offices, branches and sites with no rack |
| DL380 Gen10 | 2U rack, 2 sockets | 8SFF, 24SFF, 8LFF, 12LFF | 24 | Expansion, drive count and double-wide accelerators |
| DL360 Gen10 | 1U rack, 2 sockets | 8SFF, 10SFF, 4LFF | 24 | Density per rack unit |
| BL460c Gen10 | Half-height blade | c-Class enclosure bays | Blade platform | Existing c-Class enclosure estates |
| ML350 Gen11 | 4U tower, 5U racked, 2 sockets | SFF and LFF cage kits, up to three cages | 32, DDR5 | The tower step up, one generation on |
All four Gen10 models share this platform's management approach and its Smart Array controller family, so a mixed Gen10 estate is one spares pool and one firmware baseline rather than four.
Buying a refurbished ML350 Gen10, and what does not transfer with it
Four things decide whether a used ML350 Gen10 is the server that was quoted. The chassis, because the SFF and LFF front ends are separate configurations rather than a switchable option. The power supply type, because the entry option is a non-hot-plug supply and a server bought expecting redundancy needs the Flex Slot parts instead. The controller, because lane count needs to match bay count once cage kits are fitted. And the rack conversion hardware, if the server is destined for a cabinet rather than a floor - it is the part most often absent from a tower that has spent its life standing up.
Advanced out-of-band management on an HPE ProLiant server is a licensed tier bought per server against an order, and no entitlement can be read off a chassis, a serial number or a firmware screen; a reset does not restore one. HPE support agreements and the firmware bundles gated behind them attach to a contract rather than to hardware. Both belong on the quote as line items rather than in the assumptions.
Enterasource builds each HP ProLiant ML350 Gen10 to the specification ordered, as a tower or configured for a rack. Every unit is tested on receipt, then disassembled, cleaned, inventoried, picked, assembled, configured and tested again on the bench before it leaves the building. Whole systems including this server carry the 2-year Enterasource warranty, and shipping is free to the lower 48 states. Browse the full HPE ProLiant server range for the rest of the line.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the HPE ProLiant ML350 Gen10 specifications?
Two sockets for Intel Xeon Scalable 1st or 2nd generation processors, 24 DDR4 DIMM slots at twelve per processor, a maximum of 3 TB with load-reduced DIMMs or 1.5 TB with registered DIMMs at 2933 MT/s, an 8 SFF or 4 LFF hot-plug base chassis extended by SFF and LFF cage kits, up to two half-height 5.25-inch media bays plus a slim-line DVD bay, HPE Smart Array E208i-a, P408i-a or P816i-a modular controllers, accelerator support in slots 5 and 7, and power supplies from a 500 W non-hot-plug unit to 1600 W Platinum.
How much rack space does an ML350 Gen10 need?
Five rack units. The chassis is a 4U tower and our lineup census records that it occupies 5U of height once racked, the extra unit being the rail hardware rather than the server. A cabinet elevation drawn at 4U for this model will be one unit short. It is one of the few dual-socket servers designed to work both standing on a floor and mounted in a cabinet, so both deployments are legitimate - the planning figure is simply different.
How does the ML350 Gen10 compare to the Dell PowerEdge T640?
Both are dual-socket towers from the same era on Intel Xeon Scalable 1st and 2nd generation processors with 24 DDR4 DIMM slots, so compute is equivalent and the decision is made on ecosystem. HPE Smart Array controllers and HPE management tooling on one side, Dell PERC and iDRAC9 on the other. The distinguishing feature on the HPE side is the pair of half-height media bays, which allow an internal tape drive in a branch backup role.
How many drives does an ML350 Gen10 hold?
The base chassis holds eight 2.5-inch drives or four 3.5-inch drives depending on which front end was ordered, and both are extended by optional SFF and LFF cage kits that HPE documents for this platform. The SFF chassis additionally supports an NVMe Express Bay. Because which cage kit fits which box is chassis-specific, the extension kits are quoted separately rather than sold as a fixed maximum.
Where do I find the ML350 Gen10 QuickSpecs?
The document identifier is a00021852enw and the most recent revision recorded in our census is version 44, dated 28 July 2025, with version 1 dated 25 September 2017. HPE publishes the document directly, and asking for that identifier by name is the reliable way to obtain the correct revision rather than a mirrored copy of an older one. Enterasource does not host or reproduce HPE QuickSpecs documents.
Is the ML350 Gen10 still available from Hewlett Packard Enterprise?
No. HPE marks the ML350 Gen10 QuickSpecs banner as retired, which means the document is withdrawn and the base products are no longer available for sale from HPE. The platform remains widely deployed and well supplied on the secondary market, which is where a replacement, an expansion unit or a spare for an existing branch estate comes from. HPE publishes no support-end date for it on any public surface.
