HPE ProLiant DL120 Gen9
The HPE ProLiant DL120 Gen9 is an enterprise-grade 1U single-socket rack server utilizing Intel Xeon E5-2600 or E5-1600 v3/v4 processors. It provides enterprise memory and storage capabilities in a 1U footprint, offering 8 DDR4 DIMM slots and up to 8 SFF drive bays. Secondary market buyers utilize this system for dedicated hosting, network monitoring, and single-tenant virtualized nodes.
Also written as: DL120 G9, DL120Gen9, ProLiant DL120 Gen 9
Specifications
| Brand | HPE |
|---|---|
| Family | ProLiant DL |
| Form factor | 1U rack |
| Released | Sep 2014 |
| End of sale | Oct 2017 |
| End of support | Oct 2022 |
| Cpu sockets | 1 |
| Cpu platform | Intel Xeon E5-2600 v3 / v4 or E5-1600 v3 / v4 series |
| Memory slots | 8 |
| Memory type | DDR4-2133 / DDR4-2400 SmartMemory RDIMM / LRDIMM |
| Memory max (GB) | 256 |
| Drive bays | Up to 4 LFF or 8 SFF hot plug SAS/SATA |
| Pcie slots | Up to 3 PCIe 3.0 expansion slots |
| Power supply | 550W or 800W hot plug redundant power supply |
Generations
- Next generation: HPE ProLiant DL160 Gen10
Works together
How the HPE ProLiant DL120 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 (check the fit list)
P9D94A HPE StoreFabric SN1200E 16Gb 2-port Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter
P9M76A HPE StoreFabric SN1600Q 32Gb 2-port Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter
Q0L13A HPE StoreFabric SN1600E 32Gb 1-port Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter
Q0L14A HPE StoreFabric SN1600E 32Gb 2-port Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter
Switches
HPE StoreFabric SN3600B 1U rack
HPE StoreFabric SN6600B 1U rack
HPE StoreFabric SN6700B 1U rack
Cisco MDS 9000 Series MDS 9148S 1U
Storage
HPE StoreEver MSL2024 Tape Library 2U rack tape library
HPE MSA 1040 2U rack entry SAN
HPE MSA 2040 2U rack enterprise SAN
HPE MSA 1050 2U rack entry SAN
HPE MSA 2050 2U rack enterprise SAN
HPE Nimble Storage Nimble Storage HF20 4U rack adaptive flash array
Optics
57-1000262-01 Brocade 16Gb Shortwave SFP+ Optical Transceiver
57-1000333-01 Brocade 32Gb Longwave 10km SFP28 Optical Transceiver
57-1000487-01 Brocade 32Gb Shortwave SFP28 Optical Transceiver
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 (check the fit list)
P08443-B21 HPE Ethernet 10/25Gb 2-port SFP28 BCM57414 Adapter
P10111-B21 HPE Ethernet 10/25Gb 2-port SFP28 MCX562A-ACAI OCP3 Adapter
P10112-B21 HPE Ethernet 10/25Gb 2-port SFP28 MCX512F-ACHT Adapter
P10115-B21 HPE Ethernet 10/25Gb 2-port SFP28 BCM57414 OCP3 Adapter
Switches
HPE Aruba CX Aruba CX 8400 8-slot modular chassis
HPE Aruba CX Aruba CX 8320 1U fixed switch
HPE Aruba CX 8325-48Y8C 1U rack
HPE Aruba CX 8360-32Y4C 1U rack
Storage
- HPE MSA 2040 2U rack enterprise SAN
- HPE MSA 2050 2U rack enterprise SAN
- HPE Nimble Storage Nimble Storage HF20 4U rack adaptive flash array
HPE Primera 600 4U rack mission-critical array
HPE MSA 1060 2U rack entry SAN
HPE MSA 2060 2U rack
Optics
QSFP-100G-SR4 Arista 100GBASE-SR4 QSFP28 Optical Transceiver
SFP-10G-SR-AR Arista 10GBASE-SR SFP+ Optical Transceiver
SFP-25G-SR Arista 25GBASE-SR SFP28 Optical Transceiver
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
Storage
- HPE MSA 2060 2U rack
Dell PowerVault MD1400 2U rack
Dell PowerVault MD1420 2U rack
Dell PowerVault MD3400 2U rack
Dell PowerVault MD3420 2U rack
Dell PowerStore 7000T 2U 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 (check the fit list)
- P08443-B21 HPE Ethernet 10/25Gb 2-port SFP28 BCM57414 Adapter
- P10111-B21 HPE Ethernet 10/25Gb 2-port SFP28 MCX562A-ACAI OCP3 Adapter
- P10112-B21 HPE Ethernet 10/25Gb 2-port SFP28 MCX512F-ACHT Adapter
- P10115-B21 HPE Ethernet 10/25Gb 2-port SFP28 BCM57414 OCP3 Adapter
Switches
- HPE Aruba CX Aruba CX 8400 8-slot modular chassis
- HPE Aruba CX Aruba CX 8320 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 Unity XT Unity 300 2U rack
Dell Unity XT Unity 400 2U rack- Dell PowerStore 7000T 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DM3000H 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DM5000H 2U rack
Optics
- QSFP-100G-SR4 Arista 100GBASE-SR4 QSFP28 Optical Transceiver
- SFP-10G-SR-AR Arista 10GBASE-SR SFP+ Optical Transceiver
- SFP-25G-SR Arista 25GBASE-SR SFP28 Optical Transceiver
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 DL120 Gen9.
- Compatibility HPE SPOCK (storage, SAN and host compatibility)
- Part lookup HPE PartSurfer (spare and option part numbers)
- Support HPE Support Center
Equivalent models from other brands
FAQ
Can the DL120 Gen9 support dual CPUs?
No. The DL120 Gen9 is strictly a single-socket system built around the LGA 2011-v3 socket.
What drive backplanes are available for the DL120 Gen9?
It supports either 4 LFF (3.5-inch) or 8 SFF (2.5-inch) hot-plug drive cages.
Buying or selling DL120 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 DL120 Gen9 Server QuickSpecs, checked 2026-10-27