HPE 728310-001 480-GB 6G 2.5 VE NHP SATA SSD.

Key technical attributes

Form factor and interface

The drive adopts a standard 2.5-inch drive form factor and communicates over the industry-standard SATA III 6.0 Gb/s (6G) interface, making it compatible with a wide range of HPE servers, storage controllers and legacy SATA backplanes. The NHP (Non-Hot Plug) designation indicates this model is intended for non-hot-swap bays; it’s ideal when drives are intended to remain in place or installed during maintenance windows.

Capacity and density

At 480 GB, this SSD sits in the mid-density tier for enterprise SATA SSDs — large enough for caching, operating system volumes, or high-priority application datasets while still enabling cost-efficient rack density. When planning storage tiers, consider combining these 480-GB units in arrays or RAID configurations to achieve the capacity and redundancy required by your workloads.

Performance characteristics

• Read and write responsiveness: SSDs of this category provide substantial gains in random I/O and access latency compared to mechanical drives, especially in small-block operations typical of virtualization, database indexing and metadata workloads.
• Sustained throughput: While SATA 6G limits peak sequential throughput compared to NVMe, 6G SATA remains suitable for many enterprise workloads where ultra-high sequential bandwidth is not the primary requirement.
• IOPS profile: Value enterprise SSDs are tuned to deliver consistent IOPS for read-dominant and mixed workloads. They are especially effective when placed in caching or read-tier roles.

Reliability and durability

HPE branded SSDs are validated against server/array firmware and often include enterprise-class features like built-in error correction and power-loss protection designed to preserve data integrity during unexpected power events. For specific endurance metrics (TBW), warranty coverage and MTBF figures, consult HPE product documentation or your channel partner — endurance will vary based on workload, write amplification and firmware revisions.

Enterprise features commonly found in HPE SATA SSDs

• S.M.A.R.T. monitoring capabilities for predictive failure analysis.
• Trim support to maintain sustained write performance by enabling garbage collection.
• Native command queuing (NCQ) and advanced error correction to improve mixed-workload responsiveness.
• Firmware tuned for compatibility with HPE controllers and ProLiant server firmware stacks.

Compatibility and integration

HPE server and storage ecosystem

Because the 728310-001 is an HPE part number, it is validated to work with HPE ProLiant servers, HPE storage enclosures and associated SATA backplanes. Using HPE-branded drives helps ensure:

• Predictable firmware interoperability with controllers and management tools like HPE SSA (Smart Storage Administrator) or iLO reports.
• Correct drive health telemetry within vendor monitoring systems.
• Preservation of warranty and support eligibility when drives are installed in HPE systems.

Controller and RAID considerations

When deploying this drive in RAID configurations, verify controller firmware support and optimal stripe sizes for your workload. SATA SSDs generally behave differently from HDDs in rebuild scenarios — rebuild times are shorter due to higher sustained random I/O, but controller buffering and rebuild algorithms still affect overall raid health and impact performance during rebuilds.

Best practices for RAID with SATA SSDs

• Choose RAID levels that meet your recovery and performance goals (e.g., RAID-10 for fast rebuilds and low latency; RAID-6 for higher capacity and parity protection).
• Monitor rebuilds and schedule them during maintenance windows if possible.
• Keep controller firmware and drive firmware up to date to ensure predictable behavior in degraded modes.

Deployment scenarios and use cases

OS and boot volumes

At 480 GB, the drive is an excellent candidate for operating system volumes, hypervisor boot disks, or application partitions where fast boot times and consistent IOPS matter. Placing OS volumes on SSDs reduces startup times and improves VM density per host.

Read-intensive datasets and caching

Use these drives as a read tier or cache layer in hybrid storage architectures. Their low latency and high random read performance can dramatically speed up database query response times, web content delivery, and virtualization host responsiveness.

Edge and remote offices

For edge deployments or distributed branch offices where space and power are constrained, a 2.5" SATA SSD offers reliability and simplicity. The NHP variant is suitable for centralized maintenance models where drives are not expected to be frequently swapped by local staff.

Installation, configuration and management

Physical installation notes

• Confirm bay type: ensure the server bay accepts 2.5" NHP drives or that appropriate sleds/adapters are present.
• Observe anti-static precautions and power down the server if installing into NHP bays that require server downtime.
• Record the drive serial and part number in your CMDB for inventory and warranty tracking.

Firmware and health monitoring

HPE drives are typically managed via tools such as HPE Smart Storage Administrator (SSA) and HPE iLO, which can display S.M.A.R.T. attributes, firmware versions and predictive failure alerts. Regularly check for firmware updates from HPE — firmware updates can contain important fixes for compatibility, performance and endurance behavior.

Recommended management tasks

1. Register drives into your monitoring and alerting system for early failure detection.
2. Schedule periodic S.M.A.R.T. scans and log collection for forensic analysis if a drive shows degraded health.
3. Keep an inventory of firmware versions and test updates in a staging environment before wide deployment.

Thermal and power considerations

Thermal behavior

2.5" SATA SSDs produce less heat than 3.5" HDDs at equivalent workload levels, but in high-density racks temperatures can still rise. Ensure adequate airflow in drive bays and validate drive firmware thermal thresholds. Operating drives within the recommended ambient temperature range preserves longevity.

Power profile

Enterprise SATA SSDs typically have low idle power draw and modest peak power consumption compared to rotating media. This makes them attractive for energy-sensitive deployments and helps to reduce overall data center power and cooling costs when replacing HDD tiers.

Comparisons and positioning vs other drive types

SATA SSD vs SATA HDD

• Latency: SSDs deliver dramatically lower latency and better random I/O performance.
• Throughput: For small random reads/writes, SSDs exceed HDDs; for large sequential streams, SATA interface is the limiting factor but SSDs still offer better sustained throughput.
• Reliability: SSDs have no moving parts, reducing mechanical failure modes; however, they have finite program/erase cycles requiring endurance planning.

SATA SSD vs NVMe SSD

NVMe SSDs (PCIe) offer much higher throughput and lower latency than SATA SSDs. The HPE 728310-001 is best chosen when compatibility with existing SATA backplanes is required or when budget constraints favor SATA. NVMe is preferable for ultra-low latency and maximum throughput tiers.

Metadata recommendations

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Troubleshooting and common questions

Drive not detected in BIOS/SSA

1. Confirm physical connection and correct bay orientation.
2. Check controller mode (AHCI vs RAID) and controller firmware compatibility.
3. Use HPE tools to view device logs and S.M.A.R.T. data.

Performance seems lower than expected

• Verify SATA link speed is negotiated at 6.0 Gb/s.
• Check for background tasks (garbage collection, firmware operations) or pending rebuilds slowing I/O.
• Ensure drives are not running near capacity — free space helps with sustained write performance.

How to confirm the drive is genuine HPE

Inspect part numbers and serial labels. Cross-reference the warranty entitlement with HPE support services. Authorized distributors will also provide documentation and proof of authenticity.

Migration and upgrade paths

Replacing SATA HDDs with SATA SSDs

When migrating from HDDs to SATA SSDs for OS or caching tiers, follow a validated plan: image or backup data, update controllers to supporting firmware, and test application behavior in a staging environment. SSDs can reduce downtime and improve performance but require planning for endurance and alignment settings.

Scaling capacity

To scale beyond single-drive capacity, combine 480-GB drives into arrays, or tier them with higher capacity HDDs. Consider using software-defined storage or caching layers to present aggregated capacity while benefiting from SSD acceleration.