878152-L21 HPE ProLiant DL580 145W Gen10 Intel Xeon-Platinum 26-core 2.0GHz Processor

The HPE 878152-L21 ProLiant DL580 Gen10 Intel Xeon Platinum 8164 processor kit delivers enterprise-class performance, scalability, and reliability for mission-critical workloads. Engineered with advanced multi-core technology, this 26-core CPU operating at a base frequency of 2.0GHz ensures exceptional speed, multitasking, and computing efficiency for data-intensive applications.

Key Technical Specifications

• Brand: HPE
• Part Number: 878152-L21
• Product Type: Processor
• Processor Model: Intel Xeon Platinum 8164
• Clock Speed: 2.0GHz Base Frequency
• Cores: 26 High-Performance Cores
• Processor Series: Intel Xeon Platinum (Skylake architecture)
• Socket Compatibility: LGA 3647
• Thermal Design Power (TDP): 145W
• Included in Kit: 1x Xeon Platinum 8164 CPU + 1x Performance Heatsink
• Supported System: HPE ProLiant DL580 Gen10

Advantages for Enterprise Deployments

• Enhanced scalability for data centers and virtualization clusters.
• Support for multi-socket configurations in the ProLiant DL580 Gen10.
• Advanced memory bandwidth and large cache capacity for improved responsiveness.
• Optimized for high-performance computing (HPC) and real-time analytics.
• Energy-efficient design with a 145W power rating to balance performance and cost.

Compatible Models

• HPE ProLiant DL580 Gen10
• Other select enterprise-grade server infrastructures with Intel Xeon Platinum support

Business Benefits

• Future-proof performance for evolving IT infrastructure needs.
• Support for large-scale memory-intensive applications.
• Improved virtualization density for cloud and hybrid environments.
• Reduced latency and faster transaction processing speeds.
• Robust thermal management for round-the-clock server operations.

Highlights of the HPE 878152-L21 Kit

• High-efficiency 26-core Intel Xeon Platinum 8164 CPU.
• Optimized base clock speed of 2.0GHz for balanced workload execution.
• Comes with a robust heatsink for advanced cooling solutions.
• Directly tailored for HPE DL580 Gen10 platforms.
• Enhanced security, scalability, and future-ready performance.

Outline of the Platform and Key Attributes

The HPE 878152-L21 ProLiant DL580 represents a high-density, enterprise-grade server platform engineered for mission-critical workloads. At its core, this model is configured with the Intel Xeon Platinum 8164 processor — a 26-core, 2.0GHz CPU that delivers a blend of multi-threaded throughput and sustained per-core performance. Designed for data centers, virtualization farms, database clusters, and compute-heavy analytics, the DL580 chassis offers redundant power, expanded memory capacity, and advanced system management features. When paired with the 145W TDP rating of the Xeon Platinum 8164, administrators gain a dependable balance of compute capacity, thermal headroom, and energy-aware scaling for dense rack deployments.

Primary Use Cases and Business Benefits

The HPE DL580 with the 878152-L21 SKU is particularly well-suited for organizations that require consistent low-latency compute and robust fault tolerance. Typical use cases include:

• Large-scale virtualization and hyperconverged infrastructures where many virtual machines are consolidated onto fewer physical nodes.
• High-performance databases (OLTP / OLAP) and in-memory data platforms that demand high core counts and large memory footprints.
• Analytics, big data processing, and complex batch workloads such as ETL pipelines or scientific simulations.
• Enterprise resource planning (ERP) and business-critical applications that need predictable uptime and high availability.

Adopting this platform provides tangible business advantages: increased consolidation ratios, lower overall data center footprint, simplified maintenance with HPE iLO remote management, and longer platform lifecycles owing to standardized Xeon family compatibility.

Processor Details: Intel Xeon Platinum 8164 — Performance Characteristics

The Intel Xeon Platinum 8164 is a member of Intel's Scalable Processor family and is optimized for enterprise environments. With 26 physical cores and support for Hyper-Threading, the processor delivers up to 52 simultaneous threads, allowing high concurrency for multi-threaded services. A sustained base frequency of 2.0GHz provides stable single-thread performance, while the chip's turbo capabilities (dependent on thermal and power headroom) can raise clock speeds temporarily for burst workloads.

26 Cores Matter

A 26-core configuration is particularly advantageous when workloads scale horizontally within a single host — for example, running dozens of containerized services or hundreds of virtual CPUs across many virtual machines. The high core count reduces context switching overhead between software processes and allows for larger thread pools in multithreaded applications. Workloads such as Java application servers, database thread pools, and parallelized compute tasks see improved throughput when more real cores are available.

Thermal Design and Power — 145W TDP

The 145W thermal design power (TDP) indicates the processor's typical heat dissipation under maximum sustained load. In practice, this TDP requires appropriate airflow and power provisioning in rack deployments. HPE’s DL580 platform includes redundant hot-plug power supplies and engineered airflow channels to manage thermal stress, ensuring sustained performance even under heavy, prolonged workloads. From an operations perspective, the 145W rating informs cooling design and capacity planning for data centers using these blades.

System Architecture: Memory, I/O, and Expandability

The DL580 chassis is built for expandability and resilience. Typical configurations for the 878152-L21 include multiple memory channels, large DIMM counts, and numerous I/O slots. This architecture enables substantial memory capacity — essential for in-memory databases and virtualization — and flexible storage and networking options to tailor systems for specific workloads.

Memory Subsystem and Performance Scaling

Memory topology is integral to getting the most from the Xeon Platinum 8164. The platform supports multi-channel DDR4 memory, enabling high aggregate memory bandwidth. With support for high-density DIMMs, the DL580 can scale to hundreds of gigabytes (or multiple terabytes depending on configuration) of RAM per server. Properly populating the memory channels improves interleaving and bandwidth, reducing latency-sensitive bottlenecks in memory-bound applications.

Best Practices for DIMM Population

• Populate balanced channels across all CPU sockets to maximize interleaving and bandwidth.
• Use uniform DIMM sizes to reduce mismatch and avoid fallback to slower memory speeds.
• Plan for future expansion — leave slots available if future RAM increases are anticipated.

I/O and Storage Options

The DL580 supports a variety of storage and network adapters via standard PCIe slots, NVMe bays, and HPE Smart Array controllers. This flexibility allows architects to build storage-optimized systems (with NVMe for low-latency I/O) or capacity-optimized systems (with SATA/SAS drives and large RAID arrays). For network connectivity, 10GbE and 25GbE adapters are common choices, with options for RDMA-capable adapters for HPC and storage fabric integrations.

NVMe vs. SAS/SATA: Trade-offs

NVMe drives deliver lower latency and higher IOPS, ideal for caching and database log volumes. SAS/SATA drives are cost-effective for bulk storage and archival needs. Mixed-storage architectures are often adopted: NVMe for performance-critical tiers and SAS/SATA for capacity tiers.

High Availability and Reliability Features

HPE’s ProLiant DL580 line is engineered with enterprise resiliency in mind. The 878152-L21 leverages hardware-level redundancy, including multiple hot-plug power supplies, redundant cooling, and error-correcting memory capabilities. HPE’s Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) management provides remote monitoring, firmware updates, and health checks, enabling administrators to proactively identify failing components and reduce mean time to repair (MTTR).

Fault-Tolerant Design Elements

• Redundant Power Supplies: N+1 or N+N configurations help ensure continued operation during a single supply failure.
• Hot-Plug Fans and Drives: Allow for hardware swaps without system downtime.
• ECC Memory: Corrects single-bit errors and detects double-bit errors, protecting data integrity for critical applications.
• HPE iLO: Advanced remote management, out-of-band access, and integrated telemetry for predictive failure analytics.

Firmware and Security

Maintaining up-to-date firmware and enabling security features like secure boot, silicon root of trust, and HPE’s firmware hardening can significantly reduce exposure to vulnerabilities. iLO provides secure remote access controls, LDAP/AD integration, and role-based permissions useful for regulated industries.

Virtualization and Cloud Integration

As a heavy-duty virtualization host, the DL580 thrives under hypervisors such as VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, and KVM. The combination of 26-core CPUs and substantial memory density allows for high VM density per server, which lowers per-VM infrastructure costs while maintaining strong performance isolation when configured with appropriate CPU and memory reservations.

Optimizing for Virtualized Environments

When deploying virtualization platforms on the HPE 878152-L21, consider the following optimizations:

• NUMA-aware VM Placement: Align virtual machines to NUMA nodes to reduce cross-node memory latency.
• Resource Pools and Reservations: Reserve CPU and memory for critical workloads to avoid noisy neighbor issues.
• Storage Tiering: Use local NVMe for critical VM storage and centralized SAN/NAS for less latency-sensitive volumes.

Hybrid Cloud Patterns

The DL580 can serve as an on-premises workhorse in hybrid cloud models, providing consistent infrastructure for lift-and-shift migrations or as on-prem building blocks for private cloud stacks. Integration with HPE GreenLake and other cloud management platforms enables flexible consumption models and pay-per-use billing for enterprises seeking OPEX alternatives to large capital investments.

Deployment and Rack Considerations

The DL580 is a 4U or similar form-factor server (depending on generation and exact chassis configuration) designed for rack-mount deployment. Rack planners must account for weight, power density, and cooling impact when placing multiple DL580 nodes in contiguous racks. Cabling density and airflow management are critical to maintaining thermal margins for the 145W CPUs.

Power and Cooling Guidelines

• Estimate peak rack power draw using HPE’s published power calculators and add contingency for future expansion.
• Ensure aisle containment or directed airflow to prevent thermal recirculation and to maintain consistent inlet temperatures.
• Adopt continuous monitoring of PDU loads and environmental sensors to spot trending increases in power consumption or temperature.

Physical Security and Compliance

For regulated deployments, physical access controls, environmental alerts, and audit logging through iLO and centralized monitoring systems (e.g., SIEM integrations) are essential. The DL580 integrates with standard data center security controls and supports tamper-resistance measures appropriate for finance, healthcare, and public sector environments.

Software Ecosystem and Driver Support

HPE provides a mature ecosystem of drivers, firmware bundles, management utilities, and validated configurations for major operating systems and hypervisors. The HPE Service Pack for ProLiant (SPP) consolidates firmware and driver updates into a single tested image, significantly simplifying patch operations and reducing compatibility risk.

Supported Operating Systems and Tools

• Microsoft Windows Server (various Long-Term Servicing Channel releases)
• Linux distributions: Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, Ubuntu LTS
• VMware vSphere and other hypervisors
• Container orchestration platforms via certified hardware and HPE plug-ins for Kubernetes distributions

Maintenance and Lifecycle Management

Utilizing HPE OneView and iLO, IT teams can orchestrate firmware updates, inventory management, and automated hardware health checks. A disciplined maintenance schedule that leverages vendor-tested SPP releases reduces unexpected downtime and ensures optimal compatibility across firmware, drivers, and operating systems.

Comparison With Similar HPE and Competitor Models

Within HPE’s ProLiant family, the DL580 commonly competes with other high-end 4-socket or 2-socket offerings, while competitors such as Dell EMC PowerEdge and Lenovo ThinkSystem provide functionally similar platforms. Key differentiators often include:

• Management Stack: HPE’s iLO and OneView vs. competitor equivalents — ease of use and automation features matter for large fleets.
• Service and Support: Local support ecosystems and optional proactive support services.
• Validated Configurations: Vendor-validated reference architectures for databases, virtualization, and SAP workloads streamline deployment.

Choose the DL580

Choose the DL580 when you need a reliable, expandable server with strong memory capacity, high core counts, and enterprise management capabilities. If your environment demands the highest levels of throughput, I/O flexibility, and validated support, the DL580 is a compelling option.

Migration and Upgrade Paths

Planning an upgrade or migration to the HPE 878152-L21 should account for compatibility with existing storage fabrics, network topologies, and software licensing. Common migration patterns include:

• Lift-and-Shift: Rehost existing VMs or applications onto the new hardware with minimal changes.
• Replatforming: Adopt updated OS or hypervisor versions to take advantage of new CPU features and security mitigations.
• Consolidation: Combine workloads from older, underutilized servers to reduce both capex and opex.

Firmware and BIOS Compatibility

Before migration, review firmware and BIOS compatibility matrices to ensure that storage controllers, network adapters, and peripheral cards are supported. HPE’s documentation and SPP help verify compatibility across the full stack.