☁️ HPE SimpliVity 325 Gen11 vs 380 Gen11 vs 2600
SimpliVity 325 Gen11 vs SimpliVity 380 Gen11 vs SimpliVity 2600 compared across 26 matched specifications — scores, the full spec table and a verdict.
HPE SimpliVity 325 Gen11 vs 380 Gen11 vs 2600: performance overview
Scores based on quantifiable specification values (1-10 scale)
Detailed Specifications
| Specification | SimpliVity 325 Gen11 HPE | SimpliVity 380 Gen11 HPE | SimpliVity 2600 HPE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key Metrics | |||
| Form factor | 1U single-socket | 2U dual-socket | 2U chassis, up to 4 dual-socket nodes (Apollo 2000) |
| CPU family | AMD EPYC 4th or 5th Gen | Intel Xeon Scalable 5th Gen (Emerald Rapids) | Intel Xeon Scalable 1st or 2nd Gen |
| Max cores per node | 160 (1×160c) | 128 (2×64c) | 52 (2×26c) |
| Max memory per node | 3 TB DDR5 (1.5 TB with 5th Gen EPYC) | 8 TB DDR5-5600 | 1 TB DDR4 |
| Max raw SSD capacity per node | 61 TB | 123 TB | 11.5 TB |
| Generation / platform | Gen11 (ProLiant DL325) | Gen11 (ProLiant DL380) | Gen10 (Apollo 2000; SimpliVity 170/190 Gen10 nodes) |
| Compute & Memory | |||
| Socket count | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Processor architecture | AMD EPYC 4th or 5th Gen | Intel Xeon Scalable 5th Gen 'Emerald Rapids' | Intel Xeon Scalable 1st or 2nd Gen |
| Memory type | DDR5 | DDR5-5600 MT/s | DDR4 |
| Memory ceiling | 3 TB | 8 TB | 1 TB |
| Best fit for core density | Highest cores per node and per U (160c in 1U) | Up to 128c per node (2×64c) | Modest — up to 26c per CPU, but up to 4 nodes in 2U |
| Storage | |||
| Drive bay options | 4, 6 or 8 SSD | 6, 8, 9, 12 or 16 SSD | 6 SSD per node |
| Max raw capacity | 61 TB | 123 TB | 11.5 TB |
| Media | All-SSD | All-SSD | All-SSD |
| Data reduction | OmniStack inline dedupe + compression (~10:1) | OmniStack inline dedupe + compression (~10:1) | OmniStack inline dedupe + compression (~10:1) |
| Integrated backup | Yes — OmniStack | Yes — VM restore <60s | Yes — replication to HQ over WAN |
| Networking & Expansion | |||
| PCIe generation | PCIe 5.0 | PCIe 5.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| High-speed NIC support | Up to 100GbE | Up to 200GbE | Up to 25GbE typical |
| Expansion slots | Limited (1U single-socket) | Generous (2U chassis) | Limited (2–3 PCIe slots per node) |
| Management & Software | |||
| Software stack | SimpliVity Software 6.0 / OmniStack | SimpliVity Software 6.0 / OmniStack | OmniStack (legacy 4.x/5.x lineage) |
| Hypervisor integration | vCenter plugin; Morpheus VM Essentials option | vCenter plugin; Morpheus VM Essentials option | vCenter plugin |
| Cluster minimum | 2 nodes (with Arbiter) | 2 nodes (with Arbiter) | 2-node ROBO with SVT Arbiter |
| Lifecycle status | Current Gen11 | Current Gen11 | Gen10 — late-life, suited to existing estates |
| Deployment Fit | |||
| Primary use case | High-density core / VDI / space-constrained racks | General-purpose core data centre & mixed workloads | Edge / ROBO branch sites |
| Rack density | Highest (1U, 160c) | Moderate (2U) | High (up to 4 nodes in 2U) but older silicon |
| Scale-up headroom | Memory-limited at 3 TB | Highest — 8 TB RAM, 123 TB SSD | Lowest — 1 TB RAM, 11.5 TB SSD |
Expert Analysis
The most important practical difference here is generation and silicon: the 325 and 380 are current Gen11 platforms on DDR5 and PCIe 5.0, whilst the 2600 is a Gen10 Apollo 2000-based appliance (up to four nodes in a 2U chassis) on 1st and 2nd Gen Xeon Scalable and DDR4. If you are buying new today for a primary data centre, the decision is really between the 325 and 380 — the 2600 only makes sense where you are extending an existing OmniStack estate at the edge or replacing failed ROBO nodes in a cluster you already operate.
Between the two Gen11 options, the SimpliVity 380 Gen11 is the broader workhorse: two sockets of 5th Gen Xeon (up to 64 cores each), up to 8 TB of DDR5, 123 TB raw SSD per node and 200GbE NIC headroom make it the right pick for mixed virtualisation estates, larger VDI pools and anything memory-hungry such as SQL or in-memory analytics. The 325 Gen11 trades the second socket and memory ceiling for density — a single EPYC of up to 160 cores in 1U more than doubles the cores-per-rack-U of the 380 and is the standout choice for VDI knowledge-worker pools, container hosts and any UK colocation where rack space, power draw or the per-U cross-connect is the binding constraint.
The 2600 should be read as an edge appliance, not a small-core appliance. Its 2-node-plus-Arbiter ROBO topology, OmniStack dedupe and WAN-efficient replication back to HQ are still genuinely useful for retail, manufacturing or NHS branch sites that need local VM hosting without on-site IT. But the 1st/2nd Gen Xeon Scalable CPUs, 1 TB DDR4 ceiling per node and PCIe 3.0 fabric are showing their age, and buyers should factor lifecycle support into any new purchase.
Recommendation framework: pick the 380 Gen11 as the default for core data-centre HCI where memory and storage scale matter; pick the 325 Gen11 when density, VDI core-count or rack/power economics dominate; and only specify the 2600 to extend an existing SimpliVity ROBO footprint where the operational model — central management, no on-site hands, OmniStack replication to HQ — is already proven and you don't need Gen11 performance at the branch.
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