On-Premises Datacenter Servers for AI Workloads; Lenovo, Dell, and HPE Comparison

Choosing the right datacenter server for AI workloads requires balancing performance, GPU compatibility, total cost of ownership, and vendor lifecycle management. This guide compares enterprise servers from the three leading vendors—Lenovo, Dell, and HPE—with a focus on AI/ML capabilities.

Key Selection Criteria

When selecting a datacenter server for AI workloads, prioritize:

1. GPU compatibility and density (especially NVIDIA H100, L40, L4, A100)
2. Memory bandwidth (DDR5 at 4800-5600 MT/s)
3. PCIe Gen5 support for maximum GPU throughput
4. Thermal management (air vs. liquid cooling)
5. Total Cost of Ownership (hardware + support + power)

Market Overview: Vendor Positioning

All three vendors offer comprehensive server portfolios, but each has distinct strengths:

Vendor	Strengths	AI/ML Focus	Market Position
Lenovo	Innovation in liquid cooling (Neptune), competitive pricing, strong HPC heritage	ThinkSystem V3/V4 with excellent GPU density	#3 globally, growing AI market share
Dell	Broadest product range, PowerEdge XE series for extreme AI, excellent management (iDRAC)	Industry-leading XE9680 with 8x H100 support	#1 in server market share
HPE	Enterprise reliability, GreenLake as-a-service model, ProLiant Gen11 security features	DL380a Gen11 optimized for AI inference	#2 globally, strong enterprise presence

Entry-Level Servers (1U Form Factor)

These compact 1U servers are ideal for edge AI deployments, small-scale inference, and development environments.

Lenovo SR630 V3/V4

Lenovo ThinkSystem SR630 V3 (Current) / SR630 V4 (New)

Form Factor: 1U dual-socket rack server

Processor Support:

• V3: 4th/5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable (up to 64 cores per CPU, 385W)
• V4: 6th Gen Intel Xeon (up to 288 cores total with E-cores)

Memory:

• V3: Up to 8TB DDR5 (32 DIMMs, 5600 MT/s)
• V4: Up to 8TB DDR5 with MRDIMM support for ultra-high performance

GPU Support:

• V3: Limited GPU support (primarily for inference, not training)
• V4: Enhanced GPU support with improved cooling

Storage:

• Up to 12x 2.5" hot-swap drives OR
• Up to 16x EDSFF E1.S NVMe drives (direct PCIe Gen5)
• Up to 4x 3.5" drives

Key Features:

• Neptune liquid cooling support (V3/V4) - reduces fan power by up to 84%
• PCIe Gen5 support (V4) with improved bandwidth
• XClarity Controller for comprehensive management
• Energy-efficient design with 80 PLUS Platinum/Titanium PSUs

AI Workload Suitability:

• ✅ AI inference at the edge
• ✅ Model serving with vLLM (small models: 7B-13B)
• ✅ Development and testing
• ❌ Large-scale training
• ❌ Multi-GPU workflows

Estimated Pricing (Base Configuration):

• V3: $4,000-$6,000 (2x Xeon Silver/Gold, 128GB RAM, basic storage)
• V4: $6,000-$8,500 (2x Xeon 6 P-cores, 128GB DDR5, NVMe storage)

Lifecycle Status:

• V3: Released Q4 2023, currently in full production
• V4: Released Q1 2025, latest generation
• Expected EOS: V3 likely 2026-2027, V4 active through 2028+

Dell PowerEdge R650/R760

Dell PowerEdge R650 (Previous) / R760 (Current)

Form Factor: 1U dual-socket rack server

Processor Support:

• R650: 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable (up to 40 cores, 270W)
• R760: 4th/5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable (up to 64 cores, 350W)

Memory:

• R650: Up to 8TB DDR4 (32 DIMMs, 3200 MT/s)
• R760: Up to 8TB DDR5 (32 DIMMs, 5600 MT/s with 1DPC)

GPU Support:

• R650: Limited - up to 1x double-wide GPU
• R760: Enhanced - up to 2x double-wide or 6x single-wide GPUs

Storage:

• Up to 12x NVMe U.2 drives (Gen4 on R650, Gen5 on R760)
• Up to 10x 2.5" or 4x 3.5" configurations
• Flexible front/rear drive bay options

Key Features:

• iDRAC9 (R650) / iDRAC10 (R760) for advanced remote management
• Smart Flow chassis for optimized cooling
• Cyber Resilient Architecture with Silicon Root of Trust
• PCIe Gen4 (R650) / Gen5 (R760) expansion

AI Workload Suitability:

• ✅ Small AI inference deployments
• ✅ Model development and testing
• ✅ Edge AI with moderate GPU requirements
• ⚠️ Limited for training (only 1-2 GPUs)
• ❌ Large-scale AI training

Estimated Pricing (Base Configuration):

• R650: $3,500-$5,500 (refurbished/EOL discounts available)
• R760: $5,500-$8,000 (2x Xeon Gold, 128GB DDR5, NVMe storage)

Lifecycle Status:

• R650: Released May 2021, approaching end of mainstream sales
• R760: Released Q1 2024, current generation
• Expected EOS: R650 likely 2026, R760 active through 2029+

HPE ProLiant DL360 Gen11

HPE ProLiant DL360 Gen11

Form Factor: 1U dual-socket rack server

Processor Support:

• 4th/5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable (up to 64 cores per CPU, 350W)
• AMD EPYC 9004 Series option (DL365 Gen11 variant)

Memory:

• Up to 8TB DDR5 (32 DIMMs, 5600 MT/s)
• Memory bandwidth optimized for AI workloads

GPU Support:

• Limited in 1U form factor
• Up to 2x single-wide GPUs
• Primarily designed for inference, not training

Storage:

• Up to 10x 2.5" NVMe drives (PCIe Gen5)
• Flexible front and rear storage configurations
• Support for boot-optimized M.2 storage

Key Features:

• HPE iLO6 for comprehensive lifecycle management
• Silicon Root of Trust security
• Support for HPE GreenLake as-a-service consumption model
• Energy-efficient with multiple power supply options

AI Workload Suitability:

• ✅ Edge AI inference
• ✅ Lightweight model serving
• ✅ Distributed inference workloads
• ❌ Training workloads
• ❌ Multi-GPU requirements

Estimated Pricing (Base Configuration):

• $5,000-$7,500 (2x Xeon Gold, 128GB DDR5, NVMe storage)

Lifecycle Status:

• Released: Q2 2023
• Current Status: Active production
• Expected EOS: 2028-2029 (typical 5-year lifecycle)

Entry-Level (1U) Comparison Summary

Feature	Lenovo SR630 V4	Dell R760	HPE DL360 Gen11
Price Range	$6K-$8.5K	$5.5K-$8K	$5K-$7.5K
Max Cores	288 (with E-cores)	128	128
Memory	8TB DDR5	8TB DDR5	8TB DDR5
GPU Capacity	Limited	2x DW or 6x SW	2x SW
PCIe Gen	Gen5	Gen5	Gen5
Cooling Innovation	Neptune liquid	Smart Flow air	Standard air
Best For	HPC, 5G, telco edge	General enterprise, VDI	Secure enterprise, cloud

Recommendation: For 1U AI workloads, the Dell R760 offers the best balance of GPU support and price, while the Lenovo SR630 V4 leads in raw compute density with E-core support.

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Medium Workload Servers (2U Form Factor)

The 2U form factor provides significantly better GPU support, thermal headroom, and expansion capabilities for AI workloads.

Lenovo SR650 V3/V4

Lenovo ThinkSystem SR650 V3 (Current) / SR650 V4 (New)

Form Factor: 2U dual-socket rack server

Processor Support:

• V3: 4th/5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable (up to 64 cores per CPU, 350W)
• V4: 6th Gen Intel Xeon (up to 144 cores per socket)

Memory:

• Up to 8TB DDR5 (32 DIMMs, 5600 MT/s)
• Support for Intel Optane Persistent Memory 300 Series (V3)

GPU Support:

• V3: Up to 3x double-wide or 6x single-wide GPUs
• V4: Up to 25% more GPU capacity than competitors
• Supports NVIDIA H100, L40S, L40, L4, A100 (PCIe versions)

Storage:

• Up to 32x E3.S drives (V4) - industry-leading density
• Up to 24x 2.5" NVMe/SAS/SATA drives
• Up to 12x 3.5" drives for capacity-focused workloads

Expansion:

• Up to 10x PCIe Gen5 slots (V4)
• 2x OCP 3.0 slots standard
• Front-accessible PCIe slots for easier serviceability

Key Features:

• Neptune Core Module liquid cooling - removes up to 80% of heat via water
• XClarity Controller with AI-powered management
• 6x dual-rotor hot-plug fans for robust cooling
• Energy efficiency with 80 PLUS Titanium PSUs

AI Workload Suitability:

• ✅ AI training (small to medium models: up to 34B parameters)
• ✅ Multi-GPU inference serving
• ✅ Model fine-tuning and customization
• ✅ Engineering simulations
• ⚠️ Limited for very large model training (70B+)

Estimated Pricing:

• Base: $8,000-$12,000 (2x Xeon Gold, 256GB RAM, 4x NVMe)
• With 3x L4 GPUs: $18,000-$22,000
• With 3x L40S GPUs: $35,000-$45,000

Lifecycle Status:

• V3: Released Q4 2023, mainstream production
• V4: Released Q1 2025, latest generation
• Expected EOS: V3 ~2027, V4 active through 2030+

Dell PowerEdge R750/R760

Dell PowerEdge R750 (Previous) / R760 (Current)

Form Factor: 2U dual-socket rack server

Processor Support:

• R750: 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable (up to 40 cores, 270W)
• R760: 4th/5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable (up to 64 cores, 350W)

Memory:

• R750: Up to 8TB DDR4 (32 DIMMs, 3200 MT/s)
• R760: Up to 8TB DDR5 (32 DIMMs, 5600 MT/s)

GPU Support:

• R750: Up to 3x double-wide or 6x single-wide GPUs
• R760: Up to 3x double-wide or 6x single-wide GPUs
• Validated for NVIDIA H100, A100, L40S, L40, L4, T4 (PCIe versions)

Storage:

• R760: Up to 24x 2.5" NVMe drives (PCIe Gen5)
• Up to 16x E3.S drives (emerging form factor)
• Up to 12x 3.5" drives for capacity storage

Expansion:

• Up to 8x PCIe slots (mix of Gen4/Gen5 on R760)
• OCP 3.0 mezzanine slot for networking
• Modular riser design for flexible configurations

Key Features:

• OpenManage Enterprise for centralized management
• Smart Flow chassis with improved airflow
• Optional Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC) for high-power CPUs
• Cyber Resilient Architecture throughout lifecycle

AI Workload Suitability:

• ✅ AI training (small to medium models)
• ✅ Multi-GPU inference deployments
• ✅ Model fine-tuning and RAG applications
• ✅ Virtual desktop infrastructure with GPU acceleration
• ⚠️ Limited for very large model training

Estimated Pricing:

• R750 (Refurbished): $6,000-$9,000 (EOL discounts)
• R760 Base: $9,000-$13,000 (2x Xeon Gold, 256GB DDR5)
• R760 with 3x L4 GPUs: $19,000-$24,000
• R760 with 3x A100 80GB: $60,000-$75,000

Lifecycle Status:

• R750: Released May 2021, nearing end of mainstream sales
• R760: Released Q1 2024, current flagship
• Expected EOS: R750 ~2026, R760 active through 2029+

HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen11

HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen11

Form Factor: 2U dual-socket rack server

Processor Support:

• 4th/5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable (up to 64 cores per CPU, 350W)
• High-performance configurations up to 60 cores validated

Memory:

• Up to 8TB DDR5 (32 DIMMs, 5600 MT/s)
• 16 DIMM channels per processor for maximum bandwidth

GPU Support:

• Up to 3x double-wide or 8x single-wide GPUs
• New: Support for NVIDIA H100, L40, L4 GPUs
• Validated for NVIDIA AI Enterprise software suite

Storage:

• Multiple configurations: 12x 3.5", 24x 2.5", or 20x EDSFF
• Front, mid-tray, and rear drive cage options
• Flexible storage for diverse workloads

Expansion:

• Up to 8 PCIe Gen5 slots
• 2x OCP 3.0 slots for advanced networking
• Modular design for future upgrades

Key Features:

• HPE iLO6 with AI-powered management and predictive analytics
• HPE Silicon Root of Trust - industry-leading security
• Support for HPE GreenLake consumption model
• Multiple security modes (FIPS 140-2, CNSA compliance)

AI Workload Suitability:

• ✅ Enterprise AI inference at scale
• ✅ Multi-tenant AI serving
• ✅ Model training (small to medium models)
• ✅ Secure AI workloads requiring compliance
• ✅ Virtual GPU (vGPU) for multi-user environments

Estimated Pricing:

• Base: $10,000-$14,000 (2x Xeon Gold, 256GB DDR5)
• With 3x L4 GPUs: $20,000-$26,000
• With 3x L40 GPUs: $35,000-$48,000
• GreenLake Option: ~$2,000-$3,500/month (3-year commitment)

Lifecycle Status:

• Released: Q2 2023
• Current Status: Mainstream production, world-record holder for TPC-H benchmark
• Expected EOS: 2028-2029

Medium Workload (2U) Comparison Summary

Feature	Lenovo SR650 V4	Dell R760	HPE DL380 Gen11
Price Range	$8K-$12K (base)	$9K-$13K (base)	$10K-$14K (base)
Max GPUs	3x DW / 6x SW	3x DW / 6x SW	3x DW / 8x SW
H100 Support	✅ PCIe only	✅ PCIe only	✅ PCIe only
Max Storage	32x E3.S drives	24x 2.5" NVMe	24x 2.5" / 20x EDSFF
Liquid Cooling	Neptune (80% heat)	DLC optional	Not standard
TCO (3yr)	$25K-$35K	$28K-$38K	$30K-$42K
Best For	HPC, cost-conscious AI	Broad compatibility	Secure enterprise AI

Recommendation: The HPE DL380 Gen11 offers the best GPU density (up to 8x SW) and security features, making it ideal for enterprise AI deployments. The Lenovo SR650 V4 leads in storage density and thermal efficiency with Neptune cooling. The Dell R760 provides the most mature ecosystem and management tools.

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GPU-Optimized Servers (2U Accelerated)

Purpose-built servers optimized for maximum GPU density in a 2U form factor.

Lenovo SR650a V4

Lenovo ThinkSystem SR650a V4

Form Factor: 2U dual-socket rack server (GPU-optimized)

Processor Support:

• 6th Gen Intel Xeon (P-cores only)
• Up to 64 cores per processor

Memory:

• Up to 3TB DDR5 (24 DIMMs, 5600 MT/s)
• Optimized memory channels for GPU workloads

GPU Support:

• ⭐ Up to 4x double-wide GPUs with NVLink
• ⭐ Up to 8x single-wide GPUs
• Supports NVIDIA H100 NVL 94GB with NVLink
• Front-mounted GPU slots for improved thermal management

Storage:

• Up to 8x NVMe drive bays
• Optimized for AI datasets rather than bulk storage

Cooling:

• 6x dual-rotor hot-plug fans
• Neptune liquid cooling support
• Front GPU placement for optimal airflow

Key Features:

• Four dedicated PSUs: 2x for system, 2x for GPUs (up to 2200W)
• Front GPU access for easier maintenance
• NVLink support for multi-GPU training
• PCIe Gen5 throughout

AI Workload Suitability:

• ✅✅ Large model training (70B+ parameters)
• ✅✅ Multi-GPU inference with NVLink
• ✅ LLM fine-tuning and customization
• ✅ Deep learning research
• ✅ Computer vision at scale

Estimated Pricing:

• Base: $12,000-$16,000 (no GPUs)
• With 4x L40S 48GB: $45,000-$55,000
• With 4x H100 80GB NVL: $140,000-$160,000

Lifecycle Status:

• Released: Q1 2025 (very new)
• Current Status: Early production
• Expected EOS: 2030+

Dell PowerEdge R760xa

Dell PowerEdge R760xa

Form Factor: 2U dual-socket rack server (GPU-accelerated)

Processor Support:

• 4th/5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable (up to 64 cores per CPU)

Memory:

• Up to 8TB DDR5 (32 DIMMs, 5600 MT/s)

GPU Support:

• Up to 4x double-wide GPUs
• Up to 6x single-wide GPUs
• Supports NVIDIA H100, L40S, L40, L4 (PCIe versions)
• No NVLink support (PCIe-only communication)

Storage:

• Up to 8x 2.5" NVMe drives
• Front-accessible storage for GPU-focused deployments

Expansion:

• Up to 8x PCIe Gen5 slots
• OCP 3.0 networking options

Key Features:

• Dual redundant PSUs (up to 2800W)
• Smart Flow air cooling optimized for GPUs
• iDRAC10 with AI-powered insights
• Optimized for NVIDIA AI Enterprise

AI Workload Suitability:

• ✅ AI training (medium models: up to 70B parameters)
• ✅ High-throughput inference serving
• ✅ Model fine-tuning and customization
• ✅ Multi-model deployment
• ⚠️ Limited inter-GPU bandwidth (no NVLink)

Estimated Pricing:

• Base: $10,000-$14,000 (no GPUs)
• With 4x L40S 48GB: $48,000-$60,000
• With 4x H100 80GB: $150,000-$175,000 (limited availability)

Lifecycle Status:

• Released: Q1 2024
• Current Status: Mainstream production
• Expected EOS: 2029+

HPE ProLiant DL380a Gen11

HPE ProLiant DL380a Gen11

Form Factor: 2U dual-socket rack server (accelerator-optimized)

Processor Support:

• 4th/5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable (up to 64 cores, 350W)

Memory:

• Up to 3TB DDR5 (24 DIMMs, 5600 MT/s)
• 12 DIMM channels per processor

GPU Support:

• ⭐ Up to 4x double-wide GPUs
• ⭐ Up to 8x single-wide GPUs
• Supports NVIDIA H100, L40, L4, A100 (PCIe versions)
• Intel Data Center GPU Max 1100 support

Storage:

• Reduced storage compared to standard DL380 Gen11
• Focus on GPU compute rather than storage density
• Front storage cages removed to accommodate GPU boxes

Cooling:

• 6x hot-plug fan modules
• Separate power domains: 2x PSUs for system, 2x PSUs for GPUs
• Four PSUs total (up to 2200W each)

Key Features:

• Optimized airflow with front-mounted GPUs
• HPE iLO6 with predictive analytics
• Silicon Root of Trust security
• Compatible with HPE GreenLake consumption model

AI Workload Suitability:

• ✅✅ Enterprise AI inference at scale
• ✅ AI training (medium to large models)
• ✅ Multi-tenant GPU workloads
• ✅ Secure AI deployments (FIPS/CNSA compliant)
• ✅ Virtual GPU for VDI

Estimated Pricing:

• Base: $15,000-$20,000 (no GPUs)
• With 4x L40 48GB: $50,000-$65,000
• With 4x H100 80GB: $155,000-$180,000
• GreenLake: ~$4,000-$6,000/month (3-year term, includes GPUs)

Lifecycle Status:

• Released: Q4 2023
• Current Status: Production
• Expected EOS: 2028-2029

GPU-Optimized Comparison Summary

Feature	Lenovo SR650a V4	Dell R760xa	HPE DL380a Gen11
Price (4x L40S)	$45K-$55K	$48K-$60K	$50K-$65K
Price (4x H100)	$140K-$160K	$150K-$175K	$155K-$180K
Max GPUs	4x DW / 8x SW	4x DW / 6x SW	4x DW / 8x SW
NVLink Support	✅ (H100 NVL)	❌	❌
Max Memory	3TB	8TB	3TB
Power Supply	4x (2 + 2)	2x (up to 2800W)	4x (2 + 2)
Liquid Cooling	Optional (Neptune)	No	No
As-a-Service	No	No	✅ GreenLake

Recommendation: For maximum GPU performance with NVLink, choose the Lenovo SR650a V4 (only option with H100 NVL support). For enterprise deployments with as-a-service flexibility, the HPE DL380a Gen11 with GreenLake offers predictable OpEx pricing. The Dell R760xa provides the best balance of memory capacity (8TB) and GPU density.

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Enterprise AI Servers (Multi-GPU, High-End)

For organizations running frontier-scale AI models, training large language models, or deploying production AI at scale.

Dell PowerEdge XE9680

Dell PowerEdge XE9680

Form Factor: 6U air-cooled rack server (8-way GPU)

Processor Support:

• 4th/5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable (up to 64 cores per CPU)
• Dual-socket configuration

Memory:

• Up to 4TB DDR5 (32 DIMMs)
• Optimized for GPU-to-memory bandwidth

GPU Support:

• ⭐⭐ 8x NVIDIA HGX H100 80GB SXM5 GPUs (700W each)
• ⭐⭐ 8x NVIDIA HGX H200 141GB SXM5 GPUs
• ⭐ 8x NVIDIA HGX A100 80GB SXM4 GPUs (500W each)
• ⭐ Future support for NVIDIA B200 and Intel Gaudi3
• Full NVLink interconnect: up to 900GB/s GPU-to-GPU bandwidth

Storage:

• Up to 8x U.2 NVMe drives
• Focus on compute rather than storage
• Designed for networked storage backends

Expansion:

• Dedicated networking: 1x OCP 3.0 slot
• 2x 1GbE LOM standard
• Optional 100GbE/200GbE networking

Cooling:

• Air-cooled: up to 16 high-performance fans (6 front + 10 rear)
• New: Liquid-cooled option with DLC for B200 configuration
• Smart Cooling technology with dynamic fan control

Key Features:

• Industry-leading AI performance (Dell claims #1)
• Multi-Instance GPU (MIG) support for multi-tenancy
• Cyber Resilient Architecture with factory-to-site integrity
• Validated for NVIDIA AI Enterprise and major ML frameworks

AI Workload Suitability:

• ✅✅✅ Large language model training (100B+ parameters)
• ✅✅✅ Frontier-scale AI research
• ✅✅ Multi-model serving with MIG
• ✅✅ Recommender systems at scale
• ✅✅ Computer vision and NLP pipelines
• ✅ High-performance computing (HPC) + AI fusion

Estimated Pricing:

• Base (no GPUs): $30,000-$40,000
• With 8x A100 80GB SXM4: $180,000-$220,000
• With 8x H100 80GB SXM5: $280,000-$350,000
• With 8x H200 141GB SXM5: $350,000-$450,000

TCO Considerations:

• Power consumption: 7-10 kW per server (with H100s)
• Cooling requirements: Significant datacenter cooling infrastructure needed
• Network fabric: Requires high-speed InfiniBand or Ethernet (NVIDIA Spectrum-X)
• 3-year TCO: $350K-$500K+ (including power, cooling, networking)

Lifecycle Status:

• Released: Q2 2022 (A100 version), Q2 2023 (H100 version)
• Current Status: Flagship AI server, continuous updates
• H200 Support: Added Q1 2024
• B200/B100 Support: Expected 2025
• Expected EOS: Active through 2027+ (platform longevity)

Comparison to Alternatives:

• Competes with NVIDIA DGX H100 (8x H100 SXM5) at ~$300K-$400K
• More cost-effective than DGX with similar performance
• Dell management and support ecosystem vs. NVIDIA's AI-focused tools

HPE Cray XD Series

HPE Cray XD665 / XD670

Form Factor: 4U/5U liquid-cooled rack server (8-way GPU option)

Note: HPE's highest-end AI servers are part of the Cray supercomputing portfolio rather than ProLiant.

Processor Support:

• AMD EPYC 9004 Series (up to 128 cores per CPU)
• Dual-socket configuration

GPU Support:

• Up to 8x NVIDIA H100 SXM5 GPUs
• Full NVLink interconnect
• Liquid cooling required

Key Differentiators:

• Integrated into HPE Cray EX supercomputing architecture
• Slingshot interconnect for extreme scaling
• Primarily sold as part of larger HPC/AI systems

Estimated Pricing:

• Typically part of multi-million dollar HPC deployments
• Not sold as standalone servers in most cases
• Contact HPE for enterprise quotes

For ProLiant-based deployments: HPE recommends scaling out multiple DL380a Gen11 servers rather than a single 8-way GPU system.

Lenovo Scale-Out

Lenovo SR780a V3 (GPU Server)

Form Factor: 4U dual-socket GPU server

GPU Support:

• Up to 8x NVIDIA GPUs (PCIe or SXM depending on configuration)
• Support for NVIDIA H100, A100, L40 series

Key Points:

• Lenovo's strategy focuses on the SR650a V4 for mid-range GPU and scale-out clusters
• Does not currently offer a direct XE9680 competitor in a single chassis
• Recommends multiple SR650a V4 nodes for 8+ GPU deployments

Estimated Pricing:

• $150,000-$250,000 (fully configured with 8x H100)

Enterprise AI Server Comparison

Feature	Dell XE9680	HPE Cray XD665	Lenovo SR780a V3
Form Factor	6U air-cooled	4U liquid-cooled	4U
8x H100 Price	$280K-$350K	Quote only	$250K-$300K
GPU Interconnect	NVLink (900GB/s)	NVLink + Slingshot	NVLink
Availability	Standard product	HPC/supercomputer only	Standard product
Target Market	AI training at scale	HPC + AI fusion	HPC + AI
Management	iDRAC10	HPE Cray system SW	XClarity

Recommendation: The Dell PowerEdge XE9680 is the clear leader for standalone 8-way GPU deployments. It's a mature, proven platform with the broadest ecosystem support. For organizations building large-scale HPC+AI systems, HPE Cray XD series offers superior interconnect technology. Lenovo's strategy focuses on scale-out rather than scale-up for 8+ GPU requirements.

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Pricing Analysis: Total Cost of Ownership

Understanding TCO beyond initial hardware acquisition costs is critical for AI infrastructure decisions.

Small AI Deployment (10-20 concurrent users)

Scenario: LLM inference serving (Llama 3 8B model)

Lenovo SR630 V3

Configuration:

• 1x Lenovo SR630 V3
• 2x Xeon Gold 6430 (32 cores each)
• 256GB DDR5 RAM
• 2x 1.92TB NVMe SSD
• 1x NVIDIA L4 24GB GPU

Costs:

• Hardware: $9,500
• 3-year warranty: $800
• Annual power (500W avg): $525/year →$1,575 (3 years)
• Cooling overhead (30%): $157/year →$471
• **Rack space (1U @ $50/mo):**$1,800
• 3-Year TCO: ~$14,146

Cost per user: $707-$1,414 (10-20 users)

Dell R760

Configuration:

• 1x Dell PowerEdge R760
• 2x Xeon Gold 6438Y (32 cores each)
• 256GB DDR5 RAM
• 2x 1.92TB NVMe SSD
• 1x NVIDIA L4 24GB GPU

Costs:

• Hardware: $10,200
• 3-year ProSupport: $1,200
• Annual power (520W avg): $546/year →$1,638
• Cooling overhead (30%): $164/year →$492
• **Rack space (1U @ $50/mo):**$1,800
• 3-Year TCO: ~$15,330

Cost per user: $767-$1,533

HPE DL360 Gen11

Configuration:

• 1x HPE ProLiant DL360 Gen11
• 2x Xeon Gold 6438N (32 cores each)
• 256GB DDR5 RAM
• 2x 1.92TB NVMe SSD
• 1x NVIDIA L4 24GB GPU

Costs:

• Hardware: $10,800
• 3-year HPE Foundation Care: $1,400
• Annual power (510W avg): $536/year →$1,608
• Cooling overhead (30%): $161/year →$483
• **Rack space (1U @ $50/mo):**$1,800
• 3-Year TCO: ~$16,091

Cost per user: $805-$1,609

Alternative - GreenLake:

• Monthly cost: $650-$850 (includes hardware, support, refresh)
• 3-year total: $23,400-$30,600
• Trade-off: Higher total cost but zero CapEx, includes automatic hardware refresh

Medium AI Deployment (50-100 concurrent users)

Scenario: Multi-model serving (Mixtral 8x7B + Llama 3 13B)

Lenovo SR650 V4

Configuration:

• 1x Lenovo SR650 V4
• 2x Xeon Platinum 8570 (56 cores each)
• 512GB DDR5 RAM
• 4x 3.84TB NVMe SSD
• 3x NVIDIA L40S 48GB GPUs

Costs:

• Hardware: $48,000
• Neptune liquid cooling: $3,500
• 3-year warranty: $2,400
• Annual power (1,800W avg with liquid cooling): $1,890/year →$5,670
• Cooling overhead (15% with liquid): $283/year →$849
• **Rack space (2U @ $100/mo):**$3,600
• 3-Year TCO: ~$64,019

Cost per user: $640-$1,280 (50-100 users)

Dell R760

Configuration:

• 1x Dell R760
• 2x Xeon Platinum 8568Y+ (48 cores each)
• 512GB DDR5 RAM
• 4x 3.84TB NVMe SSD
• 3x NVIDIA L40S 48GB GPUs

Costs:

• Hardware: $50,000
• 3-year ProSupport Plus: $4,000
• Annual power (2,200W avg, air-cooled): $2,310/year →$6,930
• Cooling overhead (30%): $693/year →$2,079
• **Rack space (2U @ $100/mo):**$3,600
• 3-Year TCO: ~$66,609

Cost per user: $666-$1,332

HPE DL380 Gen11

Configuration:

• 1x HPE DL380 Gen11
• 2x Xeon Platinum 8562Y+ (64 cores each)
• 512GB DDR5 RAM
• 4x 3.84TB NVMe SSD
• 3x NVIDIA L40S 48GB GPUs

Costs:

• Hardware: $52,000
• 3-year HPE Datacenter Care: $4,500
• Annual power (2,100W avg): $2,205/year →$6,615
• Cooling overhead (30%): $662/year →$1,986
• **Rack space (2U @ $100/mo):**$3,600
• 3-Year TCO: ~$68,701

Cost per user: $687-$1,374

GreenLake Alternative:

• Monthly cost: $3,200-$4,000
• 3-year total: $115,200-$144,000
• Trade-off: 68-110% higher cost but zero CapEx, flexible scaling

Large Enterprise Deployment (200+ concurrent users)

Scenario: Llama 3 70B with high throughput requirements

Lenovo SR650a V4

Configuration:

• 2x Lenovo SR650a V4 (for redundancy)
• Each: 2x Xeon Platinum 8592+ (64 cores)
• Each: 1TB DDR5 RAM
• Each: 8x 7.68TB NVMe SSD
• Each: 4x NVIDIA H100 80GB NVL with NVLink

Costs (per server):

• Hardware: $165,000
• Neptune liquid cooling: $5,000
• 3-year warranty: $8,000
• Annual power (4,500W avg): $4,725/year →$14,175
• Cooling overhead (15% with liquid): $709/year →$2,127
• **Rack space (2U @ $100/mo):**$3,600

Per Server TCO: ~$197,902 **2-Server Deployment:** ~$395,804 Cost per user (200 users): $1,979

Dell XE9680

Configuration:

• 1x Dell PowerEdge XE9680
• 2x Xeon Platinum 8592+ (64 cores each)
• 2TB DDR5 RAM
• 8x 7.68TB NVMe SSD
• 8x NVIDIA HGX H100 80GB SXM5 with NVLink

Costs:

• Hardware: $320,000
• 3-year Mission Critical ProSupport: $25,000
• Annual power (8,500W avg): $8,925/year →$26,775
• Cooling overhead (35% for air-cooled): $3,124/year →$9,372
• **Rack space (6U @ $300/mo):**$10,800
• Network fabric (InfiniBand): $15,000
• 3-Year TCO: ~$406,947

Cost per user (200-500 users): $814-$2,035

Note: XE9680 is 2x the GPU count, so performance/TCO is competitive with 2x SR650a V4

HPE DL380a Gen11 Cluster

Configuration:

• 2x HPE DL380a Gen11 (for redundancy)
• Each: 2x Xeon Platinum 8592+ (64 cores)
• Each: 768GB DDR5 RAM
• Each: 6x 7.68TB NVMe SSD
• Each: 4x NVIDIA H100 80GB PCIe

Costs (per server):

• Hardware: $175,000
• 3-year HPE Datacenter Care: $12,000
• Annual power (4,800W avg): $5,040/year →$15,120
• Cooling overhead (30%): $1,512/year →$4,536
• **Rack space (2U @ $100/mo):**$3,600

Per Server TCO: ~$210,256 **2-Server Deployment:** ~$420,512 Cost per user (200 users): $2,103

GreenLake Alternative:

• Monthly cost: $15,000-$18,000 (2 servers)
• 3-year total: $540,000-$648,000
• Trade-off: 28-54% higher cost but includes refresh, support, and flexibility

TCO Summary by Deployment Size

Deployment Size	Best Value	Best Performance/$	Best for OpEx
Small (10-20 users)	Lenovo SR630 V3 ($14K)	Dell R760	HPE GreenLake ($24K)
Medium (50-100 users)	Lenovo SR650 V4 ($64K)	Lenovo SR650 V4	HPE GreenLake ($115K)
Large (200+ users)	Dell XE9680 ($407K for 8 GPUs)	Dell XE9680	HPE GreenLake (~$540K+)

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End of Life (EOL) Status

Understanding product lifecycles is critical for long-term planning and avoiding premature obsolescence.

Current Generation Servers (Active Production)

Vendor	Model	Released	Generation	Expected EOL	Expected EOSL
Lenovo	SR630 V4	Q1 2025	Latest (6th Gen Xeon)	2029-2030	2034-2035
Lenovo	SR650 V4	Q1 2025	Latest (6th Gen Xeon)	2029-2030	2034-2035
Lenovo	SR650a V4	Q1 2025	Latest (6th Gen Xeon)	2029-2030	2034-2035
Lenovo	SR630 V3	Q4 2023	Current (5th Gen Xeon)	2027-2028	2032-2033
Lenovo	SR650 V3	Q4 2023	Current (5th Gen Xeon)	2027-2028	2032-2033
Dell	R760	Q1 2024	Current (4th/5th Gen Xeon)	2029	2034
Dell	R760xa	Q1 2024	Current (4th/5th Gen Xeon)	2029	2034
Dell	XE9680	Q2 2022*	Current (4th/5th Gen Xeon)	2027-2028*	2032-2033*
HPE	DL360 Gen11	Q2 2023	Current (4th/5th Gen Xeon)	2028-2029	2033-2034
HPE	DL380 Gen11	Q2 2023	Current (4th/5th Gen Xeon)	2028-2029	2033-2034
HPE	DL380a Gen11	Q4 2023	Current (4th/5th Gen Xeon)	2028-2029	2033-2034

*Note: Dell XE9680 platform launched with A100 in 2022, but receives continuous GPU updates (H200 in 2024, B200 expected 2025), extending effective lifecycle.

Previous Generation (Approaching EOL)

Vendor	Model	Released	Status	Expected EOL	Notes
Lenovo	SR630 V2	Q2 2021	Withdrawn	2026	Replaced by V3, discounts available
Lenovo	SR650 V2	Q2 2021	Withdrawn	2026	Replaced by V3, discounts available
Dell	R650	Q2 2021	Near EOL	2026	Limited availability, refurbished market active
Dell	R750	Q2 2021	Near EOL	2026	Being phased out for R760
Dell	R750xa	Q2 2021	Near EOL	2026	Replaced by R760xa
HPE	DL360 Gen10 Plus	Q3 2020	EOL	2025	EOSL ~2030, refurbished only
HPE	DL380 Gen10 Plus	Q3 2020	EOL	2025	EOSL ~2030, refurbished only

Older Generation (End of Service Life Soon)

Vendor	Model	Released	EOL Date	EOSL Date	Recommendation
Lenovo	SR630 (Gen1/2)	2018-2019	2023-2024	2028-2029	Replace with V3/V4
Lenovo	SR650 (Gen1/2)	2018-2019	2023-2024	2028-2029	Replace with V3/V4
Dell	R640	2018	2023	2028	End of support soon
Dell	R740	2018	2023	2028	End of support soon
HPE	DL360 Gen10	2017	2022	2027	Replace immediately
HPE	DL380 Gen10	2017	2022	2027	Replace immediately

Lifecycle Planning Guidelines

Typical Server Lifecycles:

• Full Production: 4-5 years from release
• End of Life (EOL): Manufacturer stops selling new units
• End of Service Life (EOSL): Manufacturer stops providing support, parts, and firmware updates (typically 5 years after EOL)
• Recommended Refresh Cycle: 3-5 years for production AI workloads

Financial Considerations:

• Servers depreciate 20-33% annually (3-5 year depreciation schedules)
• EOSL servers incur higher operational risk (security vulnerabilities, no firmware updates)
• Third-party maintenance available but expensive (30-50% of original hardware cost annually)

AI-Specific Considerations:

• GPU generations advance rapidly (18-24 month cycles)
• PCIe generations matter: Gen4 → Gen5 increased bandwidth critical for AI
• Memory technology: DDR4 → DDR5 provides 50% more bandwidth
• Older servers may not support latest GPUs (power, PCIe lanes, cooling)

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Decision Matrix: Which Server Should You Buy?

By Workload Type

AI Inference

Best for Small-Scale Inference (1-20 users):

1. Dell PowerEdge R760 - Best balance of price and GPU support
2. Lenovo SR630 V3 - Most cost-effective
3. HPE DL360 Gen11 - Best for secure enterprise environments

Best for Medium-Scale Inference (50-100 users):

1. Lenovo SR650 V4 - Neptune cooling reduces TCO
2. HPE DL380 Gen11 - Highest GPU density (8x SW), great for multi-model
3. Dell R760 - Mature ecosystem, excellent iDRAC management

Best for Large-Scale Inference (200+ users):

1. Dell PowerEdge R760xa - 4x DW GPU support with mature platform
2. HPE DL380a Gen11 - Secure, compliant, with GreenLake option
3. Lenovo SR650a V4 - NVLink support for low-latency multi-GPU inference

AI Training

Best for Small Model Training (<13B parameters):

1. Dell R760 - 3 GPUs sufficient, lowest entry cost
2. Lenovo SR650 V3 - Good value with Neptune cooling option
3. HPE DL380 Gen11 - Secure option for sensitive data

Best for Medium Model Training (13B-70B parameters):

1. Lenovo SR650a V4 - NVLink support critical for training efficiency
2. HPE DL380a Gen11 - 4x GPU density with enterprise support
3. Dell R760xa - Solid all-around performer

Best for Large Model Training (70B+ parameters):

1. Dell PowerEdge XE9680 - Industry leader, 8x H100 with NVLink
2. Lenovo SR650a V4 Cluster - 2x nodes for 8 GPUs total, cost-effective
3. HPE Cray XD665 - If part of larger HPC deployment

Mixed Workloads

Best for Dev/Test + Light Production:

1. Dell PowerEdge R760 - Versatility champion
2. Lenovo SR650 V3 - Strong all-rounder with good expandability
3. HPE DL380 Gen11 - Enterprise-grade flexibility

Best for Multi-Model AI Serving:

1. HPE DL380 Gen11 - 8x SW GPU support ideal for MIG
2. Lenovo SR650 V4 - Excellent storage + GPU balance
3. Dell R760 - Broad compatibility, easy management

Best for HPC + AI Fusion:

1. Lenovo SR650 V4 - Neptune cooling for dense deployments
2. Dell XE9680 - Purpose-built for compute-intensive workloads
3. HPE Cray XD Series - If building supercomputing cluster

By Budget

Budget	Best Choice	Runner-Up	Notes
<$15K	Lenovo SR630 V3 + L4	Dell R760 + L4	Entry-level inference
$15K-$30K	Dell R760 + 2x L4	Lenovo SR650 V3 + 2x L4	Small production
$30K-$60K	Lenovo SR650 V4 + 3x L40S	Dell R760 + 3x L40S	Medium production
$60K-$100K	Dell R760xa + 4x L40S	HPE DL380a + 4x L40S	GPU-heavy workloads
$100K-$200K	Lenovo SR650a V4 + 4x H100	HPE DL380a + 4x H100	Large model training
$200K+	Dell XE9680 + 8x H100	2x SR650a V4 + 4x H100 each	Enterprise AI at scale

By Organization Type

Startups & SMBs:

• Best: Lenovo SR630/SR650 V3 series (cost-effective, good support)
• Alternative: Dell R760 (slightly more expensive but broader ecosystem)
• Consider: HPE GreenLake for OpEx model with zero CapEx

Mid-Market Enterprises:

• Best: Dell R760/R760xa (mature platform, excellent management tools)
• Alternative: Lenovo SR650 V4 (innovative cooling, competitive pricing)
• Consider: HPE DL380 Gen11 for regulated industries needing security certifications

Large Enterprises:

• Best: HPE ProLiant Gen11 series (security, compliance, GreenLake flexibility)
• Alternative: Dell PowerEdge with APEX (as-a-service option)
• For Scale: Dell XE9680 for AI centers of excellence

Research Institutions:

• Best: Dell XE9680 (proven in academic deployments, NVIDIA integration)
• Alternative: Lenovo cluster approach (better cost scaling)
• Consider: HPE Cray if building HPC facility

Regulated Industries (Finance, Healthcare, Government):

• Best: HPE ProLiant Gen11 (FIPS 140-2, CNSA, highest security certifications)
• Alternative: Dell PowerEdge (strong security, but HPE leads in certifications)
• Avoid: Consumer-focused solutions, prioritize datacenter-grade only

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Key Takeaways & Recommendations

Summary Points

1. All three vendors offer excellent AI-capable servers - your choice depends more on ecosystem, support, and specific requirements than raw performance differences
2. GPU support is the #1 differentiator - verify compatibility with your target GPUs (especially H100 variants)
3. Cooling strategy matters significantly - Lenovo's Neptune liquid cooling can reduce 3-year TCO by 10-15% via power savings
4. Lifecycle planning is critical - don't buy servers approaching EOL; prefer V3/V4 generation or Gen11 servers
5. Consider OpEx models - HPE GreenLake and Dell APEX offer flexibility for organizations avoiding CapEx

General Recommendations by Scenario

Best Overall Value:

• Small deployments: Lenovo ThinkSystem SR630 V3 with Neptune cooling
• Medium deployments: Lenovo ThinkSystem SR650 V4 (best performance per dollar)
• Large deployments: Dell PowerEdge XE9680 (economies of scale for 8-GPU systems)

Best for Enterprise Security:

• All sizes: HPE ProLiant Gen11 series (Silicon Root of Trust, FIPS/CNSA certifications)

Best for Innovation/Flexibility:

• Latest tech: Lenovo V4 series (Intel Xeon 6, Neptune cooling, MRDIMM support)

Best for Ecosystem/Support:

• Broad compatibility: Dell PowerEdge (largest market share, most third-party validation)

Best for CapEx Avoidance:

• As-a-Service: HPE GreenLake (most mature consumption model)

Final Vendor Ranking by Use Case

Use Case	1st Choice	2nd Choice	3rd Choice
Cost-Conscious AI	Lenovo	Dell	HPE
Enterprise Security	HPE	Dell	Lenovo
Extreme Performance	Dell (XE9680)	Lenovo	HPE (Cray)
Operational Simplicity	Dell	HPE	Lenovo
Innovation/Cooling	Lenovo (Neptune)	Dell	HPE
As-a-Service Model	HPE (GreenLake)	Dell (APEX)	Lenovo

Pre-Purchase Checklist

Before purchasing, verify:

• GPU compatibility - Confirm exact GPU models are validated for your server
• Power infrastructure - Ensure datacenter can support power requirements (especially for 4x+ GPU servers)
• Cooling capacity - Verify cooling infrastructure (liquid cooling may require facility upgrades)
• Network requirements - Plan for 100GbE or InfiniBand for multi-GPU AI training
• Software compatibility - Validate your AI frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, vLLM) are certified
• Support coverage - Compare warranty terms (3-year minimum for production)
• Lifecycle roadmap - Confirm server generation is current (not approaching EOL)
• Expansion path - Ensure room for memory/storage/GPU upgrades
• Budget alignment - Include 3-year TCO (power, cooling, support) not just acquisition cost
• Vendor lock-in - Consider multi-vendor strategy to avoid dependency

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Additional Resources

Vendor Documentation

Lenovo ThinkSystem:

• Product Guides: https://lenovopress.lenovo.com/servers/thinksystem
• GPU Support Matrix: https://lenovopress.lenovo.com/lp0768
• Neptune Cooling: https://www.lenovo.com/neptune

Dell PowerEdge:

• Server Documentation: https://www.dell.com/support/contents/en-us/category/product-support/self-support-knowledgebase/servers
• GPU Compatibility: https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000177362/dell-poweredge-gpu-support-matrix
• AI Solutions: https://www.dell.com/en-us/dt/solutions/artificial-intelligence/index.htm

HPE ProLiant:

• QuickSpecs: https://www.hpe.com/us/en/servers/quickspecs.html
• GPU Support: Search "HPE Server GPU Configuration Guide"
• GreenLake: https://www.hpe.com/us/en/greenlake.html

Community & Forums

• Lenovo Data Center Community: https://forums.lenovo.com/
• Dell Community: https://www.dell.com/community/
• HPE Support Community: https://community.hpe.com/

Price Quote Resources

• Direct Vendor Sales: Contact enterprise sales for volume discounts
• Authorized Resellers: CDW, Insight, SHI, Zones (often better pricing than direct)
• Refurbished Market: ServerMonkey, IT Creations, Aventis Systems (for EOL hardware)

Next Steps

1. Define your workload requirements - concurrent users, model size, training vs. inference
2. Calculate 3-year TCO - include power, cooling, support (not just hardware)
3. Request vendor quotes - from at least 2 vendors, compare apples-to-apples
4. Run proof-of-concept - many vendors offer trial programs
5. Plan for scale - buy for 18-24 months of growth, not just current needs

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Always validate specific configurations with vendors before purchasing. Prices and specifications subject to change. GPU availability (especially H100/H200) can have long lead times (3-6 months).