9W50T Dell 960GB SAS-12GBPS MU SFF Hot-Plug SSD

Dell 9W50T 960GB SAS SSD Product Details

The Dell 9W50T solid state drive is engineered to deliver dependable storage capacity with excellent transfer speeds. Designed for Dell PowerEdge servers, this 2.5-inch hot-plug SSD combines advanced NAND flash technology with SAS 12Gb/s connectivity for reliable enterprise performance.

Key Specifications

• Brand: Dell
• Part Number: 9W50T
• Drive Type: Hot-plug solid state drive
• Storage Capacity: 960GB
• Flash Technology: BICS TLC 3-bit-per-cell NAND
• Form Factor: 2.5-inch
• Interface: SAS 12Gb/s
• Data Transfer Speed: 1.2 Gbps
• Endurance Rating: Mixed-use workload support
• DWPD: 3 drive writes per day

Performance Highlights

This enterprise-grade SSD balances read and write throughput to support diverse applications. It ensures that workloads demanding both quick response and durability can rely on consistent speed.

• Capacity: 960GB
• Sequential Read Performance: Up to 2100 MB/s
• Sequential Write Performance: Up to 1260 MB/s

Expansion & Connectivity

The Dell 9W50T integrates seamlessly into server environments with a dedicated SAS connection and hot-plug design, allowing quick replacements or upgrades without service interruptions.

• Interface Supported: 1 x SAS 12Gb/s
• Drive Bay Compatibility: 2.5-inch hot-plug slots

Compatibility Across Dell PowerEdge Servers

This SSD is validated for a wide array of Dell PowerEdge systems, making it a flexible option for various enterprise infrastructures.

Rack Servers

• PowerEdge R330
• PowerEdge R430
• PowerEdge R630
• PowerEdge R730
• PowerEdge R730xd
• PowerEdge R730xd XL
• PowerEdge R830

Tower Servers

• PowerEdge T330
• PowerEdge T430
• PowerEdge T440
• PowerEdge T420
• PowerEdge T630
• PowerEdge T640

Choose the Dell 9W50T SAS SSD

Reliable Performance

With strong endurance ratings and balanced read/write operations, it supports mixed workloads such as virtualization, databases, and enterprise applications.

Enterprise-Ready Design

The hot-plug capability ensures that maintenance and scalability are simplified, keeping downtime to a minimum.

Advanced NAND Technology

BICS TLC NAND delivers higher density and efficiency while maintaining reliability for mission-critical operations.

9W50T Dell 960GB SAS 12Gbps Mixed Use 2.5-Inch Hot-Plug SSD Overview

The 9W50T Dell 960GB SAS-12Gbps Mixed Use SSD is a high-performance enterprise-grade solid-state drive engineered for balanced read/write workloads. Designed for Dell PowerEdge servers and storage arrays, this 2.5-inch hot-plug SSD delivers exceptional throughput, reliability, and endurance for mission-critical applications. With a SAS 12Gbps interface, it ensures robust connectivity and sustained data integrity across demanding environments such as virtualization, OLTP databases, and cloud infrastructure.

Interface and Protocol Advantages

SAS 12Gbps Bandwidth

Leveraging the Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) 12Gbps interface, the 9W50T SSD offers superior data transfer rates and dual-port failover capabilities. Compared to SATA, SAS provides enhanced signal integrity, full-duplex communication, and enterprise-level command queuing, making it ideal for high-availability systems.

Dual-Port Redundancy

The dual-port architecture enables redundant data paths, ensuring uninterrupted access in multi-controller environments. This feature is critical for fault-tolerant storage arrays and clustered server deployments where uptime is paramount.

Interface Benefits Summary

• 12Gbps SAS interface for high-speed data access
• Dual-port support for path redundancy
• Advanced command queuing for optimized I/O
• Backward compatibility with 6Gbps SAS infrastructure

Form Factor and Hot-Plug Capability

2.5-Inch Enterprise Form Factor

The 2.5-inch form factor is the standard for enterprise SSDs, offering a balance of density and airflow efficiency. The 9W50T fits seamlessly into Dell server drive bays, supporting tool-less installation and rapid deployment.

Hot-Plug Functionality

Hot-plug support allows administrators to replace or upgrade drives without powering down the system. This minimizes downtime and simplifies maintenance in live production environments, especially within RAID arrays and SAN configurations.

Deployment Flexibility

• Compatible with Dell PowerEdge R740, R750, R760, T550, and MX740c
• Supports mixed drive configurations in RAID 5, 6, and 10
• Ideal for modular storage expansion and tiered storage architectures

Capacity and Mixed Use Workload Optimization

960GB Storage Capacity

With 960GB of usable capacity, the 9W50T SSD provides ample space for transactional databases, virtual machine images, and application data. It strikes a balance between performance and cost-efficiency for mid-tier enterprise workloads.

Mixed Use Endurance Profile

Engineered for mixed use scenarios, this SSD supports both read-intensive and moderate write workloads. It is ideal for environments where read/write ratios are approximately 70/30, such as email servers, ERP systems, and analytics platforms.

Endurance Metrics

• DWPD (Drive Writes Per Day): Up to 3 DWPD over 5 years
• Total Bytes Written (TBW): Approximately 5,250 TB
• MTBF: Over 2 million hours
• UBER: < 1 sector per 10^17 bits read

NAND Architecture and Controller Technology

Enterprise-Grade MLC NAND

The 9W50T SSD utilizes Multi-Level Cell (MLC) NAND flash, offering higher endurance and reliability compared to consumer-grade TLC. MLC stores two bits per cell, reducing write amplification and improving data retention under heavy workloads.

Advanced Controller Firmware

The onboard controller features wear-leveling, garbage collection, and error correction algorithms optimized for enterprise environments. It ensures consistent performance and minimizes latency spikes during peak I/O operations.

Data Integrity Features

• End-to-end data protection
• Power loss protection with capacitor-backed cache
• ECC (Error Correction Code) for NAND reliability
• SMART monitoring and predictive failure analysis

Security and Compliance

Secure Firmware and Authentication

The 9W50T SSD supports secure firmware updates and drive-level authentication protocols. These features prevent unauthorized access and ensure firmware integrity during deployment and lifecycle management.

Regulatory Compliance

Fully compliant with global standards including TAA, RoHS, and REACH, this SSD meets the requirements for government and enterprise procurement. It is certified for use in secure data centers and regulated industries.

Security Highlights

• Secure erase and crypto erase support
• Firmware signing and validation
• Tamper-resistant design
• Compliance with ISO/IEC 27001 data protection standards

Use Cases and Application Scenarios

Virtualization and Hyperconverged Infrastructure

The 9W50T SSD is optimized for virtualized workloads, including VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, and KVM environments. Its low latency and high IOPS support rapid VM provisioning, snapshot management, and live migration.

Transactional Databases

For OLTP systems such as Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle DB, and PostgreSQL, this SSD accelerates query response times and improves concurrency. Its mixed use profile supports frequent read/write operations with minimal performance degradation.

Enterprise Email and Collaboration Platforms

In Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint, and collaboration suites, the 9W50T SSD ensures fast indexing, mailbox access, and attachment retrieval. It supports high user concurrency and reduces latency during peak business hours.

Additional Workloads

• ERP and CRM systems
• Data warehousing and analytics
• Backup and restore operations
• Tiered storage in hybrid cloud deployments

Thermal Management and Power Efficiency

Optimized Thermal Envelope

The drive operates within a controlled thermal range, supported by Dell’s airflow-optimized chassis designs. Integrated thermal sensors trigger throttling mechanisms to prevent overheating and ensure sustained performance.

Low Power Consumption

With active power draw under 6W and idle consumption below 1W, the 9W50T SSD contributes to energy-efficient data center operations. Its power management features align with green IT initiatives and reduce total cost of ownership.

Environmental Ratings

• Operating temperature: 0°C to 70°C
• Non-operating temperature: -40°C to 85°C
• Shock resistance: 1,500G/0.5ms
• Vibration tolerance: 2.17G RMS (operating)