HPE ProLiant BL660c Gen9
The HPE ProLiant BL660c Gen9 is a full height four socket blade for BladeSystem c3000 and c7000 enclosures. It takes two or four Intel Xeon E5-4600 v3 or v4 processors, 32 DDR4 DIMM slots, four SFF hot-plug drive bays and a Smart Array P246br controller with 1GB flash backed cache. The v4 revision of the QuickSpecs adds support for two NVMe SSDs. HPE has retired the document.
Also written as: BL660c G9
Specifications
| Brand | HPE |
|---|---|
| Family | ProLiant BL |
| Form factor | full-height c-Class server blade |
| Cpu sockets | 4 |
| Cpu platform | Intel Xeon E5-4600 v3 or v4 family (two or four processors) |
| Memory slots | 32 |
| Memory type | DDR4 |
| Drive bays | 4 SFF hot-plug bays |
| Storage controller | Smart Array P246br with 1GB FBWC |
| Expansion | 3 mezzanine slots plus FlexibleLOM adapters |
Compatible parts
TPM modules
488069-B21 HPE Trusted Platform Module Option
Network adapters
655639-B21 HPE Ethernet 10Gb 2-port 560FLB Adapter
700065-B21 HPE FlexFabric 20Gb 2-port 630FLB Adapter
700763-B21 HPE FlexFabric 20Gb 2-port 650FLB Adapter
766490-B21 HPE FlexFabric 10Gb 2-port 536FLB Adapter
HBAs
659818-B21 HPE LPe1205A 8Gb Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter for BladeSystem c-Class
710608-B21 HPE QMH2672 16Gb Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter
718203-B21 HPE LPe1605 16Gb Fibre Channel HBA for BladeSystem c-Class
RAID controllers
726793-B21 HPE Smart Array P246br/1GB FBWC 12Gb 4-ports Int SAS Controller
Hard drives
765464-B21 HPE 1TB SAS 12G Midline 7.2K SFF (2.5in) SC 1yr Wty 512e Digitally Signed Firmware HDD
765466-B21 HPE 2TB SAS 12G Midline 7.2K SFF (2.5in) SC 1yr Wty 512e HDD
870753-B21 HPE 300GB SAS 12G Enterprise 15K SFF SC Digitally Signed Firmware HDD
870757-B21 HPE 600GB SAS 12G Enterprise 15K SFF SC Digitally Signed Firmware HDD
870759-B21 HPE 900GB SAS 12G Enterprise 15K SFF SC Digitally Signed Firmware HDD
Memory
805347-B21 HPE 8GB (1x8GB) Single Rank x8 DDR4-2400 CAS-17-17-17 Registered Memory Kit
805349-B21 HPE 16GB (1x16GB) Single Rank x4 DDR4-2400 CAS-17-17-17 Registered Smart Memory Kit
805351-B21 HPE 32GB (1x32GB) Dual Rank x4 DDR4-2400 CAS-17-17-17 Registered Smart Memory Kit
805358-B21 HPE 64GB (1x64GB) Quad Rank x4 DDR4-2400 CAS-17-17-17 Load Reduced Memory
836220-B21 HPE 16GB (1x16GB) Dual Rank x4 DDR4-2400 CAS-17-17-17 Registered Memory Kit
SSDs
875587-B21 HPE 480GB NVMe x4 Lanes Read Intensive SFF (2.5in) SCN 3yr Wty Digitally Signed Firmware SSD
875589-B21 HPE 960GB NVMe x4 Lanes Read Intensive SFF (2.5in) SCN 3yr Wty Digitally Signed Firmware SSD
875591-B21 HPE 1.92TB NVMe x4 Lanes Read Intensive SFF (2.5in) SCN 3yr Wty Digitally Signed Firmware SSD
877984-B21 HPE 1TB NVMe x4 Lanes Read Intensive SFF (2.5in) SCN 3yr Wty Digitally Signed Firmware
877986-B21 HPE 2TB NVMe x4 Lanes Read Intensive SFF (2.5in) SCN 3yr Wty Digitally Signed Firmware
877988-B21 HPE 4TB NVMe x4 Lanes Read Intensive SFF (2.5in) SCN 3yr Wty Digitally Signed Firmware
Works together
How the HPE ProLiant BL660c Gen9 connects to servers, storage and the network: 4 ways, with the parts and products on each path.
Fibre Channel SAN
Match the speed: 16Gb and 32Gb FC HBAs, switches and array ports work together, and each generation also runs one or two speeds below its own (a 32Gb port runs at 16Gb and 8Gb).
Adapters for the server
- 659818-B21 HPE LPe1205A 8Gb Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter for BladeSystem c-Class
- 710608-B21 HPE QMH2672 16Gb Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter
- 718203-B21 HPE LPe1605 16Gb Fibre Channel HBA for BladeSystem c-Class
Switches
HPE StoreFabric SN3600B 1U rack
HPE StoreFabric SN6600B 1U rack
HPE StoreFabric SN6700B 1U rack
Brocade G-Series G610 1U
Storage
HPE Alletra 6000 4U rack
HPE Alletra 9000 4U rack mission-critical array
HPE Alletra Storage MP 2U rack
HPE MSA 1060 2U rack entry SAN
HPE MSA 2060 2U rack
HPE MSA 2062 2U rack hybrid SAN
Optics
R0Q20A HPE MSA 16Gb Short Wave Fibre Channel SFP+ 4-pack Transceivers Gen6
C8R24A HPE MSA 16Gb Short Wave Fibre Channel SFP+ 4-pack Transceivers
57-1000262-01 Brocade 16G FC SFP+ ELWL 25 km
iSCSI and NVMe/TCP over Ethernet
Keep the speed the same at all three points: a 25GbE server, a 25GbE switch port and a 25GbE array port. Mixed speeds work but the slowest link sets the pace.
Adapters for the server
- 655639-B21 HPE Ethernet 10Gb 2-port 560FLB Adapter
- 766490-B21 HPE FlexFabric 10Gb 2-port 536FLB Adapter
Switches
HPE Aruba CX 10000 1U distributed services switch
HPE Aruba CX 8100 1U fixed switch
HPE Aruba CX 8325-48Y8C 1U rack
HPE Aruba CX 8360-32Y4C 1U rack
Storage
- HPE Alletra 6000 4U rack
- HPE Alletra 9000 4U rack mission-critical array
- HPE Alletra Storage MP 2U rack
- HPE MSA 1060 2U rack entry SAN
- HPE MSA 2060 2U rack
- HPE MSA 2062 2U rack hybrid SAN
Optics
R0Q21A HPE MSA 10Gb Short Range iSCSI SFP+ 4-pack Transceivers Gen6
C8R23A HPE MSA 10Gb Short Range iSCSI SFP+ 4-pack Transceivers
QSFP-100G-CWDM4-AR Arista 100GBASE-CWDM4 QSFP28 Optical Transceiver Module
Direct-attached SAS
12Gb SAS uses Mini-SAS HD (SFF-8644) connectors; older 6Gb gear uses Mini-SAS (SFF-8088). Adapter cables exist, but the link runs at the slower speed.
Adapters for the server (check the fit list)
804398-B21 HPE Smart Array E208e-p SR Gen10 12G SAS External Controller
726903-B21 HPE H241 12Gb 2-ports Ext Smart Host Bus Adapter
Storage
- HPE MSA 2060 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge MX5016s blade
Dell PowerStore NVMe Expansion Enclosure (ENS24) 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME5012 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME5024 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME5084 5U rack
File storage (NFS and SMB)
Front-end ports face the clients; back-end ports (on scale-out systems) connect the nodes to each other and need their own switch pair.
Adapters for the server
- 655639-B21 HPE Ethernet 10Gb 2-port 560FLB Adapter
- 766490-B21 HPE FlexFabric 10Gb 2-port 536FLB Adapter
Switches
- HPE Aruba CX 10000 1U distributed services switch
- HPE Aruba CX 8100 1U fixed switch
- HPE Aruba CX 8325-48Y8C 1U rack
- HPE Aruba CX 8360-32Y4C 1U rack
Storage
- HPE Alletra Storage MP 2U rack
Dell PowerScale A300 4U
Dell PowerScale A3000 4U 4-node chassis
Dell PowerScale F200 1U rack
Dell PowerScale F210 1U node
Dell PowerScale F600 1U rack
Optics
- R0Q21A HPE MSA 10Gb Short Range iSCSI SFP+ 4-pack Transceivers Gen6
- C8R23A HPE MSA 10Gb Short Range iSCSI SFP+ 4-pack Transceivers
- QSFP-100G-CWDM4-AR Arista 100GBASE-CWDM4 QSFP28 Optical Transceiver Module
Plan and size it
- Draw this setup in the topology planner mrplanb.com
- Add up rack power and space rack-density.com
- Virtualization storage Ledger: scored storage platforms mrplanb.com
- SAN transport and NVMe over FC for backup mrplanb.com
- HPE SPOCK (HPE storage compatibility) hpe.com
Check compatibility with HPE
Before you buy, confirm the exact configuration against the vendor's own lists: firmware levels, operating systems, adapters and optics that HPE has tested with the HPE ProLiant BL660c Gen9.
- Compatibility HPE SPOCK (storage, SAN and host compatibility)
- Part lookup HPE PartSurfer (spare and option part numbers)
- Support HPE Support Center
Buying a used BL660c Gen9: what to check
Check that the blade has the processor mezzanine for four-socket use if you need four CPUs, and that the processors are E5-4600 parts. It takes two enclosure bays, so confirm the enclosure and interconnects can host a full-height blade.
FAQ
Is the BL660c Gen9 a full-height blade?
Yes. The QuickSpecs describe it as a full-height server blade for the c3000 and c7000 enclosures.
How many processors does the BL660c Gen9 take?
Two or four Intel Xeon E5-4600 v3 or v4 processors.
Buying or selling BL660c Gen9?
New, refurbished or used. Tell us the quantity and condition and we connect you with a vetted reseller in your region, usually within one working day.
Sources
- HPE ProLiant BL660c Gen9 Server Blade QuickSpecs, checked 2026-10-28