Which server platform choice best targets dense VDI in a traditional design?

The HPE ProLiant DL380 is an industry-standard 2U rack server renowned for its versatility and scalability, making it an ideal platform for dense VDI workloads in a traditional data center design. It provides a robust and balanced architecture, supporting dual high-core-count processors, a large memory footprint, and, crucially, a wide range of GPU accelerators. This balance is essential for supporting a high number of concurrent virtual desktops, from task workers to power users requiring graphics-intensive applications, ensuring a responsive user experience. Its expandability allows for scaling resources as VDI demands grow, fitting the requirements of a dense deployment perfectly.

B. ProLiant MicroServer: This is an entry-level server for small offices with insufficient CPU, memory, and expansion capabilities for any high-density workload like VDI.

C. Apollo liquid-cooled HPC nodes only: Apollo systems are specialized for High-Performance Computing (HPC). While powerful, they are not the primary or most cost-effective choice for a traditional VDI design.

D. Only Synergy frames without GPUs: Modern dense VDI heavily relies on GPU acceleration for an acceptable user experience. A solution explicitly excluding GPUs is unsuitable for this workload.

1. HPE Reference Configuration for VDI with VMware Horizon on HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 Plus servers (Document ID: a00116693enw, April 2022).

Page 4, "Solution benefits": States, "The HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 Plus server is an adaptable 2U server for diverse workloads and environments, providing the right balance of expandability and scalability."

Page 6, "Table 2. Hardware components for the 120-user pod": This section details a configuration with dual CPUs, 1024 GB RAM, and NVIDIA A16 GPUs, demonstrating the platform's suitability for a dense, graphics-accelerated VDI pod.

2. HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 Plus Server QuickSpecs (Version 15, October 2, 2023).

Page 1, "What's New" and "Overview": Highlights support for dual 3rd Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable Processors, up to 8 TB of memory, and extensive PCIe Gen4 expansion, which accommodates multiple high-performance GPUs necessary for VDI.

Page 31, "Accelerators": Lists a comprehensive range of NVIDIA GPUs (e.g., A2, A16, A40) that are certified for VDI workloads, confirming the platform's graphics capabilities.

3. HPE Reference Architecture for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops on HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 (Document ID: a00058229enw, October 2018).

Page 5, "HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 server": Explicitly states, "It is ideal for diverse workloads including Virtualization and VDI." This directly endorses the DL380 as a primary choice for VDI.