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Key takeaways
- A hot-swap tray (caddy or carrier) is generation-specific because its latch, depth and LED light pipes match one backplane design.
- Dell 11G and 12G share a tray family; 13G revised the 3.5-inch tray; 14G, 15G and 16G largely share another family.
- HPE Gen8, Gen9 and Gen10 use the SmartDrive (SC) carrier on most models; Gen10 Plus and Gen11 moved most bays to the Basic Carrier (BC).
- A 2.5-inch drive fits a 3.5-inch bay only with an adapter that positions its connector where the backplane expects it.
- Quote with the server model, bay size, drive interface and quantity; the tray label or the management inventory gives the part number.
What is a drive tray, and why is it sold separately from the drive?
A drive tray (Dell calls it a carrier or caddy, HPE calls it a carrier) is the sled that holds a bare drive so it can slide into a hot-swap bay and mate with the backplane. The tray carries the latch, the release lever, and the light pipes that bring the activity and fault LEDs to the front.
The drive itself is a standard 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch device with a SAS, SATA or NVMe connector on its back edge. Nothing about the drive is server-specific; the tray is what makes it fit one vendor's bay, which is why drives and trays are often listed and quoted separately. On most carriers the drive mounts with four screws (M3 for 2.5-inch, 6-32 UNC for 3.5-inch), though several current Dell and HPE carriers are tool-less and use clips or captive fasteners instead.
Why are drive trays generation-specific?
Each server generation pairs a backplane with a bay opening, a latch geometry and an LED arrangement. A tray from another generation may slide part way in and stop short of the backplane connector, or seat the drive but fail to latch, or block the light pipes so the LEDs never show.
Vendors also change the tray when the bay design changes, for example when a chassis moves to a backplane that supports NVMe. On most platforms the tray has no electronics and the drive talks to the backplane directly; HPE SmartDrive carriers are the exception, since their status ring and "do not remove" indicator depend on that generation's backplane and firmware.
Which tray fits my Dell PowerEdge generation?
Dell PowerEdge trays group into three broad families. The 11G servers (R610, R710) and 12G servers (R620, R720, R720xd) share one family for both 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch bays. The 13G servers (R630, R730, R730xd) use a revised 3.5-inch tray, while the 2.5-inch tray usually carries over from 12G.
The 14G servers (R640, R740, R740xd) introduced new 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch trays, and those designs continue on most 15G (R650, R750) and 16G (R660, R760) chassis. On these generations the same 2.5-inch tray usually holds a SAS, SATA or U.2 NVMe drive; whether the bay can use NVMe depends on the backplane wiring, not on the tray.
The boundaries are not perfectly clean; some models within a generation take a different tray from their siblings, so identify by the exact server model and the label on an existing tray.
Which carrier fits my HPE ProLiant generation?
ProLiant servers before Gen8 (G5, G6 and G7) use the classic lever tray, which does not fit Gen8 or later.
Gen8 introduced the SmartDrive carrier, marked SC in HPE drive descriptions, with a push-button latch, a status ring and a "do not remove" indicator on the carrier face. The SC carrier continued through Gen9 and, on most models, Gen10, so a Gen8 SFF carrier usually works in a Gen10 SFF bay.
Gen10 Plus and Gen11 moved most bays to the Basic Carrier, marked BC. It is not interchangeable with SC. Some models were offered with more than one backplane type, so confirm which carrier type your backplane takes before ordering.
| Family | Servers (examples) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dell 11G and 12G | R610, R710, R620, R720 | One tray family for SFF and LFF |
| Dell 13G | R630, R730, R730xd, T630 | Revised LFF tray; SFF usually carries over |
| Dell 14G to 16G | R640, R740, R650, R750, R760 | New SFF and LFF trays, shared across most chassis |
| HPE G5 to G7 | DL360 G7, DL380 G7 | Classic lever tray, pre-SmartDrive |
| HPE Gen8 to Gen10 | DL380p Gen8, DL380 Gen9, DL380 Gen10 | SmartDrive carrier (SC) on most models |
| HPE Gen10 Plus and Gen11 | DL380 Gen10 Plus, DL380 Gen11 | Basic Carrier (BC) on most bays; not SC-compatible |
SFF, LFF and adapters: can a 2.5-inch drive go in a 3.5-inch bay?
Small form factor (SFF) bays take 2.5-inch drives; large form factor (LFF) bays take 3.5-inch drives. 2.5-inch drives come in 15 mm (most SAS hard drives and U.2 NVMe SSDs), 9.5 mm and 7 mm (most SATA and SAS SSDs) heights; most trays accept any of these, but state the height when fitting SSDs because some need a spacer.
A 2.5-inch drive can go in a 3.5-inch bay with the right adapter. The LFF backplane connector sits where a 3.5-inch drive's connector lands, so the smaller drive must be offset inside the tray to reach it. Dell and HPE each sell a hybrid carrier or an adapter bracket that positions it correctly inside their own tray.
Generic 2.5-to-3.5 adapters also place the connector in the standard position, and many work inside a server tray, but the fit is not always exact and the adapter can foul the latch. Buy one for the tray family you have, and fall back to the OEM adapter if it does not seat.
What does "with tray" or "bare" mean on a listing?
A drive listed as "with tray", "in caddy" or "with carrier" ships mounted in an OEM tray for a stated server family. A drive listed as "bare" ships without a tray, so you reuse one you own or buy one. OEM drive part numbers usually describe the drive together with its carrier, so a listing quoting an OEM kit number normally includes the tray.
Non-OEM drives usually work in an OEM tray. On some platforms the management controller logs the drive as uncertified, but the drive still operates; the tray itself has no firmware on most platforms, so it cannot block a drive.
The condition shown on a listing is the condition you receive; warranty terms are on the warranty page. For what the condition labels mean, see the condition grades guide.
What should I send in a quote for trays, or drives with trays?
List the server model and generation (for example R740xd or DL380 Gen9), the bay size (SFF or LFF), the drive interface (SAS, SATA or NVMe), and the quantity. If you already have one tray, add the part number from its label; the part number guide shows where to read part numbers in iDRAC, iLO or the OS.
State whether you want bare drives, drives with trays, or trays alone, and whether any drives are 7 mm SSDs or 2.5-inch drives going into 3.5-inch bays. Quotes are answered weekdays 8:00 am to 5:00 pm PST. Browse server hard drives and solid-state drives for drive part numbers to include.
Frequently asked questions
Do Dell 12G and 13G servers use the same drive caddy?
Usually for 2.5-inch bays, and usually not for 3.5-inch bays. Dell revised the 3.5-inch tray in 13G, so an R720 LFF tray does not reliably fit an R730. Check the label on an existing tray and quote the exact model, because some chassis within a generation differ from their siblings.
Will an HPE Gen9 SmartDrive carrier work in a Gen10 server?
On most Gen10 models, yes. Gen8, Gen9 and Gen10 share the SmartDrive (SC) carrier design for both SFF and LFF bays. It does not fit Gen10 Plus or Gen11 bays built for the Basic Carrier (BC). Confirm the carrier type your backplane takes, since a few models were offered with either.
Can I use a non-Dell or non-HPE drive in an OEM tray?
Physically, yes. The tray only positions the drive and has no way to reject it. Some management controllers flag a non-OEM drive as uncertified or show a warning in the system log, but on most platforms the drive works normally. Check the OS or RAID controller tools after installation.
Do I need a tray for an NVMe U.2 drive?
Yes. On Dell 14G and later, U.2 NVMe drives use the same 2.5-inch tray as SAS and SATA drives on most chassis. HPE labels some NVMe carriers differently (SCN rather than SC), so match the HPE carrier code. The bay must also be wired for NVMe on the backplane.
What does a drive blank do, and can I convert it to a carrier?
A blank (or filler) covers an empty bay so cooling air keeps flowing through the populated drives. It has no drive mounting and cannot be converted into a carrier. You need one carrier per drive you add; keep the blanks for any bay you later empty.