797299-B21 HPE 800GB SAS 12GBPS 3.5 Inch MU LFF SSD

Product of 797299-B21 HPE 800GB SAS 12GBPS 3.5 Inch MU LFF LP SSD

The 797299-B21 HPE 800GB SAS 12GBPS 3.5 Inch MU LFF LP Solid State Drive is designed for high-performance enterprise storage applications. Engineered by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), this storage solution ensures reliable performance, efficiency, and speed for mission-critical operations.

Main Information about HPE 797299-B21

• Manufacturer: HPE
• Part Number / SKU: 797299-B21
• Product Category: Solid State Drive (SSD)
• Drive Capacity: 800GB
• Interface: SAS 12Gbps
• Form Factor: 3.5 Inch LFF LP (Large Form Factor, Low Profile)
• Usage: Mixed Use (MU) workload optimization

Key Advantages of the HPE 797299-B21 SSD

This enterprise-class solid-state drive provides a range of benefits for businesses:

• High-speed data transfers through the 12Gbps SAS interface.
• Reliable 800GB storage capacity suited for diverse workloads.
• Optimized for mixed-use applications, balancing read and write operations.
• Durable design for continuous server and storage system use.
• Energy-efficient low-profile structure suitable for modern data centers.

Technical Overview

Storage Capacity

The drive features 800GB of storage, providing ample space for databases, virtual environments, and application workloads.

Interface Speed

Built with 12Gbps SAS interface technology, this SSD ensures rapid data transfer rates, reduced latency, and seamless integration with enterprise servers.

Form Factor

With a 3.5-inch large form factor (LFF) and low-profile design, it offers compatibility with a wide range of HPE servers and storage systems.

Compatibility and Integration

This solid-state drive is fully compatible with various HPE ProLiant servers and storage arrays, ensuring smooth integration in enterprise IT infrastructures.

Applications

• Data center operations
• Virtualization environments
• High-performance computing
• Database management
• Cloud-based applications

Key specifications and technical profile

Capacity, interface and form factor

Core specifications that define the category are:

• Storage capacity: 800GB (raw capacity targeted at enterprise use).
• Interface: 12Gb/s SAS (Serial Attached SCSI), suitable for HBA and RAID controller environments common in data centers.
• Form factor: 3.5 inch (LFF) with low-profile (LP) converter for compatibility with servers that accept LFF drives but benefit from SSD performance.

These elements combine to position the drive between higher-density, slower SATA/NL-SAS options and higher-IOPS NVMe devices — delivering a pragmatic choice for legacy SAS infrastructures that require the performance gains of flash. 

Performance characteristics

The 12Gb/s SAS interface delivers a theoretical peak link speed significantly higher than older 6Gb/s SAS and SATA interfaces, translating to better sequential throughput and improved latency under mixed I/O patterns. Typical published read/write throughput figures for HPE 12Gb SAS mixed-use SSDs of this class place sequential throughput in the order of multiple gigabytes per second under ideal conditions (actual throughput will vary by controller, queue depth, and workload). Many vendor listings and datasheets emphasize balanced mixed-use performance — targeted at virtualization, databases, and analytics workloads that blend reads and writes. 

IOPS and latency considerations

Mixed-use enterprise SAS SSDs like the 797299-B21 typically advertise strong random read and write IOPS at enterprise queue depths. Compared with spinning media, typical benefits include:

• Dramatically reduced random access latency measured in microseconds.
• Higher sustained IOPS for both small (4KB/8KB) and larger block sizes depending on firmware tuning.
• Predictable latency characteristics under sustained loads, which is crucial for multi-tenant virtualization and latency-sensitive applications.

Endurance, flash type and workload suitability

Drives in this HPE family are often designated as Mixed-Use (MU) or Value Endurance (VE) depending on internal flash, overprovisioning, and firmware. Mixed-Use models use higher endurance MLC/TLC configurations with firmware tuned for a balance of read/write stability and cost. This makes them suitable for:

• Virtual machine datastore layers (hypervisor hosts).
• Database log and index operations where mixed reads and writes occur.
• Analytics nodes with sustained sequential I/O and frequent metadata updates.

Vendor listings for the 797299-B21 indicate it’s presented as a mixed-use / value-endurance enterprise SSD with DWPD (drive writes per day) and workload ratings appropriate for many datacenter use cases. Exact endurance numbers vary by sub-model and firmware revision; customers should reference the specific HPE datasheet for guaranteed DWPD and TBW values for the batch they purchase. 

Compatibility and server integration

HPE ProLiant and Gen platforms

The 797299-B21 is designed and commonly validated to operate in HPE ProLiant Gen9/Gen10 server platforms and compatible Gen11 configurations when listed as a supported spare or drive option. Its LP (low-profile) converter allows installation in 3.5" bay servers while maintaining physical compatibility with HPE tray/population standards. When deploying at scale, validate support matrices and firmware interop guides from HPE to ensure the drive firmware is on the supported list for your server generation and controller firmware level. 

RAID controllers and HBAs

Because the drive uses a SAS interface, it integrates with enterprise SAS HBAs and RAID controllers. When using hardware RAID, firmware features such as write caching, power-loss protection, and write-through vs write-back modes influence performance and data safety. Many deployments pair SAS SSDs with controllers that support SAS-3 (12Gb/s) link speeds to fully utilize available bandwidth.

Hot-swap and serviceability

LFF SSDs in server chassis typically support hot-swap removal and replacement via the server's drive tray mechanism. The 3.5" form factor and low-profile adapter make it straightforward for technicians to service servers without special adapters, provided the server's backplane is compatible with SAS SSDs. Maintain firmware compatibility and follow HPE service bulletins when performing drive replacements in critical systems. 

Firmware, security and enterprise features

Digitally Signed Firmware and device trust

HPE often ships enterprise SSDs with digitally signed firmware to prevent unauthorized firmware modifications and to ensure compatibility with platform firmware validation. Digitally signed firmware provides an added layer of device integrity, useful for enterprises that have strict change control and security postures. Before deploying at scale, check firmware signing requirements and any related system BIOS/UEFI settings that may affect device discovery. 

Power loss protection and data integrity

On many enterprise SSDs, hardware-assisted power-loss protection (PLP) or supercapacitor-backed mechanisms protect in-flight data during sudden power events. While not all VE/MU drives include the highest tier of PLP, HPE product family documentation and datasheets identify which models include enhanced power-loss safeguards. For applications where transactional safety is critical, choose drives with verified PLP or build redundancy at the storage layer (RAID with consistent write-back policies). 

SMART, telemetry and health reporting

Enterprise SSDs report device health and usage via SMART attributes, vendor telemetry and optionally through HPE system management tools. Monitor attributes such as media wear percentage, lifetime writes, uncorrectable error counts, and temperature to proactively replace drives before they impact availability. Integrating SSD telemetry into your monitoring stack reduces unexpected downtime and improves serviceability.

Procurement, lifecycle and variants

Manufacturer SKUs, part numbers and equivalents

The 797299-B21 may appear across vendor catalogs with small suffixes or variant part numbers (for example 797299R-B21 in some listings) denoting revisions or refurbishing status; some sellers list the drive as VE (value endurance) or MU (mixed-use) in their descriptions. Always match the part number exactly when ordering replacements or spares to ensure firmware and mechanical compatibility. Retail and resellers sometimes sell factory-refurbished or tested units—verify warranty and testing status with the seller.

warranty, refurbished vs new and aftermarket considerations

Warranty terms vary by channel. Refurbished units typically carry shorter warranties from the reseller, whereas new units ordered through HPE or authorized distributors include manufacturer warranty support. For enterprise operations, buying new from an authorized channel simplifies RMA and support engagements; for non-critical test labs, certified refurbished units can deliver cost savings. Always confirm warranty duration and RMA process before purchase. 

Price/performance and total cost of ownership (TCO)

When evaluating TCO, consider:

• Acquisition cost per GB vs performance uplift over HDDs and NVMe alternatives.
• Power, cooling and rack space savings that SSDs provide compared to high-density HDD arrays for equivalent IOPS.
• Endurance and replacement cadence — drives with higher DWPD may cost more up front but reduce lifecycle replacement expenses in write-heavy environments.
• Controller and backplane compatibility — upgrading to 12Gb/s capable controllers may be necessary to fully leverage the drive's bandwidth.

Comparing mixed-use (MU) vs value-endurance (VE) vs read-intensive (RI)

SSDs are tuned and binned into endurance classes:

• Read-Intensive (RI): optimized for workloads dominated by reads; lower DWPD; lowest cost per GB.
• Mixed-Use (MU): balanced read/write endurance and performance suitable for general enterprise workloads.
• Value-Endurance (VE) / Enterprise Endurance: higher DWPD intended for write-heavy tasks at higher price points.

The 797299-B21 maps to MU/VE positioning across vendor listings; choose the exact variant based on your estimated DWPD and TBW requirements for the expected workload profile. 

Buying guidance and checklist

Before purchasing, validate each item on this checklist:

• Exact part number match (797299-B21) and verify whether suffixes denote a firmware or mechanical variant.
• Confirm server and controller compatibility via HPE Quickspecs, support matrix or release notes.
• Check endurance metrics (DWPD/TBW) and choose MU vs VE vs RI based on workload.
• Verify warranty terms and RMA process for new vs refurbished units.
• Ensure firmware revision is current and supported by your server generation.

Reseller vs authorized channel considerations

Purchase from HPE authorized distributors when full manufacturer warranty and support are required. Reputable resellers and refurbishment houses can be cost-effective for lab and test environments, but always confirm testing standards and refurbishing certifications. For production, prefer new OEM units or authorized certified refurbished units with explicit warranty coverage. 

Further resources and datasheet references

For authoritative technical details, download the HPE datasheet specific to the 12Gb SAS mixed-use family and consult HPE's platform compatibility lists and Quickspecs for the exact server generation you run. Vendor pages and reseller listings provide additional practical details including throughput estimates, warranty options and refurbished inventory listings. 

Common related SKUs and replacements

When mapping inventory or planning spares, also consider cross-reference SKUs such as the P/N variants used in HPE datasheets and the replacement/alternate parts that HPE publishes for specific server families. Some marketplaces list the drive under 797299R-B21 or similar identifiers—verify physical, electrical and firmware equivalence before using them as direct replacements.

Final practical tip

For many organizations the 797299-B21 provides an excellent middle ground: a straightforward, serviceable 3.5" SAS SSD that brings flash performance into existing SAS infrastructures without the architectural changes NVMe would require. When used with appropriate RAID, monitoring and firmware controls, it reliably accelerates mixed workloads while preserving the manageability and dual-port benefits of SAS storage.