WUS5EA176ESP7E1 Sandisk 7.68TB PCIe Gen4, NVMe Ultrastar DC SN655 SSD.

Overview of Sandisk 7.68TB PCIe NVMe SSD

The Sandisk WUS5EA176ESP7E1 is a high-performance enterprise-grade solid-state drive (SSD) engineered to meet the demanding needs of data centers, AI workloads, and cloud computing environments. Offering ultra-fast read/write speeds and exceptional reliability, this 7.68TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD ensures maximum efficiency and scalability for modern IT infrastructures.

General Information

• Manufacturer: Sandisk
• Model Number: WUS5EA176ESP7E1
• Product Type: Enterprise SSD

Technical Specifications

• Storage Capacity: 7.68 Terabytes
• Interface: PCIe Gen4, NVMe 1.4b
• Form Factor: U.3 15mm
• Security Feature: Base (SE)
• Endurance: 1 Drive Write Per Day (DWPD)
• Maximum Petabytes Written (PBW): 14.0

Interface and Compatibility

• Interface: PCIe Gen4, NVMe 1.4b
• Form Factor: U.3 15mm
• Supported Operating Systems: Windows, Windows Server, Linux

Drive Performance Details

Sequential and Random Performance

• Sequential Read Speed: Up to 6800 MB/s
• Sequential Write Speed: Up to 2000 MB/s
• Random Read IOPS: 980K
• Random Write IOPS: 80K

Latency

• Read Latency: 100 µs
• Write Latency: 15 µs

Power Specifications

Power Requirements

• Voltage Input (DC, ±10%): +12V, 3.3V

Power Consumption

• Typical Operating Power: 16W – 18W
• Average Idle Power: 8W

Recommended Applications

Enterprise and Data Center Use

• Cloud data centers and private cloud environments
• Software-defined and scale-out storage infrastructures
• High-performance computing (HPC) applications

Data-Intensive Environments

• Big data analytics and business intelligence
• NoSQL and distributed databases
• AI, machine learning, and deep learning workloads
• Long-term data archiving and backup

Key Benefits of Sandisk WUS5EA176ESP7E1 SSD

• Superior PCIe Gen4 performance with ultra-low latency
• High endurance for sustained enterprise workloads
• Optimized for AI/ML, cloud, and data-driven applications
• Reliable and secure with advanced enterprise-grade technology
• Energy-efficient with reduced operational power consumption

Sandisk WUS5EA176ESP7E1 Ultrastar DC SN655 SSD

The Sandisk WUS5EA176ESP7E1 Ultrastar DC SN655 is a high-capacity, enterprise-grade solid-state drive that represents the next generation of PCI Express NVMe storage solutions. Designed specifically for large-scale data center deployments, cloud computing infrastructures, and AI-driven workloads, this 7.68TB Triple-Level Cell (TLC) SSD delivers remarkable performance, endurance, and reliability. With its PCIe Gen4 interface and U.3 2.5-inch form factor, the Ultrastar DC SN655 offers unmatched speed and efficiency for mission-critical applications requiring continuous uptime and low-latency data access.

Advanced Storage Architecture

Built with Sandisk’s cutting-edge TLC NAND technology, the WUS5EA176ESP7E1 leverages high-density storage cells to provide massive capacity without compromising durability. The triple-level cell design allows for increased data storage per NAND die, making it ideal for large datasets, archival storage, and modern high-density server environments. Its architecture ensures that enterprise workloads can be handled efficiently, including transactional databases, NoSQL systems, and big data analytics applications. Furthermore, the drive incorporates advanced error correction and wear-leveling algorithms, enhancing the overall reliability and lifespan of the storage device.

NVMe Gen4 Interface for Superior Performance

The Ultrastar DC SN655 utilizes the PCIe 4.0 interface combined with NVMe 1.4b protocol to deliver ultra-low latency and high throughput. Sequential read speeds can reach up to 6800 MB/s, while sequential write speeds achieve up to 2000 MB/s, enabling rapid access to critical data. Random read and write IOPS performance further enhances the drive’s ability to manage multiple concurrent workloads, making it an ideal choice for virtualization, AI inference tasks, and database-intensive operations. The drive’s low read and write latencies ensure minimal delay in high-demand environments, optimizing overall system responsiveness.

Form Factor and Enterprise Compatibility

The U.3 2.5-inch form factor of the WUS5EA176ESP7E1 facilitates seamless integration into modern enterprise servers, storage arrays, and rack-mounted systems. Its 15mm height ensures compatibility with high-density enclosures, allowing data centers to maximize storage capacity without sacrificing airflow or cooling efficiency. Additionally, the drive supports multiple operating systems, including Windows, Windows Server, and Linux distributions, making it a versatile solution for heterogeneous IT environments. Its broad compatibility ensures that enterprises can deploy the SSD in a wide range of applications, from legacy systems to cutting-edge hyperconverged infrastructures.

Enterprise-Class Endurance and Reliability

Designed for continuous operation in demanding enterprise workloads, the Ultrastar DC SN655 provides an endurance rating of 1 Drive Write Per Day (DWPD) and a maximum of 14.0 petabytes written. This level of endurance allows organizations to maintain high levels of data integrity over the drive’s operational lifespan. The drive’s reliability is further enhanced through features such as power loss protection, which safeguards data during unexpected outages, and advanced wear-leveling to evenly distribute write and erase cycles across the NAND, preventing premature wear on specific memory blocks.

Power Management and Efficiency

Power consumption is a critical consideration for large-scale deployments, and the WUS5EA176ESP7E1 is engineered to provide optimal energy efficiency. Typical operating power ranges between 16W and 18W, while idle power averages 8W. These power characteristics make the SSD suitable for dense data center configurations where energy efficiency translates directly into cost savings. The drive’s intelligent power management features dynamically adjust energy usage based on workload demands, reducing thermal output and supporting sustained performance even under heavy operational loads.

Big Data and Cloud Infrastructure Applications

The Sandisk WUS5EA176ESP7E1 is ideally suited for cloud and large-scale data center applications. Its high-capacity design allows cloud providers to consolidate storage for multiple tenants, enhancing storage efficiency while maintaining high performance. For big data environments, including distributed databases and analytics platforms, the drive supports rapid ingestion, processing, and retrieval of enormous datasets. By leveraging the drive’s PCIe Gen4 interface and NVMe protocol, enterprises can achieve superior bandwidth utilization and low-latency access, critical for real-time analytics and decision-making applications.

Security Features and Data Protection

Data security is a paramount concern in enterprise storage. The WUS5EA176ESP7E1 integrates base-level self-encryption (SE) to protect sensitive information, ensuring compliance with organizational and regulatory standards. In addition to encryption, the drive incorporates advanced mechanisms for error detection and correction, preventing data corruption and maintaining system integrity. Power loss protection ensures that all in-flight data is safely committed to NAND in the event of unexpected power failures, providing peace of mind for IT administrators managing critical workloads.

Scalable and Software-Defined Storage Compatibility

Modern enterprise infrastructures increasingly rely on scale-out and software-defined storage (SDS) solutions. The Ultrastar DC SN655 supports these environments by delivering consistent performance across clustered nodes, enabling linear scalability for storage expansion. Enterprises leveraging SDS architectures benefit from reduced latency, improved IOPS performance, and high availability, all of which are critical for distributed storage solutions. The drive’s robust endurance ensures long-term reliability even under continuous write-intensive operations, making it an ideal choice for multi-node deployments.

High-Density Data Archiving and Backup Solutions

Data archiving and backup processes are essential in enterprise operations, particularly for organizations that must retain massive volumes of historical information. The 7.68TB capacity of the Ultrastar DC SN655 enables substantial storage consolidation, reducing the number of drives required in archive arrays. Its enterprise-grade endurance and reliability ensure that archived data remains intact and accessible over extended periods. Additionally, the drive’s energy-efficient design minimizes operational costs, making it suitable for both primary and secondary storage roles in hybrid cloud or on-premises data environments.

Random and Sequential Performance Analysis

For enterprise workloads, the ability to handle random and sequential data operations efficiently is critical. The WUS5EA176ESP7E1 provides sequential read speeds up to 6800 MB/s and sequential write speeds of 2000 MB/s, ensuring rapid transfer of large files and datasets. Random read performance reaches up to 980,000 IOPS, while random write operations achieve 80,000 IOPS, providing exceptional support for transactional databases, virtualization, and mixed workload environments. These performance metrics demonstrate the drive’s capability to maintain responsiveness under the heaviest enterprise workloads, reducing bottlenecks and optimizing overall system throughput.

Drive Latency Considerations

Low latency is a critical factor for applications requiring instantaneous access to data. The Ultrastar DC SN655 exhibits read latencies of approximately 100 microseconds and write latencies of 15 microseconds, ensuring near-instantaneous responsiveness. This low-latency profile is particularly beneficial in environments such as real-time analytics, high-frequency trading, and AI/ML inference engines, where even microsecond delays can impact operational efficiency. The combination of high throughput and low latency makes the SSD suitable for both storage-intensive and compute-intensive workloads.

Integration in Modern Data Center Infrastructures

Data centers seeking to optimize storage density and performance can integrate the WUS5EA176ESP7E1 into existing server architectures with minimal disruption. Its U.3 interface allows for hot-swappable deployment, simplifying maintenance and upgrades without downtime. The drive’s thermal management features, combined with its energy-efficient design, ensure reliable operation under sustained workloads. Enterprises can deploy these SSDs in all-flash arrays, hybrid storage arrays, or hyperconverged infrastructures to achieve scalable, high-performance storage solutions.