HPE 873732-B21 4-Port 8 NVMe Slim SAS Secondary Riser Kit for ProLiant DL38X Gen10

The HPE 873732-B21 is a 4-port Slim SAS secondary riser kit enabling up to 8 NVMe drive support in HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 and DL360 Gen10 servers — providing the PCIe riser and Slim SAS cabling infrastructure required to expand NVMe drive bay capacity beyond the standard configuration for high-performance all-flash NVMe storage deployments in HPE Gen10 rack servers.

Key Features

• 4-port Slim SAS secondary riser enabling up to 8 NVMe drives in HPE DL38X Gen10 servers
• Slim SAS interface for NVMe drive backplane connectivity via PCIe bifurcation
• Secondary riser kit for NVMe storage expansion beyond standard Gen10 drive configurations
• HPE option kit (-B21) for standard channel procurement of Gen10 NVMe riser upgrade
• Enables high-density NVMe all-flash configurations in HPE DL380/DL360 Gen10 platforms

Product Specifications

• Part Number: 873732-B21
• Manufacturer: HP / HPE
• Compatible Systems: HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10, DL360 Gen10
• Interface: Slim SAS (4-port)
• NVMe Drive Support: Up to 8 NVMe drives (via PCIe bifurcation)
• Component Type: Secondary PCIe Riser with Slim SAS cabling

Component Specifications

• Riser Type: Secondary PCIe riser with Slim SAS connectors
• Slim SAS Ports: 4x Slim SAS ports (each supporting 2 NVMe lanes)
• PCIe: PCIe 3.0 bifurcated lanes for NVMe drive connectivity
• Compatibility: DL380 Gen10 and DL360 Gen10 with NVMe-capable backplane
• Included: Slim SAS cables and secondary riser bracket

Performance Specifications

• NVMe Bandwidth: PCIe 3.0 x4 per NVMe drive (up to ~3.5 GB/s per drive)
• Aggregate Throughput: Up to 28 GB/s across 8 NVMe drives (PCIe 3.0 x4 per drive)
• Latency: NVMe sub-100µs access for all-flash workloads
• IOPS: Scales linearly with number of NVMe drives installed

Use Cases

• NVMe drive bay expansion for HPE ProLiant DL380/DL360 Gen10 all-flash NVMe deployments
• High-density NVMe storage for AI/ML, high-frequency trading, and latency-sensitive databases
• Upgrading HPE Gen10 servers from SAS/SATA storage to NVMe all-flash configuration
• Maximizing NVMe drive count per server for highest IOPS density in HPE Gen10 rack servers

Compatibility

• HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 with NVMe-capable backplane configuration
• HPE ProLiant DL360 Gen10 with NVMe-capable backplane configuration
• Requires HPE Smart Array controller or NVMe HBA supporting PCIe bifurcation
• Verify DL38X Gen10 NVMe riser compatibility via HPE QuickSpecs before ordering

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Slim SAS and how does it enable NVMe connectivity?

Slim SAS (SFF-8654) is a compact, high-density connector standard used in HPE Gen10 and later servers to connect NVMe drive backplanes to PCIe riser cards. Unlike traditional SAS, Slim SAS carries PCIe lanes rather than SAS signals, enabling NVMe protocol connectivity at PCIe bandwidth. Each Slim SAS port can carry multiple PCIe x4 lanes, supporting multiple NVMe drives per cable.

What is the difference between the primary and secondary NVMe riser in HPE DL380 Gen10?

The primary riser in HPE DL380 Gen10 supports NVMe drives in the standard front bay configuration. The 873732-B21 secondary riser adds a second PCIe riser slot connection enabling additional NVMe drive bays, expanding total NVMe drive capacity beyond what the primary riser supports. Both risers work together to maximize the DL380 Gen10 NVMe drive count for all-flash deployments.

Does the 873732-B21 riser support NVMe drives from any manufacturer?

The 873732-B21 is designed for HPE-certified NVMe drives. While PCIe NVMe is an industry standard, HPE ProLiant servers perform best with HPE-certified NVMe drives that include HPE Digitally Signed Firmware and are validated through HPE's compatibility matrix. Third-party NVMe drives may function but are not covered under HPE's server warranty or support agreements.

The HPE 873732-B21 Slim SAS secondary riser kit enables up to 8 NVMe drives in HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 and DL360 Gen10 servers — providing the PCIe riser infrastructure for high-density NVMe all-flash expansion, delivering aggregate NVMe bandwidth exceeding 28 GB/s for AI/ML, latency-sensitive databases, and all-flash NVMe storage deployments in HPE Gen10 rack server environments.