3M6PY Dell 1.6TB NVMe PCI Express Pm1735 Series SSD.

Dell 3M6PY 1.6TB Mixed Use NVMe SSD – Enterprise-Class Performance Redefined

The Dell 3M6PY 1.6TB Mixed Use Flash NVMe PCI Express 4.0 x8 PM1735 Series SSD is engineered for enterprise environments where performance, endurance, and reliability are paramount. Designed to integrate seamlessly with Dell PowerEdge servers, this SSD is part of the high-performing PM1735 series, leveraging the advanced PCIe Gen 4.0 interface to deliver accelerated throughput for mission-critical applications.

Form Factor and Interface: U.2 NVMe PCIe Gen4 x8 Explained

This drive features a U.2 form factor and supports the PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, which delivers double the bandwidth of its PCIe Gen3 predecessors. With up to 64 GT/s of data transfer capability, the Dell 3M6PY ensures fast response times for I/O-intensive workloads, including data analytics, virtualization, and database hosting.

Understanding PCIe 4.0 x8 Performance

By operating on an 8-lane (x8) configuration, the PM1735 SSD significantly increases IOPS and throughput. This makes it ideal for enterprise systems that require extremely high performance and low latency. In comparison to SATA or SAS interfaces, PCIe 4.0 x8 reduces bottlenecks, allowing the drive to handle multiple simultaneous transactions with minimal delay.

Capacity and Mixed-Use Endurance

The Dell 3M6PY offers a storage capacity of 1.6TB, optimized for mixed-use workloads. This category is characterized by a balance between read and write operations—commonly seen in enterprise applications like SQL databases, VDI environments, and real-time analytics engines.

Mixed Use Drive Characteristics

Mixed-use SSDs are designed to deliver a stable endurance level—typically rated for 3 Drive Writes Per Day (DWPD) over 5 years. This makes them suitable for operations that require a harmonious combination of frequent reads and consistent writes, ensuring long-term reliability without overprovisioning resources.

DWPD Explained

DWPD (Drive Writes Per Day) is a critical endurance metric for enterprise-grade SSDs. For a 1.6TB drive with a 3 DWPD rating, you can write up to 4.8TB of data to the drive every day for 5 years. This durability standard ensures that the Dell 3M6PY meets the rigorous demands of continuous data center operations.

Compatibility with Dell PowerEdge Servers

Designed specifically for use in Dell PowerEdge servers, the 3M6PY SSD is fully validated and qualified by Dell engineers to ensure optimal compatibility, firmware integration, and thermal performance within server chassis.

Supported Server Models

• Dell PowerEdge R740/R740xd
• Dell PowerEdge R750/R750xs
• Dell PowerEdge R650
• Dell PowerEdge T640
• Dell PowerEdge MX740c and MX840c
• And other models supporting U.2 NVMe PCIe Gen4 drives

PM1735 Series – Built on Samsung V-NAND Technology

The Dell 3M6PY SSD is based on the Samsung PM1735 platform, a series known for high-performance enterprise SSDs. It utilizes advanced V-NAND technology for improved power efficiency, higher IOPS, and better endurance compared to planar NAND counterparts.

Key Features of Samsung PM1735 Platform

• Supports NVMe 1.4 Protocol
• Advanced ECC and End-to-End Data Protection
• Power-Loss Protection (PLP) for sudden shutdowns
• Thermal throttling and monitoring capabilities
• Firmware update and SMART monitoring support

Enterprise-Class Reliability and Uptime

Reliability is a critical factor in choosing an enterprise SSD. The 3M6PY drive features an industry-leading Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) rating of over 2 million hours. Combined with robust error correction, wear leveling, and end-to-end data protection, this SSD minimizes the risk of data corruption or unexpected failure.

Power Loss Protection (PLP)

In the event of sudden power outages, the SSD’s built-in PLP mechanism ensures that in-flight data is safely written to non-volatile memory. This feature is essential for transaction-based systems and enterprise storage environments that cannot afford data loss.

Thermal Management and Cooling Efficiency

With high-speed performance comes increased thermal output. The Dell 3M6PY is engineered with advanced thermal sensors and built-in thermal throttling to prevent overheating. It is optimized for airflow within PowerEdge chassis, ensuring the drive remains within safe operational temperatures even under maximum load.

Temperature Monitoring Support

Using Dell OpenManage and other monitoring tools, data center admins can track temperature levels in real time, set thermal thresholds, and receive alerts to prevent thermal degradation.

Use Cases for Mixed-Use NVMe SSDs in Enterprise IT

Organizations across industries leverage the Dell 3M6PY SSD for a wide range of enterprise applications:

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

In VDI environments, consistent read and write throughput is necessary for delivering a smooth desktop experience to hundreds or thousands of users. The 3M6PY SSD supports fast boot times and application loading, improving user productivity.

Database Hosting (SQL, Oracle, NoSQL)

For transactional databases with high IOPS demands, the combination of PCIe Gen4 and NVMe 1.4 ensures low latency and high queue depth handling. This improves query performance, indexing speed, and backup times.

Real-Time Data Analytics

In big data environments where real-time analytics are crucial, the drive’s ability to maintain low latency under sustained loads makes it ideal for running Spark, Hadoop, and data lakes with rapid ingestion and query resolution.

Web and Application Servers

Hosting mission-critical applications requires predictable storage behavior. The 3M6PY provides the speed and reliability needed for high availability web infrastructure, microservices, and containerized environments using Docker or Kubernetes.

Advanced Data Integrity and Security Features

Security and integrity are at the core of the 3M6PY’s design. It supports TCG enterprise security standards and end-to-end data path protection. Advanced ECC algorithms correct single-bit and multi-bit errors to ensure the accuracy of stored data.

Support for Secure Erase and Sanitize

Enterprises with data compliance needs can use secure erase and sanitize operations to meet regulatory requirements such as GDPR and HIPAA. These features ensure that sensitive data is unrecoverable when repurposing or decommissioning hardware.

Comparing Dell 3M6PY with Similar SSDs

In the enterprise storage market, the Dell 3M6PY competes favorably with drives like the Intel P5800X, Samsung PM9A3, and Kioxia CM6. While some drives may offer slightly higher capacities or IOPS, the 3M6PY strikes a balance between performance, endurance, and compatibility that makes it ideal for mid-to-large scale deployments.

PM1735 vs PM1733

Both part of the Samsung enterprise SSD family, the PM1735 is designed for higher endurance workloads compared to the PM1733. While the PM1733 may focus more on read-intensive tasks, the PM1735, including the Dell 3M6PY, supports mixed-use operations with a higher DWPD rating.