HPE launches ProLiant Gen13 servers for AI workloads

HPE has introduced four ProLiant Gen13 servers powered by 6th Generation AMD EPYC processors, expanding its server range for AI, analytics and other compute-intensive workloads.

The new systems are the ProLiant DL525 Gen13, ProLiant DL585a Gen13, ProLiant XD245 Gen13 and ProLiant XD285 Gen13. The line-up targets organisations running AI inference, virtualisation, simulation, modelling and analytics across distributed IT environments.

The announcement comes as businesses seek infrastructure that can support more AI workloads while meeting security and operational requirements. HPE cited McKinsey research showing that security and risk concerns remain a leading barrier to broader deployment of agentic AI.

Two of the new servers are positioned for mainstream enterprise use. The ProLiant DL525 Gen13 is a 1U single-socket system that supports one 6th Generation AMD EPYC processor with up to 256 cores, along with 16-channel memory and PCIe Gen6 connectivity.

The ProLiant DL585a Gen13 is a denser platform designed to support up to eight double-wide PCIe GPUs, along with two 6th Generation AMD EPYC processors and PCIe Gen6. It is intended for AI inference, retrieval-augmented generation model fine-tuning, analytics and virtualisation.

The other two systems target larger-scale compute deployments. Built on Open Compute Project standards, the ProLiant XD245 Gen13 and XD285 Gen13 are designed to increase rack density and use shared power and cooling in AI and high-performance computing environments.

The XD245 Gen13 uses a one-Open Rack Unit four-node direct liquid-cooled design and supports up to eight 6th Generation AMD EPYC processors. The XD285 Gen13 uses a two-Open Rack Unit two-node air-cooled design for data centre environments that do not use liquid cooling.

The pair are aimed at CPU-intensive work such as computer-aided engineering, weather and climate modelling, scientific research and financial modelling. They are engineered to process large simulations, complex computational models and large datasets at rack level.

Security focus

A central part of the launch is a set of security and management features tied to HPE Integrated Lights-Out 8 and HPE Compute Ops Management. The new servers include automatic self-encrypting drive technology intended to protect data at rest from first boot without additional configuration.

HPE also highlighted a multi-person authorisation feature requiring two authorised users to approve certain actions, including key provisioning and secure erase. The systems also extend post-quantum cryptography readiness to server communication paths and add component verification based on HPE's Silicon Root of Trust approach.

On the operations side, Compute Ops Management provides low-touch onboarding, compliance monitoring and near real-time visibility into power capacity. HPE cited a Forrester Consulting study commissioned by the company that found users spent 50% less time managing servers and achieved a 209% return on investment.

Krista Satterthwaite, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Compute at HPE, outlined the company's position on the new systems. "Organisations need to turn their investments in agentic AI and inference into business value without adding operational complexity or risk," said Satterthwaite. "For these workloads, HPE ProLiant Gen13 brings together optimised performance, built-in, automatic security, intelligent operations, and proven reliability. It gives customers a trusted foundation to modernise and innovate today and adapt as their requirements evolve."

AMD also used the launch to highlight its work with HPE on EPYC processors and enterprise AI infrastructure.

"AI is moving into the applications and operations that run the enterprise, fundamentally changing what organisations demand from their infrastructure," said Dan McNamara, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Compute and Enterprise AI, AMD. "Across generations of AMD EPYC CPUs and HPE ProLiant servers, our teams have worked side by side to turn advances in processor and system design into practical value for customers. With 6th Gen AMD EPYC processors and HPE ProLiant Gen13, we are delivering the performance, efficiency and flexibility enterprises need to scale AI while modernising the critical workloads their businesses depend on."

HPE also included an Australia-specific view of demand for infrastructure deployed in local environments.

"As Australian organisations scale their AI ambitions, deploying workloads on-premises offers greater control over data sovereignty, security, performance and return on investment. With AI becoming more embedded in business operations, organisations need infrastructure that can support increasingly complex workloads while providing greater visibility over costs and control over sensitive information," said Chris Weber, Vice President and Managing Director of HPE South Pacific. "The latest HPE ProLiant Gen13 servers are designed to support these priorities, combining industry-first automatic self-encrypting drive technology that protects data from first boot with the performance needed for demanding AI workloads. With the HPE ProLiant DL585a Gen13 supporting up to eight GPUs for AI inference and model fine-tuning, organisations can scale their AI capabilities while retaining flexibility over how and where workloads are managed."

HPE said each ProLiant generation undergoes more than 1,000 tests and 10,000 hours of validation, including stress and corner-case testing beyond published operating limits. It added that reliability has been the leading reason customers buy ProLiant servers for four consecutive years, with 81% citing reliable performance as a key differentiator from rival vendors.