HPE ProLiant DL365 Gen11 GPUs and Compatible Accelerator Options

The HPE ProLiant DL365 Gen11 is a 1U two-socket server with a dedicated GPU configure-to-order (CTO) chassis. The attached October 2, 2023 QuickSpecs lists one accelerator option, the NVIDIA A16 64GB PCIe Non-CEC Accelerator for HPE (R8T26C), plus a required DL365 Gen11 CPU 8-pin GPU power cable kit. GPU compatibility is limited to the GPU CTO configuration described in the document. This page retains the QuickSpecs restrictions and distinguishes the accelerator from the related chassis, risers, power, cooling, and drive-backplane hardware.

Supported GPU accelerator

The following product is listed under HPE Computation and Graphics Accelerator and related option kits on QuickSpecs page 29. This is the only dedicated graphics accelerator part number in the attached revision.

GPU configuration and accelerator quantity

The standard-features section describes support for up to two single-width or two double-width GPU cards at the front of the chassis (page 3). The expansion-slot table identifies GPU Riser 1 as PCIe 5.0 x16 slot 4 attached to processor 2, and GPU Riser 2 as PCIe 5.0 x16 slot 5 attached to processor 1 (pages 5-6). These slot descriptions establish the chassis expansion architecture, but the QuickSpecs does not provide a separate GPU riser kit SKU under the GPU category.

Page 29 requires the GPU CTO model for graphics options. If more than one graphics option is selected, the options must use the same part number; different graphics options cannot be mixed. Do not treat the chassis general maximum as unconditional proof that every GPU configuration supports two accelerators.

Internal layout and expansion positions

The manufacturer internal-view illustration identifies the processor locations, standard primary PCIe riser cage, and optional secondary riser connector cage. It shows the standard internal arrangement, not a dedicated front-mounted GPU installation diagram (page 2).

Rear PCIe and OCP connectors

The standard rear-view diagram shows the PCIe 5.0 slots and OCP 3.0 positions (page 3). The front-mounted GPU riser slots are separately defined in the expansion-slot tables on pages 5-6; do not mistake the labeled rear slots for GPU slots 4 and 5.

GPU CTO chassis and required GPU power

The GPU CTO base SKU is P53935-B21 (page 18). The QuickSpecs lists a primary PCIe x16 riser and a GPU riser located at the front chassis. The required GPU power cable is separately identified in the accelerator section (page 29). This cable must be selected for each graphics option, and the document also states the reverse dependency: selecting the graphics power cable requires the graphics option.

GPU-compatible storage backplane configurations

For the GPU CTO model, page 22 lists two alternative backplane kits, each with a minimum and maximum selection quantity of one. The 4SFF U.3 kit supports NVMe drives only, while the 8EDSFF option is an NVMe backplane. Both are described as directly attached to the motherboard, with internal controllers not selectable when that GPU storage backplane is used.

Document discrepancy: Page 4 describes a GPU chassis with 8 EDSFF or 4SFF U.3 NVMe drive bays. Page 18 lists the GPU CTO base configuration as including 20 EDSFF. Page 22, however, explicitly requires selecting one GPU-only 8EDSFF or 4SFF backplane. This page presents all three source descriptions rather than treating the 20 EDSFF line as the usable GPU drive count.

Thermal, cooling, and liquid-cooling requirements

The standard-features section states that performance fan kits are required for GPU CTO servers (page 4). The document separately notes that each Gen11 fan kit contains one fan; the two-socket configuration requires seven performance fan kits (page 24). Select processor heatsinks or liquid-cooling components according to the CPU wattage, storage configuration, and chassis rules on pages 20 and 23-24.

If a direct liquid cooling (DLC) module is selected, the document requires two processors, a secondary low-profile module, and a tube set. The 450mm quick-disconnect tube set is specifically identified as supported with the GPU CTO model only (page 24). The PCIe DLC module occupies slot 2 and reduces the maximum PCIe card count from two to one. The document does not explicitly state whether that limit affects front GPU riser slots, so GPU/DLC combinations need a configuration check.

PCIe bandwidth and other dependencies

When secondary slot 2 and GPU riser 1 slot 4 are populated, the combined bandwidth is stated as up to 112GB/s due to processor limitations. The same combined-bandwidth statement applies to GPU riser 2 slot 5 and slot 21 (OCP1) (page 6). These are shared-bandwidth limits, not per-GPU performance specifications.

For a complete valid build, also validate CPU selection, memory, Flex Slot PSU sizing, and the required drive backplane. The QuickSpecs does not assign a GPU-specific power-supply wattage requirement or certify additional NVIDIA or AMD accelerator models for this server. HPE recommends using an approved configurator to validate orders (pages 18 and 23).

Source differences and purchase verification

GPU drive count: Pages 4, 18, and 22 give different chassis/storage descriptions. Use the detailed GPU backplane rules on page 22 for the actual choice, and validate the CTO configuration.

GPU quantities: The overview mentions two single-width or double-width GPUs, while the hardware list names only NVIDIA A16. The document does not explicitly provide a separate tested GPU quantity by SKU.

Cooling and DLC: GPU CTO calls for performance cooling. A GPU-specific DLC tube kit is listed, but the interactions among PCIe card limits, GPU riser positions, and DLC are not fully clarified in this QuickSpecs revision.