P20738-001 HPE 3.2TB PCI-Express NVMe Internal Enterprise Mixed Use SSD.

Product Overview of the HPE P20738-001 3.2TB NVMe SSD

The HPE P20738-001 is a high-performance internal solid-state drive designed for enterprise environments. This 3.2TB PCI-Express NVMe drive offers a balanced mixed-use performance ideal for demanding data centers and critical workloads.

General Informantion

• Brand: HPE
• Model Number: P20738-001
• Device Type: Solid State Drive (SSD)

Technical Specifications

• Storage Capacity: 3.2 Terabytes
• Form Factor: 2.5 Inch form factor
• Interface Type: PCI Express 4.0 x8 with NVMe protocol
• Compatible Slot: 2.5 inch drive bays

Performance Specifications

Drive Endurance and Data Rate

• Drive Writes Per Day (DWPD): 3
• Maximum Read Speed: Up to 8000 MB/s
• Maximum Write Speed: Up to 3800 MB/s

Random Input/Output Operations

• Random Read Speed: 1,500,000 IOPS
• Random Write Speed: 250,000 IOPS

Connectivity and Expansion Options

The HPE P20738-001 supports high-speed data transfers and is compatible with modern server infrastructures.

• Available Interface: Single PCI Express 4.0 x8 NVMe connection
• Designed for use in 2.5 inch drive bays

Benefits of Choosing this HPE P20738-001 SSD

• Robust enterprise-class performance for mixed workloads
• High endurance suitable for frequent data writes
• Fast PCIe 4.0 interface ensuring minimal latency
• Large 3.2TB capacity ideal for data-intensive applications

HPE P20738-001 3.2TB PCIE NVMe Internal Enterprise MU SSD

Understanding the Enterprise-Grade SSD

The HPE P20738-001 solid-state drive represents a critical component within the enterprise storage solutions category, specifically tailored for mixed-use environments that demand both endurance and speed. As businesses increasingly rely on data-driven applications, the need for reliable, high-capacity, and high-performance SSDs has surged. Enterprise SSDs like the HPE PM1735 series are engineered to handle rigorous workloads, intensive data access patterns, and provide consistent performance under sustained heavy usage.

This SSD category encompasses devices designed to deliver superior performance in data centers, cloud infrastructure, and enterprise IT environments where latency and throughput can directly affect business outcomes. Unlike consumer-grade drives, enterprise SSDs such as the P20738-001 focus on durability, advanced error correction, and sustained speed to support mission-critical applications.

Storage Capacity and Its Role in Enterprise Environments

The 3.2TB capacity of the HPE P20738-001 places it among large-scale storage solutions that are vital for managing extensive datasets. In enterprise scenarios, the drive’s sizeable storage enables consolidation of large databases, virtual machine storage, and high-throughput transactional data without compromising on speed. This capacity allows organizations to optimize space utilization by reducing the number of drives needed, which in turn simplifies storage architecture and enhances efficiency.

Form Factor Adaptability and Deployment Flexibility

With a 2.5-inch form factor, this SSD fits into a wide array of existing enterprise server and storage arrays. This standard size ensures broad compatibility and ease of replacement or upgrades without significant infrastructure changes. The form factor also facilitates better airflow and heat dissipation within high-density server racks, critical for maintaining hardware longevity in data centers.

Interface Specification and Data Transfer Efficiency

The HPE P20738-001 utilizes the PCI Express 4.0 x8 interface with NVMe protocol, enabling blistering data transfer speeds. PCIe 4.0 doubles the bandwidth of the previous generation, allowing this SSD to achieve peak read speeds of up to 8000 MB/s and write speeds of up to 3800 MB/s. Such rapid data movement is essential for workloads requiring fast access to large files or real-time data processing, such as analytics platforms, artificial intelligence, and virtualization.

Endurance and Drive Writes Per Day (DWPD)

One of the most significant metrics in enterprise SSDs is endurance, measured here by the Drive Writes Per Day (DWPD) rating. The P20738-001 boasts a DWPD of 3, indicating it can sustain writing the entire drive capacity three times every day over its warranty period without failure. This high endurance is indispensable for mixed-use scenarios, where workloads comprise both read-heavy and write-heavy tasks, ensuring the drive can reliably perform in environments like databases, transactional systems, and caching layers.

Random I/O Performance

Random Input/Output Operations Per Second (IOPS) is a critical measure of how well an SSD handles small, non-sequential data requests. The P20738-001 achieves up to 1,500,000 IOPS for random reads and 250,000 IOPS for random writes, providing exceptional responsiveness for multitasking and handling concurrent users. This capability benefits cloud service providers and large enterprises by minimizing latency, improving application performance, and enhancing user experience in environments with unpredictable or bursty workloads.

Reliability Features and Enterprise-Class Enhancements

Data Integrity Technologies

Enterprise SSDs like the HPE PM1735 series integrate advanced error-correcting codes (ECC) and data protection mechanisms to ensure data integrity under intense operational conditions. These technologies detect and correct bit errors that can occur during data transfer or storage, significantly reducing the risk of data corruption. For enterprises, maintaining data accuracy is crucial for compliance, backup reliability, and operational continuity.

Thermal Management and Power Efficiency

The P20738-001 incorporates features aimed at optimizing thermal performance to prevent overheating during sustained heavy workloads. Effective heat dissipation enhances drive longevity and maintains consistent performance by avoiding thermal throttling. Additionally, power efficiency is optimized to reduce operational costs and support greener data center initiatives, balancing performance with environmental responsibility.

Compatibility and Integration Considerations

Server and Storage Array Compatibility

This SSD is designed to seamlessly integrate with a broad range of enterprise servers and storage solutions that support PCIe NVMe drives and 2.5-inch bays. Its compatibility ensures easy deployment in existing infrastructure, minimizing downtime and avoiding complex migration processes. System administrators benefit from plug-and-play functionality and streamlined asset management.

Use Cases and Suitability for the HPE P20738-001 SSD

Data Centers and Cloud Infrastructure

In large-scale data centers, the P20738-001 delivers the speed and reliability necessary to handle multi-tenant cloud environments and virtualization platforms. Its mixed-use endurance profile supports both read-intensive and write-intensive applications, making it suitable for virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), online transaction processing (OLTP), and real-time analytics.

Enterprise Database Management

Databases require consistent low latency and high throughput to maintain transaction speed and data integrity. The HPE PM1735 SSD provides the necessary IOPS and DWPD to keep enterprise databases responsive, even during peak loads. Its large capacity allows for consolidation of multiple database instances, reducing storage complexity.

Virtualization and Containerization

Virtual machines and containerized applications depend on fast, reliable storage to ensure smooth operation and scalability. The enterprise mixed-use endurance and high random IOPS capability make the HPE P20738-001 an excellent choice for virtualized environments, enabling better resource utilization and responsiveness.

Backup, Archival, and Disaster Recovery

Although typically considered a high-performance SSD rather than archival storage, this drive's reliability and capacity also make it suitable for backup and disaster recovery solutions that require rapid restore times. Enterprises can leverage this SSD for tiered storage strategies, where quick access to recent backups accelerates recovery efforts.

Comparative Positioning Within the Enterprise SSD Landscape

Advantages Over Traditional HDDs and Legacy SSDs

The HPE P20738-001 significantly outperforms traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) in speed, latency, and reliability. Compared to older SATA or SAS SSDs, it benefits from the PCIe 4.0 standard's enhanced bandwidth and NVMe’s efficient command set. This results in faster data transfers, reduced power consumption, and better endurance, making it a preferred choice for modern data centers focused on performance and efficiency.

Position Relative to Other HPE SSD Models

Within the HPE PM1735 series, the P20738-001 is positioned as a high-capacity, mixed-use SSD that balances endurance and speed. Other models may emphasize either higher endurance for write-intensive applications or cost-efficiency for read-heavy workloads. This model offers a versatile middle ground suitable for diverse enterprise scenarios, making it a flexible option for organizations with varied storage needs.

Future-Proofing and Scalability

By leveraging the PCIe 4.0 interface and NVMe protocol, this SSD is well-prepared for future advancements in server architectures and storage technologies. Its high throughput and scalability ensure that it will remain relevant as data center demands evolve, providing a long-term investment for enterprises looking to maintain cutting-edge infrastructure.

Power Consumption in Enterprise Deployments

Reducing energy consumption in data centers is both a cost-saving measure and an environmental priority. The HPE P20738-001 is engineered to offer high performance while maintaining power efficiency. This balance helps enterprises reduce their carbon footprint without sacrificing speed or reliability.

Thermal Design for Sustained Operation

Efficient thermal management ensures the SSD can operate continuously at peak performance without overheating. The drive’s design supports optimal heat dissipation within dense server environments, preventing thermal throttling and prolonging hardware lifespan.