MO003840RXRRK HPE 3.84TB SAS 12GBPS SFF Hot Swap Mixed Use SSD

Product Snapshot: HPE 3.84TB SAS 12Gb/s Hot-Swap SSD

High-capacity, enterprise-grade solid state drive purpose-built for HPE ProLiant servers and hyper-converged nodes. This 2.5" SFF SAS SSD combines substantial storage density with mixed-use endurance and HPE Value reliability to support demanding business workloads.

General Information of HPE MO003840RXRRK 3.84TB SSD

• Brand: HPE
• Manufacturer Part Number: MO003840RXRRK
• Product Type : 3.84 TB Solid State Drive

Primary Specifications

• Drive Type: Solid State Drive (hot-swap)
• Raw Capacity: 3.84 TB
• Form Factor: 2.5" Small Form Factor (SFF)
• Interface: SAS 12 Gb/s
• External Data Rate: 1.2 Gbps
• Height: 0.6 in
• Weight: 17.64 oz
• Key Value: Business-critical, mixed-use endurance, HPE Value class

Performance Profile

Engineered to deliver sustained responsiveness and throughput, this SSD is optimized for transactional databases, virtualization and mixed read/write workloads.

Random I/O and Throughput

• 4KB Random Read: Up to 103,000 IOPS
• 4KB Random Write: Up to 52,000 IOPS
• External Transfer Rate: 1.2 Gbps
• Interface Count: 1 x SAS 12 Gb/s

Endurance & Lifespan

• Drive Writes Per Day (DWPD): 3
• Total SSD Endurance: 21,000 TB written

Power and Thermal

• Maximum Power Draw: 7.82 W
• Thermal Considerations: Low-profile 2.5" design for efficient rack cooling

Compatibility & Supported Servers

Validated for a broad range of HPE ProLiant systems and HPE Simplivity nodes. Ideal when used in mixed-population storage arrays or as part of HPE-validated server configurations.

Target Platforms (selected models)

• HPE ProLiant DL20 Gen10 Plus (2.5") — Base, Entry, Performance, High Performance
• HPE ProLiant DL325 Gen10 Plus V2 — Base, Performance, Weka-tracking variations
• HPE ProLiant DL345 & DL360 Gen10 Plus families — including All-NVMe and Network Choice options
• HPE ProLiant DL365, DL380 Gen10/Gen10 Plus and DL385 Gen10 Plus V2 (2.5")
• HPE Simplivity 325 Gen10 Plus V2 Node

Form Factor & Installation

The 2.5" SFF hot-swap tray allows rapid field replacement and convenient scaling in dense enterprise racks. Compact height and industry-standard bay compatibility simplify upgrades and serviceability.

Physical & Interface Details

• Form: 2.5" SFF hot-swap module (compatible with standard 2.5" bays)
• Interface: Single-channel SAS 12 Gb/s connector
• Mounting: Designed for quick-swap deployment in HPE bays that accept 2.5" drives

Workload Suitability & Use Cases

Specifically tuned for enterprise mixed-use scenarios where consistent latency and reliable write endurance are essential.

Recommended Workloads

• Virtualized environments: VM storage tiers requiring balanced read/write performance.
• Databases: Transactional and analytical workloads needing high random I/O.
• Software-defined storage: Integration with HPE SDS and converged infrastructure stacks.
• Mixed application servers: General-purpose compute with variable I/O patterns.

Reliability, Warranty & HPE Value

Built under HPE’s value-tier specifications, the drive targets organizations seeking enterprise dependability without the premium cost of tier-1 endurance classes.

Key Reliability Attributes

• Business-critical classification for predictable performance under load.
• Mixed-use endurance rating to support both read-heavy and write-heavy jobs.
• HPE compatibility testing reduces integration risk in validated server platforms.

Overview of HPE MO003840RXRRK 3.84TB SAS 12Gbps 2.5" Mixed Use Value Multi-Vendor Hot-Swap SSD Category

The HPE MO003840RXRRK 3.84TB SAS 12Gbps 2.5-inch Mixed Use Value Multi-Vendor Hot-Swap SSD represents a focused category of enterprise storage optimized for mixed-use workloads—workloads that combine read-heavy and write-heavy activity such as virtualization, databases, virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), mixed cloud workloads, and general purpose tiered storage. This category emphasizes a balance of performance, endurance, and cost-efficiency. It targets data centers, enterprise server environments, and storage arrays that require SAS 12Gb/s connectivity in a 2.5" form factor, delivering consistent low-latency I/O and higher tolerances for sustained mixed read/write operations.

Key Characteristics and Why They Matter

SSDs in this category are described by a set of critical attributes that shape purchasing decisions and deployment strategies. Below are the most important characteristics and why they are relevant:

• Capacity: 3.84TB—suitable for primary storage pools and high-density storage deployments where high capacity per drive reduces rack space and simplifies management.
• Interface: SAS 12Gbps—industry-standard for enterprise arrays, offering established compatibility with HPE and multi-vendor controllers and backplanes, and enabling sustained throughput in multi-drive configurations.
• Form Factor: 2.5-inch—optimizes rack density and fits modern server and storage chassis; widely supported in enterprise arrays.
• Use Case Rating: Mixed Use—engineered for mixed read/write patterns, delivering a balance between endurance and performance.
• Hot-Swap Capability: Multi-vendor hot-swap compatibility—simplifies drive replacement and maintenance across different chassis brands, reducing downtime risk.
• Value Tier: Designed to provide enterprise-grade features with cost-conscious pricing, ideal for organizations needing performance without premium-tier endurance costs.

Technical Specifications and Performance Profile

Interface and Bandwidth

The SAS 12Gbps interface is a defining trait of this category. 12Gbps SAS provides a raw lane bandwidth that supports multi-drive arrays and heavy concurrency typical of enterprise workloads. Compared with SATA and lower-speed SAS lanes, 12Gbps SAS reduces protocol overhead and increases sustained sequential throughput—beneficial when running RAID arrays or scale-out storage.

Form Factor and Physical Considerations

The 2.5" form factor delivers an excellent balance of capacity, thermal efficiency, and physical density. These drives are compatible with 2.5" drive bays and many 2.5" to 3.5" adapters. Their smaller profile supports higher drive counts per chassis, which can reduce per-TB energy and cooling costs when designed into the storage architecture.

Endurance, Reliability, and Mixed-Use Ratings

Mixed-use SSDs are typically rated with endurance metrics expressed as Drive Writes Per Day (DWPD) or Terabytes Written (TBW) over the warranty period. For a 3.84TB mixed-use class drive, endurance is balanced—higher than consumer-grade SSDs but lower than extreme endurance (write-intensive) enterprise SSDs. These drives use SLC/MLC/TLC variants combined with enterprise-grade controllers and firmware to deliver predictable performance across varied workloads.

IOPS, Latency, and Real-World Throughput

Expect strong random IOPS performance, especially for reads, with lower and consistent latency figures that translate to better application responsiveness. In practical deployments, these drives deliver noticeable improvements for database query times, VM boot storms, and VDI concurrency compared to spinning disks or lower-tier flash. Throughput for sequential workloads will be subject to controller and array constraints, but SAS 12Gbps ensures the interface is not a bottleneck in most configurations.

Compatibility and Multi-Vendor Hot-Swap Benefits

Multi-Vendor Interoperability

A primary advantage is multi-vendor compatibility. The MO003840RXRRK designation is an HPE-labeled SKU often cross-referenced with vendor-compatible parts and multi-vendor certified drives. This category ensures compatibility across HPE ProLiant servers, HPE storage arrays, and several third-party enclosures, expanding sourcing flexibility and enabling a buy-from-anywhere strategy for procurement teams.

Hot-Swap and Serviceability

Hot-swap capability minimizes downtime during drive replacement or upgrades. These drives permit live system maintenance, contributing to high availability designs. Serviceability features include standardized tray and connector designs, presence detect pins, and LED/activity indicators on compatible carriers. In tiered or hybrid arrays, hot-swap simplifies rebalancing tasks and allows field replacements with minimal disruption.

Controller and Backplane Considerations

When deploying in multi-vendor setups, ensure the target controller supports enterprise SAS 12Gbps features such as end-to-end data protection, NCQ, and proper error recovery timeouts (ERT). Some arrays may require firmware compatibility checks; consult vendor HCLs (Hardware Compatibility Lists) and interop guides to avoid interoperability issues. Using vendor-certified microcode and RAID controller drivers reduces the risk of incompatibility.

Use Cases and Workload Suitability

Virtualization and VDI

Mixed-use drives are particularly effective for virtualization hosts and VDI, where a mix of random reads and writes occurs regularly. The 3.84TB capacity allows denser VM placement per host, lowering overall rack footprint while improving I/O responsiveness for multiple concurrent VMs.

Databases and Transactional Systems

OLTP (Online Transaction Processing) databases and mid-tier transactional systems benefit from the low-latency random I/O performance. Mixed-use SSDs offer the reliability and endurance profile to handle frequent small writes, commit logs, and index operations typical of database workloads without incurring the cost of the highest-endurance SSDs.

Tiered Storage and Caching Architectures

These SSDs are ideal for hot-tier or mid-tier storage in tiered architectures. They can operate as primary data stores for performance-sensitive datasets or as cache/accelerator tiers sitting in front of high-capacity HDDs to dramatically reduce latency and improve throughput for the most frequently accessed data.

Backup, Snapshot, and Replication Targets

For snapshot repositories and replication targets that require quick read and write cycles, mixed-use SSDs provide a predictable performance envelope. Their balanced endurance makes them a cost-effective choice for systems that perform regular incremental backups and deduplication tasks.

Deployment Best Practices

Right-Sizing Capacity and Endurance

Correctly estimating capacity and endurance needs is crucial. Calculate expected writes per day across all workloads, then map estimated TBW or DWPD to a drive’s rated endurance. For mixed-use drives, select redundancy and RAID levels that align with performance and rebuild time tolerances; RAID 10 or RAID 6 with hot spares are common enterprise patterns, though the choice depends on capacity vs. resilience trade-offs.

Thermal and Power Management

High-density SSD arrays can generate significant heat. Confirm chassis airflow, drive bay spacing, and cooling policies meet the manufacturer’s recommended operating temperature range. Use vendor firmware tools to monitor SMART attributes and temperature statistics. Proper thermal management will prolong drive life and reduce the potential for thermal throttling, which can impact sustained performance.

Firmware and Patch Management

Firmware updates often include performance optimizations, bug fixes, and compatibility improvements. Maintain an inventory and update schedule for drive firmware, controller microcode, and storage array software. Test firmware updates in staging environments to ensure no unforeseen interactions with the host OS or storage stack.

Monitoring and Predictive Failure Detection

Use enterprise monitoring tools to track SMART metrics such as reallocated sectors, uncorrectable error counts, wear leveling statistics, and power-on hours. Predictive failure analysis reduces unplanned downtime—replace drives flagged with deteriorating SMART metrics proactively, leveraging the hot-swap function for seamless replacements.

Comparisons and Alternatives

Mixed Use vs. Read-Intensive and Write-Intensive SSDs

Mixed-use SSDs balance read and write endurance and are the most versatile for general enterprise usage. Read-intensive drives maximize read performance and are typically lower cost but have lower write endurance—suitable for cold or read-heavy analytics. Write-intensive SSDs provide the highest endurance for sustained writes (e.g., caching, logging) but at a premium cost. Choose based on the write profile of your applications.

SAS 12Gbps vs. NVMe (PCIe) Alternatives

NVMe drives deliver higher theoretical bandwidth and lower protocol overhead than SAS, providing better latency and parallelism for ultra-low-latency applications. However, NVMe adoption requires compatible controllers, backplanes, and storage architectures. SAS 12Gbps remains relevant for many arrays and for organizations prioritizing multi-vendor interoperability and proven ecosystem support. For many mixed workloads, SAS SSDs provide a favorable price/performance/compatibility balance.

Value-Class Enterprise SSDs vs. Consumer/SMB SSDs

Value-class enterprise SSDs like the MO003840RXRRK are engineered with enterprise firmware, capacitors for power-loss protection, and sustained performance guarantees. Consumer/SMB drives may lack these features and present higher variability in performance under load, making them ill-suited for mission-critical enterprise use.

Storage Architecture Patterns Using This Category

All-Flash Arrays (AFA)

In AFA designs, drives from this category can be used as part of a balanced node design delivering large capacity per node. AFAs built around 2.5" 3.84TB drives can offer dense capacity while maintaining enterprise-level latency.

Hybrid Arrays

Hybrid arrays employ mixed-use SSDs for hot data tiers and HDDs for capacity tiers. Deploying 3.84TB mixed-use drives as a hot tier reduces read amplification on HDDs and speeds up application response times. Policy-based tiering automates movement between SSD and HDD layers.

Software-Defined Storage (SDS) and Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI)

For SDS and HCI, these drives provide a reliable local storage medium for distributed filesystems, object stores, and hypervisor local caches. Their multi-vendor hot-swap compatibility simplifies node maintenance and reduces cluster-level risk during drive replacement.

Security, Data Protection, and Compliance

Hardware-Based Encryption

Many enterprise SSDs support on-drive hardware encryption (SED — Self-Encrypting Drive). When available, encryption helps meet regulatory and compliance needs by providing cryptographic protection for data at rest. Confirm the drive’s encryption standards (e.g., TCG Opal) and integration capabilities with key management systems.

Power-Loss Protection and Data Integrity

Enterprise-class drives often feature power-loss protection capacitors and firmware routines ensuring that in-flight data is flushed to non-volatile storage, reducing the risk of data corruption. These features are especially important in RAID or caching scenarios where data may be buffered in volatile memory.

End-to-End Data Protection

End-to-end data protection features (including CRCs, protection information, and proper error handling across the storage stack) help ensure that data integrity is preserved from the host to the drive media. These capabilities are expected in enterprise-grade mixed-use SSDs.

Purchase Considerations and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Upfront Cost vs. Operational Savings

Value-class enterprise SSDs are priced between consumer SSDs and premium endurance enterprise SSDs. The TCO should factor in energy consumption savings, reduced physical rack footprint, cooling efficiencies, performance gains (which may reduce the number of required servers), and software licensing impacts (fewer nodes may be required for the same performance).

Warranty, Support, and RMA Policies

Check warranty length, endurance-based replacement conditions, and RMA turnaround times. HPE-labeled SKUs often include vendor support pathways, which can simplify procurement and support interactions. Multi-vendor compatibility does not always carry the same warranty terms as vendor-branded drives; verify cross-vendor RMA policies if buying third-party components.

Sourcing Strategies

Consider mixed sourcing: vendor-branded drives for critical SLA-backed systems and qualified third-party drives for non-critical or lower-risk environments. Maintain a validated parts list and purchase spares to minimize downtime during rebuilds.

Data Migration and Replacement Procedures

When replacing drives, follow these steps: verify data replication or redundancy, gracefully remove the drive using array management tools, perform hot-swap replacement, confirm rebuild processes, and monitor for re-silvering completion and performance stabilization. Test rebuild scenarios regularly to understand real-world rebuild times and their impact on performance.

Firmware Rollbacks and Compatibility

Avoid unsupported firmware combinations. Keep detailed records for firmware versions and validate any updates in staging first. If a firmware update causes issues, have rollback plans and spare hardware available.

Common Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What workloads are best served by this 3.84TB mixed-use SAS SSD?

Virtual machines, mid-tier databases, transactional applications, caching layers, and hot-tier storage in hybrid arrays. It’s optimized for environments needing both read and write performance without paying for the highest endurance tier.

Can these drives be mixed with NVMe drives in the same storage system?

Mixing media types within a storage architecture is possible, but requires a storage controller and management software that supports tiering across different interfaces. NVMe and SAS drives can coexist within larger systems but typically occupy different tiers (ultra-low-latency vs. high-density enterprise).

Is a multi-vendor hot-swap SSD safe to use in an HPE chassis?

Yes, provided the drive is listed as compatible or has been validated by testing. Always consult HPE compatibility matrices and test in a non-production environment when possible. Some boards may require specific carrier pins or presence signals—ensure mechanical and firmware compatibility.

Content Optimization Tips for Category Pages

Use the primary keyword near the top of the category description and in at least one H2 to satisfy search relevance. Include long-tail phrases in product lists, subheadings, and the FAQ to capture targeted search queries. Provide schema-ready data points (when implementing actual HTML output on the site) like capacity, interface, form factor, endurance class, and typical use cases to help search engines understand and index the product category precisely.

Detailed Subcategory Breakouts

Mixed-Use 3.84TB SAS SSDs — Performance Tiers

Within this category it’s useful to organize drives into performance tiers: entry mixed-use (value-optimized), mid mixed-use (balanced IOps/latency), and high mixed-use (performance-optimized but still below write-intensive class). The MO003840RXRRK SKU is often positioned in the entry to mid mixed-use tier—prioritizing affordability and a reasonable endurance profile.

Entry Mixed-Use

Entry drives deliver predictable performance for mainstream applications. They are cost-effective for large-capacity deployments and edge scenarios.

Mid Mixed-Use

Mid-tier mixed-use drives increase IOPS and endurance to better support consolidation and higher concurrency. These are typical for primary storage in small enterprises and mid-sized cloud nodes.

Performance Mixed-Use

At the top of the mixed-use tier, drives approach the performance of specialized models while keeping cost lower than full write-intensive SSDs—suitable for high-concurrency virtualized workloads and moderate transactional databases.

Real-World Example Architectures

Example: Virtualization-Optimized Rack

A virtualization rack might use 24 x 3.84TB mixed-use SAS drives across 2U nodes, aggregated into a SAN or pooled with SDS. This offers dense VM hosting with low-latency storage. Combine with RAID 10 or erasure-coded software RAID for resilience.

Example: Hybrid Storage Pool for Tiered Workloads

Use 12 x 3.84TB mixed-use SSDs as the hot tier and 60 x high-capacity HDDs for capacity tier. Automated tiering policies move “hot” blocks to the SSD layer, improving application performance while retaining cost-efficient capacity on HDDs.

Metrics and Benchmarking Guidance

Useful Benchmark Tests

• Random 4K Read/Write IOPS: Simulate VM and transactional workloads.
• Sequential Throughput (128K): Simulate bulk transfers and backup tasks.
• Latency Percentiles (P95/P99): Understand tail latency under load.
• Endurance Stress Tests: Track sustained write performance and SMART wear statistics over time.

Interpreting Results

Benchmark results should be interpreted in context of controller, RAID configuration, and host load. Repeating tests with a gradual increase in concurrency better reproduces real-world conditions. Pay special attention to latency percentiles—applications often suffer from the tail latencies rather than average values.

Frequently Overlooked Considerations

Compatibility of Drive Caddies and Presence Pins

Even when a drive is electrically compatible, the physical caddy and presence detect pinout must match the chassis. Verify that the caddy includes the appropriate latch style, LED mapping, and mechanical fit for the target servers or arrays.

Impact of Rebuild Times on Performance

When a drive fails and the array rebuilds, the extra load can cause performance degradation. Simulate rebuild scenarios and validate that your redundancy and rebuild policies meet SLAs during degraded states.

Lifecycle Cost of High-Capacity Drives

High-capacity drives reduce BOM complexity and power/cooling costs per TB, but a single high-capacity drive failure affects more data than multiple smaller drives. Balance capacity density with resilience and rebuild tolerances for your business requirements.

Summary of Best-Fit Environments for This Category

This category is best fit for enterprise environments needing a cost-effective enterprise SSD with enough endurance and performance for mixed workloads: virtualization clusters, mid-size databases, hybrid storage pools, VDI farms, and caching layers. Choose this class when you want a strong mix of capacity, SAS interface compatibility, multi-vendor hot-swap convenience, and enterprise features without paying for the highest endurance class.

Actionable Checklist Before Purchase

• Verify controller and HCL compatibility.
• Confirm drive caddy and presence pinout match chassis.
• Validate endurance (TBW/DWPD) against projected write intensities.
• Plan for firmware management and spares inventory.
• Estimate rebuild times and ensure backup/replication policies mitigate risk.
• Review warranty and vendor support terms, especially for multi-vendor parts.

Content Signals for E-Commerce Implementation

On product-category pages, supplement descriptive content with structured data (JSON-LD) for product SKUs, capacities, interface, and form factor. Include clear filters for capacity, interface type (SAS 12Gbps), use case (mixed-use), form factor (2.5"), and vendor compatibility (HPE, multi-vendor). Provide comparison tables, spec sheets, and downloadable PDFs for engineers—these increase dwell time and improve.

Suggested On-Page Elements

• Specification table listing capacity, interface, form factor, endurance rating, warranty, and typical IOPS.
• Comparison widget comparing mixed-use 3.84TB to other capacities and NVMe alternatives.
• Customer use-case stories or reference architectures highlighting real-world deployments.
• Downloadable compatibility matrix and firmware update policy documents.

Concluding Category Notes 

The HPE MO003840RXRRK 3.84TB SAS 12Gbps 2.5" Mixed Use Value Multi-Vendor Hot-Swap SSD category is a practical choice for organizations seeking a balance between performance, endurance, and cost-efficiency. Properly deployed, monitored, and matched to workload profiles, these drives deliver enterprise-grade reliability and flexibility for heterogeneous storage ecosystems.

Last Tips

When designing around this category, emphasize validation: test firmware stacks, simulate failure and rebuild scenarios, and align endurance with write patterns. Keep a regular firmware patching cadence and maintain spare drives for rapid hot-swap replacement. Doing so maximizes uptime, delivers predictable performance, and optimizes the total cost of ownership for mixed-use SSD deployments.