P50248-003 HPE 6.4TB Gen4 NVMe Mixed Use 2.5 Inch SSD

Product Snapshot — HPE P50248-003 6.4TB Gen4 NVMe U.3 SSD

Discover the HPE P50248-003, a high-density Gen4 NVMe solid-state drive engineered for demanding enterprise workloads. This 6.4TB mixed-use U.3 drive combines ultra-fast sequential throughput and exceptional IOPS for data-intensive servers and storage arrays.

Manufacturer & Model Details

Vendor Information

• Manufacturer: HPE
• Model number: P50248-003
• Product category: Solid State Drive (SSD)

Capacity & Physical Attributes

Storage Size

The drive provides a large-capacity 6.4 TB (terabytes) storage pool — suitable for consolidating datasets while maintaining performance.

Form Factor & Dimensions

• Form factor: 2.5-inch (SFF) U.3 compatible
• Height: 15 mm
• Carrier type: Back-compatible U.3 (BC) connector
• Hot plug: Supported — allows live replacement without shutdowns

Advantages & Use Cases

• Optimized for mixed-use applications — balanced read/write performance for databases and virtualization.
• High endurance and reliability for 24/7 datacenter operations.
• Ideal for acceleration of I/O heavy workloads such as transactional databases, VMs, caching, and analytics.
• Hot-swappable U.3 form factor for effortless maintenance and upgrades.

Interface & Connectivity

Bus & Port

• Interface: PCIe Gen4 NVMe — low latency block storage interface
• Port configuration: Dual connector for resilient link options

Performance Specifications

IOPS & Throughput

• Random read IOPS: Up to 200,000 IOPS
• Random write IOPS: Up to 310,000 IOPS
• Max sequential read: Up to 7,100 MiB/s
• Max sequential write: Up to 4,200 MiB/s

HPE P50248-003 6.4TB Gen4 NVMe High Performance SSD

Overview of HPE's High-Performance Storage Solution

The HPE P50248-003 represents the pinnacle of enterprise storage technology, delivering exceptional performance, reliability, and capacity in a 2.5-inch form factor. This 6.4TB Gen4 NVMe Solid State Drive is engineered specifically for mixed-use workloads that demand both high throughput and consistent low latency. As organizations increasingly rely on data-intensive applications, this SSD provides the foundational storage performance necessary to power modern data centers, cloud infrastructures, and high-performance computing environments.

Key Features and Technical Specifications

Performance Specifications

The HPE P50248-003 leverages PCIe Gen4 technology to deliver significantly improved performance over previous generations. With sequential read speeds reaching up to 7,000 MB/s and sequential write speeds up to 3,800 MB/s, this drive dramatically reduces data access times and accelerates application performance. The random performance metrics are equally impressive, with up to 1,000,000 IOPS for read operations and 180,000 IOPS for write operations, making it ideal for transactional databases, virtualization environments, and other I/O-intensive applications.

Endurance and Reliability Metrics

Designed for 24/7 operation in demanding enterprise environments, the HPE P50248-003 offers exceptional endurance with a DWPD (Drive Writes Per Day) rating of 1.0 over its 5-year warranty period. This translates to the ability to write the entire 6.4TB capacity once per day throughout the warranty period, ensuring consistent performance even under heavy write workloads. The drive features advanced error correction, power-loss protection, and sophisticated wear-leveling algorithms to maximize data integrity and drive longevity.

Form Factor and Interface Details

The HPE P50248-003 utilizes the standard 2.5-inch form factor with a U.3 (SFF-8639) interface, providing compatibility with a wide range of enterprise servers and storage systems. The U.3 interface offers the flexibility to support NVMe, SATA, and SAS protocols, though this drive specifically leverages the NVMe protocol to maximize performance. With a thickness of 15mm, it fits most enterprise server drive bays while providing the physical space necessary for the high-density NAND flash and controller components required for its substantial 6.4TB capacity.

Target Applications

Data Center and Enterprise Storage

In modern data centers, the HPE P50248-003 serves as an ideal solution for primary storage tiers, caching layers, and performance-optimized storage pools. Its high capacity and exceptional performance make it suitable for consolidating multiple workloads onto fewer drives, reducing overall storage footprint while maintaining service level agreements. Enterprise applications such as ERP systems, CRM platforms, and large-scale databases benefit significantly from the consistent low latency and high IOPS provided by this drive.

Virtualization and Cloud Infrastructure

Virtualized environments place unique demands on storage subsystems, with multiple virtual machines competing for I/O resources. The HPE P50248-003 excels in these scenarios by providing the high queue depths and consistent performance necessary to support dense virtualization deployments. Cloud service providers can leverage these drives to deliver high-performance storage instances with predictable performance characteristics, enabling them to meet stringent SLA requirements for I/O-intensive cloud workloads.

High-Performance Computing and AI Workloads

Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and scientific computing applications generate enormous datasets that require rapid access during training and inference operations. The HPE P50248-003's high throughput capabilities accelerate data loading phases, reducing overall computation time and increasing researcher productivity. In financial services, these drives enable faster risk analysis, algorithmic trading systems, and real-time analytics by minimizing storage bottlenecks in data processing pipelines.

Technical Architecture and Innovation

NVMe Gen4 Technology

The HPE P50248-003 leverages the NVMe 1.4 specification over a PCIe Gen4 interface, doubling the available bandwidth compared to previous PCIe Gen3 solutions. This architectural advancement enables higher transfer speeds and reduced latency while maintaining efficient power utilization. The NVMe protocol's streamlined command set and parallel processing capabilities eliminate bottlenecks associated with legacy storage protocols, allowing the drive to fully utilize the performance potential of modern NAND flash memory.

NAND Flash Technology and Controller

This drive utilizes high-density 3D TLC NAND flash memory organized in a multi-layer cell structure that balances performance, endurance, and cost-effectiveness. The sophisticated controller architecture includes multiple processing cores, dedicated hardware accelerators for encryption and data management, and advanced algorithms for garbage collection, wear leveling, and bad block management. These components work in concert to deliver consistent performance across varying workload patterns while extending the operational life of the NAND flash media.

Thermal Management and Power Efficiency

Enterprise SSDs generate significant heat during operation, which can impact performance and reliability if not properly managed. The HPE P50248-003 incorporates advanced thermal monitoring and throttling mechanisms that maintain optimal operating temperatures without compromising performance under normal conditions. The drive's power efficiency features include multiple power states that dynamically adjust power consumption based on workload demands, reducing overall energy costs in data center environments.

Compatibility and Integration

HPE Server and Storage System Compatibility

The HPE P50248-003 is rigorously tested and certified for use across HPE's server and storage portfolio, including ProLiant, Apollo, and Synergy systems. This ensures optimal performance, management integration, and firmware compatibility when deployed in HPE infrastructure. The drive appears in HPE OneView and iLO management interfaces, providing comprehensive health monitoring, predictive failure analysis, and seamless integration into existing management workflows.

Multi-Vendor Environment Compatibility

While optimized for HPE systems, the HPE P50248-003 maintains compatibility with industry-standard servers and storage arrays from other vendors that support the U.3 interface and NVMe protocol. This flexibility allows organizations to standardize on this high-performance storage solution across heterogeneous data center environments. The drive's standard form factor and interface ensure mechanical and electrical compatibility with most enterprise server drive bays and backplanes designed for 2.5-inch drives.

Enterprise-Grade Reliability Features

The HPE P50248-003 incorporates multiple layers of protection to ensure data integrity and drive availability. These include end-to-end data path protection, advanced error correction codes (ECC), redundant components, and comprehensive environmental monitoring. The drive's firmware includes sophisticated algorithms for predictive failure analysis, proactively identifying potential issues before they impact operations and enabling planned maintenance activities.

Performance Optimization

Workload-Specific Configuration

To maximize the performance and endurance of the HPE P50248-003 in specific application scenarios, HPE provides detailed configuration recommendations. For read-intensive workloads, settings can be optimized to prioritize read latency and throughput, while write-heavy applications benefit from adjustments that enhance write endurance and consistency. Database workloads may require different striping and allocation unit sizes compared to virtualized environments or file serving applications.

Comparative Analysis

Performance Comparison with Alternative Solutions

When compared to SATA and SAS SSDs, the HPE P50248-003 demonstrates significantly higher performance across all metrics, particularly in random I/O operations and latency-sensitive applications. Against other NVMe solutions, its Gen4 interface provides a clear performance advantage over Gen3 NVMe drives, while its mixed-use design offers better balance for varied workloads compared to read-optimized or write-optimized alternatives. The drive's 6.4TB capacity positions it in the sweet spot for enterprise applications, providing substantial storage density without compromising performance.