The ML350 Gen11 is a natural 26TB candidate for local business storage, backup, virtualization and archive use because HPE documents 4LFF SAS/SATA cages up to a 12LFF hot-plug drive model.
The important word is configuration. The drive cages, cabling and storage controller path must match the intended SAS or SATA option.
ML350 Gen11 can be a 12LFF 26TB capacity platform only when the documented LFF SAS/SATA cages and controller path support the exact HPE option. Twelve 26TB drives are 312TB raw before RAID and filesystem overhead.
Verify the part number, carrier, firmware, sector format and server or storage-array qualification before ordering. A bare mechanism or third-party compatible listing can be useful, but it is an alternative unless it is sold as the qualified OEM kit or spare you need.
HPE documents the bay hardware; the purchase still needs controller and firmware verification.
| Item | Verified detail | Procurement impact |
|---|---|---|
| Drive cage | 4LFF SAS/SATA Basic cage supports up to 12 LFF as 4+4+4 | Needed for 3.5-inch 26TB drives |
| Hot-plug model | 12 LFF hot-plug drive model uses three 4LFF SAS/SATA cages | 312TB raw with 12 x 26TB if qualified |
| SAS option | Use HPE 26TB SAS only where listed and controller-qualified | Choose for SAS-standardized environments |
| SATA option | Use HPE 26TB SATA only where listed and controller-qualified | Often enough for backup/archive capacity |
| Controller/cabling | HPE documents controller-mode and direct-attach caveats for cages | Settle this before purchase |
No exact in-stock live row is currently matched for P80578-B21. Relevant live alternatives are shown for pricing context; verify qualification before treating any row as a substitute.
Live prices · updated every 4-5 hours · last checked 32 min ago · not exact OEM replacements; verify qualification, carrier, firmware and interface before ordering
| Model | Capacity | Recording | RPM | Workload TB/yr | Warranty | $/TB | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1TB ST31000640SSREFURB | 1TB | CMR | 7,200 | — | — | $14.99 | $15 | Buy |
| 4TB 695842-001 | 4TB | CMR | 7,200 | — | — | $15.00 | $60 | Buy |
| 1TB 508011-001REFURB | 1TB | CMR | 7,200 | — | — | $26.99 | $27 | Buy |
| 24TB WUH722424ALE604REFURB | 24TB | CMR | 7,200 | 550 | 5 yr | $28.71 | $689 | Buy |
| 24TB ST24000NM002HREFURB | 24TB | CMR | 7,200 | 550 | 5 yr | $29.17 | $700 | Buy |
| 12TB MB012000GWWFEREFURB | 12TB | CMR | 7,200 | — | 5 yr | $30.00 | $360 | Buy |
| 4TB 846523-004REFURB | 4TB | CMR | 7,200 | — | — | $30.00 | $120 | Buy |
| 8TB 834031-B21 | 8TB | CMR | 7,200 | — | — | $32.75 | $262 | Buy |
| 2TB AP072B321REFURB | 2TB | CMR | 7,200 | — | — | $34.49 | $69 | Buy |
| 12TB MB012000GWWFEREFURB | 12TB | CMR | 7,200 | — | 5 yr | $34.50 | $414 | Buy |
| 24TB ST24000DM001 | 24TB | CMR | 7,200 | — | — | $35.83 | $860 | Buy |
| 26TB WD260KFGX | 26TB | CMR | 7,200 | — | — | $43.25 | $1124 | Buy |
| 24TB WD241KFGX | 24TB | CMR | 7,200 | 550 | 5 yr | $44.17 | $1060 | Buy |
| 24TB ST24000NM000H | 24TB | CMR | 7,200 | 550 | 5 yr | $58.37 | $1401 | Buy |
Workload rating is recorded per part number from the manufacturer's published data for that exact model where available, not blanketed across the line — two drives of the same capacity can differ because they are different generations. A dash means the figure is not stated for that listing. Recording technology comes from the manufacturer's published CMR/SMR list; a model absent from that list is shown as UNVERIFIED rather than guessed. Rows priced above 3× this line's in-stock median are flagged and excluded from the winner callout and from every median we compute.
This table is computed from live DatacenterDisk rows when an exact in-stock match exists. It is intentionally blank for unavailable models rather than filled with stale prices.
| Live model | Drive price | $/TB | 1 drive | 4 drives | 8 drives | 12 drives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No exact in-stock row is available right now. Use the availability table for nearby live alternatives, then re-check the exact model before ordering. | ||||||
Raw decimal capacity is shown before filesystem formatting, RAID, hot spares, snapshots or vendor overhead.
| Drive count | Raw capacity | Single-parity example | Dual-parity example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 drives | 104TB raw | 78TB before formatting | 52TB before formatting |
| 8 drives | 208TB raw | 182TB before formatting | 156TB before formatting |
| 12 drives | 312TB raw | 286TB before formatting | 260TB before formatting |
A 12LFF ML350 Gen11 can serve local backup, branch-office file storage, media archive, virtualization datastore staging and AI dataset holding areas. Those are capacity-first workloads where price, spares and rebuild policy matter as much as interface.
A 12LFF raw-capacity calculation is valid only for a documented LFF build. It is not a promise about every ML350 Gen11 listing, and it is not a substitute for checking the Smart Array/HBA configuration.
For branch or small-business deployments, buy at least one matching spare if downtime matters. New OEM kits, open-box spares and refurbished pulls can all appear in the market, but they should not be priced as equivalent offers.
Twelve 26TB drives provide 312TB raw decimal capacity before RAID, formatting and hot-spare overhead.
It depends on the controller and workload. SATA can be sufficient for backup/archive. SAS is justified when the storage design or support policy requires it.
Only as clearly understood alternatives. For HPE support and qualification, match the HPE option identity, carrier and firmware path.
Specification claims on this page were checked against the pages below on 1 September 2026. Where a widely-repeated figure did not survive that check, we report what the source says now and say so in the text rather than repeating the familiar number.