345-BEDK Dell 7.68TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe U.2 2.5Inch Read Intensive SSD

Comprehensive Product Description

Product Overview

• Manufacturer: DELL
• Part Number: 345-BEDK
• Product Category: Enterprise Solid State Drive (SSD)
• Device Type: Internal Hot-Swap Storage Drive

Technical Highlights

• Total Capacity: 7.68 TB
• Interface Standard: PCI Express 4.0 x4 (NVMe)
• Form Factor: U.2 Small Form Factor (2.5-inch, 15mm)
• NAND Technology: 3D TLC (Triple-Level Cell)
• Endurance Rating: Read-Intensive, 1 DWPD (Drive Writes Per Day)

Performance & Reliability

Optimized Throughput

• High-speed PCIe Gen4 interface ensures rapid data transfers
• Low latency and consistent performance for read-heavy applications

Enterprise-Class Endurance

• Rated for read-intensive workloads with 1 DWPD
• Built for long-term dependability in mission-critical environments

Expansion & Connectivity

• Interfaces: Dual PCIe 4.0 x4 (NVMe)
• Supported Bay: 1 x 2.5-inch Internal Hot-Swap

Server Compatibility

Rack-Optimized Systems

• PowerEdge R440, R640, R6415, R6515
• PowerEdge R6525, R660xs, R6615, R6625
• PowerEdge R670, R740xd, R7415, R7425
• PowerEdge R7515, R7525, R760, R760xa
• PowerEdge R7615, R7625, R770, R840
• PowerEdge R940, R940xa, R960

High-Density & Cloud Servers

• PowerEdge C6420, C6525, C6620

Tower & Specialty Servers

• PowerEdge T560
• PowerEdge XR7620

AI & Accelerated Platforms

• PowerEdge XE9640, XE9680

Key Benefits

• Massive Storage Capacity: 7.68TB for demanding enterprise data requirements
• PCIe Gen4 NVMe Performance: Accelerated throughput for modern workloads
• Enhanced Reliability: Designed for continuous operation in data centers
• Wide Compatibility: Certified across DELL PowerEdge 14G, 15G, 16G, and 17G servers
• Efficient Form Factor: Compact U.2 2.5-inch design for space-saving deployments

Designed for Read-Intensive Workloads

This enterprise-grade SSD delivers exceptional performance for data analytics, cloud computing, and virtualization, offering speed, reliability, and scalability.

Future-Ready Enterprise Storage

With PCIe Gen4 NVMe technology, this drive ensures optimal performance in next-generation data centers, while maintaining compatibility with multiple PowerEdge platforms.

Recommended Applications

• Big Data Analytics and AI-driven workloads
• Virtualized infrastructure and hyper-converged environments
• Cloud storage and high-volume read-focused operations

Dell 345-BDMW 960GB SED SAS-12Gbps Mixed Use SSD: Enterprise-Class Storage for Balanced Workloads

The Dell 345-BDMW 960GB SED SAS-12Gbps Mixed Use 3DWPD 2.5-inch Hot Plug SSD is a high-performance enterprise-grade solid-state drive engineered for demanding data center environments. Designed to support mixed-use workloads, this SSD delivers consistent read/write performance, robust endurance, and advanced security features. With a 3 Drive Writes Per Day (DWPD) rating, Self-Encrypting Drive (SED) capabilities, and hot-plug functionality, it is optimized for applications such as virtualization, transactional databases, email servers, and cloud infrastructure.

Interface and Form Factor

SAS 12Gbps Connectivity

The Dell 345-BDMW SSD utilizes a Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) 12Gbps interface, offering superior reliability and performance compared to SATA-based alternatives. SAS supports dual-port connectivity, full-duplex data transmission, and advanced error correction, making it ideal for enterprise storage solutions. The 12Gbps bandwidth ensures rapid access to data, reduced latency, and improved IOPS performance, particularly in mixed-use environments.

2.5-Inch Hot-Plug Form Factor

Designed in a compact 2.5-inch form factor, the SSD supports hot-plug functionality, allowing for drive replacement or upgrades without system downtime. This feature is essential in high-availability environments where uptime is critical. IT administrators can swap drives in RAID arrays or storage enclosures seamlessly, enhancing serviceability and minimizing maintenance disruptions.

Capacity and Endurance

960GB Storage for Mixed-Use Applications

With a capacity of 960GB, the Dell 345-BDMW SSD provides ample space for operating systems, application binaries, and active datasets. This capacity is well-suited for mixed-use workloads where read and write operations are balanced. It supports scalable deployments in environments such as virtualization, email servers, and medium-sized databases.

3DWPD Endurance Rating

The 3 Drive Writes Per Day (DWPD) rating indicates the drive’s ability to handle intensive write operations over its warranty period. This endurance level is ideal for mixed-use scenarios where read and write operations are evenly distributed. With 3DWPD, the SSD can sustain approximately 2.8TB of writes per day for five years, ensuring long-term reliability and consistent performance under demanding conditions.

Performance Characteristics

Optimized for Mixed-Use Workloads

The Dell 345-BDMW SSD is engineered to deliver consistent performance across a variety of workloads. Whether handling transactional databases, virtual machines, or file storage, the drive maintains predictable IOPS, low latency, and high throughput. Its balanced read/write optimization ensures responsiveness and reliability in dynamic environments.

Sequential and Random Performance

Leveraging enterprise-grade NAND flash and a SAS controller optimized for mixed-use operations, the SSD achieves high sequential read and write speeds. It also delivers strong random IOPS performance, making it suitable for workloads involving frequent small-block data access. This includes search indexing, real-time analytics, and transactional databases.

Latency and Throughput

The drive’s architecture minimizes latency spikes and maintains high throughput even under peak load conditions. This ensures predictable performance and responsiveness, which are critical for real-time analytics, search indexing, and other latency-sensitive applications.

Security Features

Self-Encrypting Drive (SED) Technology

The Dell 345-BDMW SSD incorporates Self-Encrypting Drive (SED) functionality, providing hardware-based encryption to protect sensitive data at rest. SED ensures that all data written to the drive is automatically encrypted using AES 256-bit encryption, without impacting performance. This feature is critical for compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS.

Instant Secure Erase

SED drives support Instant Secure Erase (ISE), allowing administrators to cryptographically erase data instantly by deleting the encryption key. This capability simplifies drive retirement and repurposing, ensuring that data cannot be recovered once the drive is decommissioned.

Reliability and Durability

Enterprise-Grade NAND Flash

The Dell 345-BDMW SSD uses high-endurance NAND flash memory designed for enterprise workloads. This ensures consistent performance, reduced wear, and extended lifespan. Error correction algorithms and wear-leveling technologies further enhance reliability, preventing data corruption and maximizing usable life.

MTBF and UBER Ratings

The drive boasts a Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) rating of over 2 million hours, indicating its robustness in continuous operation. Additionally, the Unrecoverable Bit Error Rate (UBER) is extremely low, ensuring data integrity even in high-write environments. These metrics confirm the drive’s suitability for mission-critical applications.

Compatibility and Integration

Dell PowerEdge Server Compatibility

The Dell 345-BDMW SSD is validated for use in Dell PowerEdge servers and storage arrays. It integrates seamlessly with Dell’s RAID controllers, management software, and firmware update tools. This ensures optimal performance, simplified deployment, and full support within Dell’s enterprise ecosystem.

Hot Swap Bays and RAID Arrays

The 2.5-inch form factor and SAS interface make the drive compatible with standard hot swap bays and RAID configurations. Whether deployed in RAID 1 for redundancy or RAID 10 for performance and fault tolerance, the SSD supports flexible storage architectures tailored to specific workload requirements.

Use Case Scenarios

Virtualization and VDI

The Dell 345-BDMW SSD is optimized for virtualization platforms such as VMware, Hyper-V, and KVM. Its balanced read/write performance enables dense VM deployments, while its endurance rating supports continuous operation. The drive supports virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), enabling responsive user experiences and efficient resource allocation.

Transactional Databases

In transactional database environments, the SSD provides the write endurance and read performance necessary for fast query execution and reliable data storage. Applications such as Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and PostgreSQL benefit from the drive’s consistent IOPS and low latency.

Email and Collaboration Platforms

For email servers and collaboration tools like Microsoft Exchange and SharePoint, the SSD provides the necessary performance and reliability to handle concurrent user sessions, frequent data writes, and real-time access. Its mixed-use classification ensures balanced performance across read-heavy and write-heavy operations.

Edge and Remote Deployments

The hot plug capability and compact 2.5-inch form factor make the Dell 345-BDMW SSD ideal for edge computing and remote deployments. It delivers enterprise-grade performance in space-constrained environments, supporting real-time analytics, local data caching, and secure storage at the edge.

Environmental and Operational Specifications

Operating Temperature Range

The SSD supports a wide operating temperature range, typically from 0°C to 70°C, ensuring reliable performance in varied environmental conditions. This makes it suitable for deployment in data centers, industrial settings, and remote locations.

Shock and Vibration Resistance

Built to withstand physical stress, the drive features enhanced shock and vibration resistance. This ensures data integrity and operational stability during transport, installation, and continuous operation in high-vibration environments such as mobile data centers or ruggedized enclosures.

Management and Monitoring

SMART and Health Monitoring

The Dell 345-BDMW SSD supports Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (SMART), allowing administrators to monitor drive health, performance metrics, and predictive failure indicators. This proactive monitoring helps prevent data loss and enables timely maintenance.

Firmware Updates and Lifecycle Management

Dell provides firmware update tools and lifecycle management utilities that ensure the SSD remains secure and optimized throughout its operational life. These tools integrate with Dell OpenManage and other enterprise platforms, simplifying updates and reducing administrative overhead.