5FD36 Dell 15.36TB SAS 12GBPS Read Intensive SFF Hot Plug SSD

Dell 5FD36 15.36TB Read Intensive SSD

The Dell 5FD36 is a high-capacity, enterprise-grade solid-state drive engineered for data-intensive environments that demand relentless reliability and consistent performance. As a certified OEM component for Dell PowerEdge 14th generation (14G) servers, this drive represents a pinnacle of storage technology, blending immense 15.36 terabytes of space with the robust SAS-12Gbps interface. Designed specifically for read-intensive workloads, it offers an optimal balance of endurance, speed, and value, making it an ideal solution for expanding or upgrading the storage infrastructure of mission-critical Dell servers.

Key Specifications

At its heart, the Dell 5FD36 is built to deliver predictable, low-latency performance under sustained operational pressure. Its specifications are meticulously chosen for enterprise deployment.

Capacity and Form Factor

The drive offers a massive 15.36 terabytes (TB) of usable NAND flash storage. This capacity is presented in a standard 2.5-inch, small form factor (SFF) hot-plug drive bay design. The inclusion of a dedicated drive tray ensures secure, tool-less installation and proper alignment and cooling within the PowerEdge server's backplane, facilitating easy serviceability and maintenance without server downtime.

Interface and Protocol: SAS-12Gbps

Utilizing a Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) interface operating at 12 gigabits per second (12Gbps), the drive provides double the bandwidth of the previous 6Gbps generation. The SAS protocol offers full-duplex communication, allowing simultaneous read and write operations, and features enhanced error recovery, command queuing, and robust integrity verification. This makes it inherently more reliable and performant in multi-drive array configurations typical of servers compared to SATA-based alternatives.

NAND Flash and Endurance: 1 DWPD TLC

The drive employs Triple-Level Cell (TLC) NAND flash media, a technology that stores three bits of data per cell. Dell engineers this with advanced controller management, over-provisioning, and wear-leveling algorithms to achieve a documented endurance rating of 1 Drive Writes Per Day (DWPD). This means over its 5-year warranty period, you can completely write and rewrite the drive's entire 15.36TB capacity once every day. This specification categorizes it firmly as a Read-Intensive drive, perfect for workloads where write operations are less frequent but read performance is paramount.

Performance Characteristics for Enterprise Workloads

Performance in an enterprise setting is measured not by peak burst speeds but by consistent, low-latency input/output operations per second (IOPS) under varying queue depths. The Dell 5FD36 is tuned for such environments.

Read-Intensive Workload Optimization

The drive's architecture prioritizes fast data retrieval. With high sequential read speeds and strong random read IOPS, it excels in scenarios where data is accessed frequently but changes less often. This performance profile ensures rapid response times for applications and users.

Ideal Application Scenarios

The characteristics of the 5FD36 make it exceptionally well-suited for specific roles within the data center.

Primary Storage for Databases and Analytics

In relational databases (e.g., Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle) and big data analytics platforms (e.g., Hadoop, Splunk), large datasets are queried extensively. The drive's high capacity and fast read speeds allow more active data to be stored on faster media, accelerating query results and business intelligence reporting while the 1 DWPD endurance comfortably handles routine transaction logs and updates.

Integration with Dell PowerEdge 14G Servers

This drive is not merely compatible; it is an integrated, Dell-certified OEM component. This guarantees seamless operation within the Dell ecosystem.

Dell Certified

The Dell 5FD36 is manufactured and qualified by Dell. It appears on the official parts list for PowerEdge 14G servers, ensuring it is recognized by the Dell Unified Server Configurator (USC), iDRAC (Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller), and OpenManage systems management tools. Firmware updates for the drive are delivered through standard Dell support channels and can be managed in concert with server firmware, a critical aspect of maintaining security and stability.

Advanced Features: Power Loss Protection and Error Correction

Enterprise SSDs incorporate hardware and firmware features absent in consumer models. A critical one is integrated Power Loss Protection (PLP or PLI). This involves capacitors on the drive's PCB that, in the event of a sudden power failure, provide enough stored energy to complete any in-flight writes from the volatile DRAM cache to the non-volatile NAND flash. This prevents data corruption. Additionally, sophisticated Error Correction Code (ECC) algorithms, often based on Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) codes, actively detect and correct a much higher number of bit errors, ensuring data integrity over the drive's long lifespan.

Random and Sequential Read/Write Speeds

While exact specifications can vary, a drive of this class typically delivers exceptional random read Input/Output Operations Per Second (IOPS), often in the hundreds of thousands, which accelerates database transactions and virtual machine operations. Sequential read and write speeds leverage the full bandwidth of the SAS 12Gbps interface, enabling rapid data streaming for video, backup, or large file processing. The architecture ensures that performance remains consistent even as the drive fills, unlike some consumer SSDs which can slow down significantly.

Hot-Plug Functionality

The 2.5-inch form factor with tray is designed to slide directly into any 2.5-inch hot-plug bay on a PowerEdge 14G server (e.g., R640, R740, R740xd, T640). The hot-plug capability, supported by the SAS interface, allows administrators to install, replace, or remove drives while the server remains powered on and operational, ensuring continuous availability for critical services.

Power Loss Protection and Data Integrity

The drive incorporates advanced power loss protection circuits. In the event of an unexpected power failure, reserved energy (often from capacitors) is used to complete any in-progress write operations and flush cached data from volatile memory to the non-volatile NAND flash. This prevents data corruption and ensures the integrity of stored information, a non-negotiable requirement for enterprise storage.

3-bit TLC (Triple-Level Cell)

The drive employs TLC (Triple-Level Cell) NAND flash memory, which stores three bits of data per memory cell. Enterprise-grade TLC (eTLC) is distinct from consumer TLC. It is coupled with advanced controller algorithms, substantial over-provisioning (reserved NAND not visible to the user), and rigorous binning to meet the endurance and performance demands of 24/7 operation. The use of TLC technology is a key enabler for achieving high capacities at a more accessible cost point per gigabyte compared to MLC (Multi-Level Cell) or SLC (Single-Level Cell) drives, while still delivering enterprise-grade reliability.

Comparative Context

Selecting the right storage tier is crucial for cost-effective IT infrastructure. The 5FD36 occupies a specific and valuable niche.

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

Enterprise SSDs are generally classified by their DWPD rating. Write-Intensive drives (often 3+ DWPD) use more durable NAND (like eMLC) for heavy, constant writing (e.g., transactional databases, write caching). Mixed-Use drives (typically 1-3 DWPD) offer a balance. The Read-Intensive 1 DWPD TLC drive, like the 5FD36, provides the most cost-effective capacity and performance for workloads dominated by reads, freeing more expensive higher-endurance drives for where they are truly needed.

Advantages over Traditional Hard Disk Drives (HDDs)

Compared to 2.5-inch SAS HDDs of similar capacity, the 5FD36 SSD offers orders of magnitude higher IOPS, significantly lower latency (microseconds vs. milliseconds), lower power consumption, no moving parts (silent operation, higher shock resistance), and reduced heat output. This translates to faster applications, higher VM density, and lower operational costs in cooling and power.

SAS vs. NVMe Consideration

While NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) drives offer higher peak performance via the PCIe interface, the SAS ecosystem remains vital. SAS offers proven reliability, robust multi-path I/O capabilities for redundancy, and extensive compatibility with existing server backplanes and RAID controllers. The 5FD36 provides a massive capacity point in the mature, highly stable SAS infrastructure, which is often a more practical and cost-effective upgrade path for existing 14G servers than a transition to NVMe.