HPE 878355-001 960GB SATA 6GBPS MU 2.5 Inch SC SSD

Product Overview of HPE 878355-001 960GB SATA 6G SSD

Outline of the 960GB SATA 6Gbps Mixed-Use SFF SC SSD

The HPE 878355-001 is a 960GB enterprise-class 2.5" small form factor (SFF) solid state drive engineered for mixed-use workloads — balancing read performance and write endurance for typical server and storage applications. It conforms to the SATA 6Gb/s (SATA III) interface and is commonly supplied in HPE's small form factor carrier (SC / Smart Carrier) for plug-and-play compatibility with ProLiant servers and HPE storage arrays. This product is marketed within HPE’s SATA Mixed Use family and is targeted at database, virtualization and cloud workloads that need predictable IOPS and endurance characteristics.  

Technical specifications and enterprise features

Interface & form factor

The drive uses the standard SATA 6 Gb/s physical interface, ensuring wide compatibility with existing SATA backplanes and RAID controllers. The 2.5" SFF form factor with HPE's Smart Carrier makes it physically compatible with HPE ProLiant bays and many server chassis that accept HPE-style carriers. That combination simplifies hot-swap replacement and fleet-wide rollouts. 

Performance & endurance characteristics

Mixed-Use SSDs like the 878355-001 are engineered to strike a balance between high random I/O performance and sustainable write endurance. While absolute IOPS and bandwidth numbers vary by underlying flash vendor and firmware revision in HPE’s multi-vendor program, expected benefits include higher IOPS than 2.5" spinning media, low latency for random reads/writes, and firmware features that maintain data-path integrity (power-loss protection, error detection). For official performance ranges and FW details, consult HPE’s product datasheet for the 960GB SATA MU SFF family.  

Common metrics to evaluate

• Sequential throughput (MB/s): typical SATA limits apply (up to ~550–600 MB/s sequential reads in ideal scenarios).
• Random IOPS: mixed use SSDs offer a high number of 4K random IOPS (varies by vendor/firmware).
• Endurance (DWPD/TBW): HPE lists endurance levels per SKU in datasheets — mixed use class provides stronger endurance than read-intensive variants but below heavy-use enterprise drives.
• Latency: microsecond-class read latency compared to millisecond-class HDDs.

Enterprise reliability and firmware

HPE supplies these SSDs as part of a digitally-signed, multi-vendor program so that drives shipped with HPE firmware meet compatibility and reliability standards for ProLiant servers. Features commonly highlighted by HPE include full data-path error detection and enterprise-grade SMART reporting; some SKUs are offered with HPE-signed firmware to enable supported deployment and firmware management via HPE system tools. For firmware specificities and digitally-signed details, refer to the HPE product pages and datasheets. 

Use cases 

The mixed-use class is intentionally versatile. Below are practical deployments where the HPE 878355-001 delivers meaningful benefits:

Virtualized infrastructures

Virtual machines with moderate to high IOPS demands — for example mid-tier application servers, desktop virtualization pools, and mixed read/write guest profiles — benefit from lower latency and predictable I/O compared to HDDs. Mixed-use SSDs reduce VM boot storms and make storage QoS easier to achieve within a converged server.  

Transactional databases and caching layers

Databases with a mix of reads and writes (OLTP workloads) gain from the MU drive’s better random write endurance versus read-intensive parts. Use the 960GB MU SSD for primary database files, log files (depending on endurance needs), or as a tier within a hybrid storage architecture where hot blocks are promoted to SSD.  

Cloud infrastructure & analytics

Cloud service providers and analytic platforms that execute varied workloads (indexing, small writes, frequent reads) can use mixed-use SSDs to increase density and reduce latency while controlling cost per GB versus the highest-endurance enterprise SSDs.  

Compatibility, part numbers, and common cross-references

HPE often publishes the 960GB SATA Mixed Use SSD under option part numbers such as P18434-B21 in its catalog. The supplier part number 878355-001 may appear as an HPE spare/assembly P/N or vendor substitute number in reseller listings; other equivalent HPE product SKUs for 960GB capacities in SATA or SAS families may exist depending on read/write class (Mixed Use vs Read Intensive vs SAS variants). When buying, match the HPE option number (P-series) and confirm firmware/carrier details to ensure full compatibility with your server generation.  

Typical cross-reference and alternate SKUs

• P18434-B21 — commonly used HPE option for SATA 960GB MU SFF.
• Vendor substitutes appear under HPE spare numbers like 878355-001 on reseller sites; verify the listing carefully.  
• SAS alternatives (12Gb/s) exist for environments that prefer SAS backplanes; those have different HPE option numbers and are not drop-in replacements for SATA backplanes. 

Buying guidance: what to check before purchase

When purchasing an HPE-branded 960GB Mixed Use SFF SSD (878355-001 or P18434-B21 equivalent) for production use, follow these checks to avoid compatibility or performance surprises:

Checklist for procurement

• Confirm the exact HPE option number or spare P/N (P18434-B21, 878355-001, etc.) and verify that the seller ships the HPE model you need.  
• Carrier type: ensure the drive comes with the HPE Smart Carrier or the carrier type you need for your chassis (SC vs BC vs DS variants will differ physically).
• Firmware family: HPE uses digitally-signed firmware for server compatibility. If you require specific firmware features (signed FW, secure erase, etc.), confirm with the vendor or datasheet.  
• Warranty & support: HPE’s warranty terms vary by SKU and reseller—confirm whether your drive is covered by HPE’s warranty or the reseller’s warranty policy.
• Return and RMA policy: enterprise purchases should include clear RMA processes if a drive fails in initial staging or early production.
• Check seller reputation: many resellers list 878355-001 across global marketplaces — choose authorized HPE resellers or well-reviewed distributors to avoid counterfeit or incompatible units.  

Comparison: Mixed-Use vs Read-Intensive vs Write-Intensive

Understanding the “class” of an enterprise SSD is essential when matching drive selection to workload:

Read-Intensive (RI)

Optimized for workloads dominated by reads (e.g., content delivery, object storage caching); lower TBW and lower cost per GB but limited write endurance compared to MU. Consider RI drives only where write volumes are low.  

Mixed-Use (MU) — where 878355-001 fits

Mixed-Use SSDs (like the 878355-001 listing) are the middle ground: more durable than RI for writes, more cost-effective than the highest endurance drives, and appropriate for general-purpose server workloads, VMs, and many database scenarios.  

Write-Intensive (WI)

For heavy transactional databases, logging, and write-heavy caching, WI drives provide the highest TBW/DWPD at higher cost per GB. Use WI when write amplification and constant high write rates are expected.

Further reading & official resources

For full technical details, firmware notes, and the official HPE compatibility matrices, consult HPE’s product pages and data sheets for the 960GB SATA Mixed-Use SFF family. Reseller listings and HPE’s downloadable PDFs provide SKU tables, endurance figures, and firmware compatibility that are useful when planning large rollouts. 

Example reseller and datasheet references (for procurement)

• HPE official product pages and datasheets for the 960GB SATA MU SFF family. 
• Reseller and marketplace listings showing 878355-001 references (examples: large IT distributors and marketplace listings). Use these to cross-check pricing and availability. 
• Technical reseller product pages that list alternate HPE SKUs and carrier details (helpful for cross-referencing).