56M84 Dell 15.36TB SAS 12GBPS Read Intensive SFF Enterprise SSD

Product Overview of Dell 56M84 15.36TB SAS 12GBPS SSD

The Dell 56M84 15.36TB SAS 12Gbps Read-Intensive Enterprise SSD represents a critical component in modern data center infrastructure. Engineered specifically for Dell EMC PowerEdge servers (14th, 15th, and 16th generations), this solid-state drive delivers an extraordinary balance of massive capacity, high throughput, and relentless reliability.

General Information

• Brand: Dell
• Part Number: 56M84
• Product Type: Internal Solid State Drive

Technical Specifications

• Total Capacity: 15.36TB for large‑scale workloads
• NAND Architecture: V‑NAND TLC technology for improved durability
• Drive Format: 2.5‑inch enterprise‑grade form factor
• Connection Interface: SAS 12Gb/s for stable, high‑bandwidth throughput
• Endurance Profile: Optimized for read‑intensive environments
• Sector Size: 512 bytes

Performance Metrics

Endurance & Reliability

• DWPD Rating: 1 drive write per day

Sequential Throughput

• Read Speed: Up to 2100 MB/s
• Write Speed: Up to 1800 MB/s

Random Operations

• Random Read: 400K IOPS
• Random Write: 65K IOPS

Server Compatibility

Supported Dell PowerEdge Platforms

PowerEdge C‑Series

• C6420
• C6520
• C6525
• C6620

PowerEdge HS‑Series

• HS5610
• HS5620

PowerEdge R‑Series (Entry to Mid‑Range)

• R350
• R440
• R450
• R550

PowerEdge R‑Series (Performance & Dense Compute)

• R640
• R650 / R650xs
• R6515
• R6525
• R660 / R660xs
• R6615
• R6625

PowerEdge R‑Series (High‑End & Scalable)

• R740 / R740xd
• R750 / R750xa / R750xs
• R7515
• R7525
• R760 / R760xa / R760xs
• R7615
• R7625

PowerEdge Enterprise‑Class Systems

• R840
• R860
• R940 / R940xa
• R960

PowerEdge Tower Servers

• T550
• T560

Specialized & Accelerated Platforms

• XE9680
• XR7620

Dell Storage Arrays

Powervault Series

• MD2424

Understanding of Dell 56M84 15.36TB SAS SSD

The Dell 56M84 15.36TB SAS 12Gbps Read-Intensive TLC SSD represents a critical component in modern data center infrastructure. Engineered explicitly for demanding server environments, this enterprise-class solid-state drive delivers unparalleled storage density, consistent performance, and unwavering reliability. Designed for integration into Dell EMC PowerEdge 14th, 15th, and 16th generation servers, the drive addresses the core needs of read-intensive applications, from large-scale databases and data warehousing to virtualization and content delivery networks. Its 2.5-inch Small Form Factor (SFF) design maximizes storage capacity within the constrained real estate of high-density server chassis, making it an optimal solution for organizations scaling their data capabilities.

Key Specifications

At the heart of the 56M84 drive is a meticulously engineered set of specifications that define its enterprise-grade status. Understanding these core technical attributes is essential for system architects and IT procurement specialists.

Form Factor

The drive utilizes the Small Form Factor (SFF) 2.5-inch design with a 15mm z-height. This industry-standard size ensures seamless compatibility with the vast majority of Dell PowerEdge server drive bays and storage enclosures. The interface is dual-port SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) operating at 12 gigabits per second (12Gbps). The dual-port capability is a critical enterprise feature, providing redundant pathways for data and enabling multi-host connectivity and failover configurations essential for high availability and clustered server environments.

Core Drive Architecture

The drive is built upon a foundation of Triple-Level Cell (TLC) NAND flash memory, strategically optimized for read-intensive workloads. The SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) 12Gbps interface provides a robust, dual-ported connection, ensuring full redundancy and high throughput essential for mission-critical applications. The 2.5-inch Small Form Factor (SFF) is the industry standard for enterprise servers, allowing for hot-swappable installation in dedicated drive bays.

Capacity and NAND Configuration

The flagship 15.36TB capacity is achieved through advanced NAND stacking and controller technology. This massive capacity per drive reduces the number of drives required for a given storage pool, simplifying management, reducing power and cooling overhead, and increasing overall system reliability by minimizing potential points of failure.

SAS 12Gbps Interface Details

The SAS 12Gbps interface is backward compatible with 6Gbps infrastructures, ensuring smooth integration. Its full-duplex capability allows for simultaneous read and write operations on the same connection, and the dual-port nature provides two independent paths to the drive for multipath I/O and failover support, a non-negotiable feature for enterprise server availability.

Performance Characteristics for Read-Intensive Workloads

Classified as a Read-Intensive drive, the Dell 56M84 is engineered to excel in environments where read operations significantly outnumber writes. This optimization balances high performance, endurance, and cost-effectiveness.

Sustained Throughput and IOPS

Leveraging the high-bandwidth SAS interface and a powerful internal controller, the drive delivers consistent, high sequential and random read performance. This ensures rapid data retrieval for queries, video streaming, and virtual machine read operations. While write performance is robust, it is specifically tuned to maintain high read speeds without the overhead of write-intensive optimizations, making it ideal for its target use cases.

Latency

Enterprise applications demand predictable latency. This SSD is designed with advanced QoS features that maintain low and consistent response times, even under heavy mixed workloads. This predictability is crucial for maintaining service level agreements (SLAs) in multi-tenant cloud and virtualized environments.

Wide Compatibility and Integration with Dell EMC PowerEdge Servers

The 56M84 SSD is not a generic component; it is validated, tested, and certified for seamless operation within the Dell EMC ecosystem, ensuring optimal performance and manageability.

Generation Support: PowerEdge 14G, 15G, and 16G

This drive is fully compatible with Dell EMC's 14th (e.g., R640, R740xd), 15th (e.g., R650, R750xa), and 16th generation PowerEdge servers. It is designed to work with the server's PERC (PowerEdge RAID Controller) and BOSS (Boot Optimized Storage Solution) hardware, as well as in HBA (Host Bus Adapter) modes. Firmware and drivers are delivered through standardized Dell update packages, ensuring system stability.

Reliability, Data Integrity, and Enterprise Features

Beyond raw capacity and speed, enterprise SSDs differentiate themselves through a suite of features designed to protect data integrity and ensure continuous operation.

Advanced Error Correction and Data Protection

The drive employs sophisticated error-correcting code (ECC) algorithms, both within the NAND layers and at the controller level. This multi-tiered approach corrects bit errors in real-time, preventing data corruption. Combined with end-to-end data path protection, it ensures data is accurately transferred from the host interface to the NAND media and back.

Power Loss Protection (PLP)

Enterprise-grade Power Loss Protection circuits, comprising integrated capacitors, provide sufficient backup power in the event of an unexpected power failure. This allows the drive's controller to complete in-progress writes and commit cached data to the non-volatile NAND memory, preventing data loss and maintaining filesystem integrity.

Wear-Leveling

Advanced wear-leveling algorithms distribute write and erase cycles evenly across all available NAND blocks. This prevents specific blocks from wearing out prematurely, thereby extending the usable life of the drive. Concurrently, the controller dynamically maps out bad NAND blocks, replacing them with spare capacity to maintain full drive functionality and performance over time.

Use Cases and Application Optimization

The specific design parameters of the Dell 56M84 SSD make it exceptionally well-suited for a range of critical business applications.

Data Analytics

Large data warehouses and analytics platforms (e.g., those built on SQL Server, Oracle, SAP HANA) benefit tremendously from the high-capacity, high-read-speed profile of this drive. Fast data scanning and query performance accelerate time-to-insight for business analysts.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

In VDI deployments, particularly for persistent desktops or during boot storms, read operations dominate as hundreds of virtual machines load identical OS and application files. The high IOPS and throughput of this SSD enable faster login times and a smoother user experience.

Media Streaming

For servers storing and delivering large media files, static web content, or software repositories, the drive's high sequential read performance ensures fast file transfer rates and efficient content streaming to end-users, reducing buffering and improving quality of service.

Application Hosting

When used as a boot drive for the hypervisor or host OS, it ensures rapid server restart times. For application hosting, it provides the low-latency storage needed for responsive software, whether it's a CRM, ERP, or custom enterprise application.