MZ-XL515T0 Samsung 15.36TB NVMe PCIe Gen4.0 x4 PM1733 Internal Solid State Drive

Samsung MZ-XL515T0 15.36TB NVMe SSD

The Samsung PM1733 MZ-XL515T0 15.36TB internal solid state drive is engineered for enterprise workloads that demand extreme throughput, predictable latency, and long-term endurance. Designed around the PCI Express Gen4.0 x4 NVMe interface, this SSD targets data centers, virtualization platforms, cloud infrastructures, and mission-critical applications where performance consistency is essential.

Product Identification

• Manufacturer: HPE
• Part Number: MZ-XL515T0
• Product type: Internal solid state drive

Technical Specifications

• Form factor: 2.5-inch
• Internal solid state drive design
• Optimized for dense server and storage deployments
• Massive 15.36TB storage capacity optimized for large datasets
• Supports consolidation of multiple workloads on fewer drives
• Reduces rack space usage while increasing storage efficiency
• Ideal for databases, analytics engines, and hyper-converged systems

Dual-Port Connectivity Advantages

• Dual-port x2 design enables high availability configurations
• Supports redundant paths for fault-tolerant environments
• Enhances uptime in enterprise storage arrays
• Designed for mission-critical and clustered systems

Reliability-Focused Features

• Enterprise-grade firmware optimized for stability
• Consistent performance under heavy load
• Designed for 24/7 operational cycles

Deployment Flexibility

• Ideal for blade servers and rack-mounted systems
• Supports scalable storage architectures
• Works efficiently in high-density data center environments

Enterprise Application Use Cases

• Cloud computing infrastructures
• Virtualized server environments
• High-performance databases
• Big data analytics and AI workloads

The PM1733 MZ-XL515T0 is a Tier-1 Enterprise SSD

Unlike consumer-grade NVMe drives, the PM1733 is architected from the ground up for 24/7 operation. It transitions from the concept of a "drive" to that of a persistent storage engine integrated into the server ecosystem. Its design philosophy centers on consistent low-latency performance under sustained heavy loads, advanced data integrity, and sophisticated management capabilities. The 15.36TB model, in particular, exemplifies this by offering massive density, allowing for data consolidation and reducing the physical footprint and complexity within server racks, thereby lowering total cost of ownership (TCO) while maximizing performance per watt and per rack unit.

Comparing Within the Ecosystem: SATA vs. SAS vs. NVMe

To understand the PM1733's position, it's essential to contrast it with other enterprise storage interfaces: The Samsung PM1733 15.36TB sits at the apex of this performance pyramid, targeting the most latency-sensitive and throughput-hungry applications where SATA and SAS interfaces would become inherent bottlenecks.

Core Technology Stack

The PM1733 MZ-XL515T0 leverages a synergistic technology stack that includes Samsung's proprietary controller, cutting-edge V-NAND memory, and a robust DRAM cache buffer. This integration ensures that all components are optimized to work in concert, minimizing bottlenecks and enabling the full exploitation of the PCIe 4.0 interface. The controller features a multi-core, ARM-based design with hardware acceleration for encryption, error correction, and wear-leveling algorithms, ensuring data security and longevity without taxing the host CPU.

PCIe Gen4.0 x4: The Performance

The adoption of the PCI Express 4.0 interface doubles the bandwidth available compared to the previous PCIe 3.0 generation. With a x4 lane configuration, the theoretical bandwidth ceiling reaches nearly 8 GB/s. The PM1733 15.36TB drive is engineered to saturate this pipeline, delivering sequential read and write speeds that dramatically reduce data transfer times for large-scale operations like video rendering, scientific simulations, and massive database replication.

NVMe 1.3 Protocol: Efficiency at Scale

Adherence to the NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) 1.3 protocol is crucial. It provides a streamlined, scalable command set designed specifically for flash memory, bypassing the legacy SATA constraints. Features like Deep Queue Depth support allow the drive to handle millions of I/O operations per second (IOPS) by managing thousands of concurrent commands, making it ideal for virtualized environments and multi-tenant databases where request queues are perpetually deep.

Unpacking Performance Specifications and Real-World

The specifications sheet for the Samsung MZ-XL515T0 15.36TB PM1733 tells a story of extreme capability. With sequential read speeds soaring up to 8,000 MB/s and sequential write speeds up to 3,800 MB/s, it transforms data-intensive tasks. However, the true enterprise metric lies in random performance. With random read IOPS potentially exceeding 1,450,000 and random write IOPS around 200,000, this drive can service a staggering number of small, random requests simultaneously. This translates to faster transaction processing, quicker query returns in OLTP databases, and smoother performance for thousands of virtual machines.

Reliability

For enterprise buyers, endurance—measured in Drive Writes Per Day (DWPD) or Total Bytes Written (TBW)—is as critical as speed. The 15.36TB PM1733 MZ-XL515T0 is typically rated for a 1 DWPD endurance over its 5-year warranty period. This means you can rewrite the entire drive's capacity (15.36TB) every single day for five years. In practical terms, this results in a colossal 28,000 TBW (28 Petabytes Written) rating. This level of endurance is suited for write-intensive workloads like financial logging, AI/ML data preprocessing, and high-frequency data analytics.

Form Factor and Integration: The U.2 (2.5-inch) Advantage

The Samsung MZ-XL515T0 utilizes the U.2 (SFF-8639) form factor. This 2.5-inch drive format is a cornerstone of modern enterprise and data center design. It offers a critical balance between high-performance connectivity (leveraging PCIe lanes directly) and hot-swap capability. U.2 drives slide into standardized front-accessible bays in servers and storage arrays, allowing for effortless maintenance, upgrades, and replacement without powering down the entire system—a mandatory feature for maintaining 99.999% (five-nines) availability.

The Value Proposition: Total Cost of Ownership

While the upfront cost of a 15.36TB MZ-XL515T0 enterprise NVMe SSD is significant, its TCO analysis reveals compelling value. By consolidating what might require multiple lower-capacity drives, it saves on bay space, power consumption, cooling, and cabling. Its extreme endurance reduces replacement frequency, and its performance boosts application efficiency, directly impacting revenue-generating capabilities. For workloads that demand its specific combination of scale, speed, and resilience, it is an investment in infrastructure certainty.

Compatibility

This drive is designed for seamless integration into a wide array of enterprise ecosystems. It is tested and certified for compatibility with major server as well as with storage array vendors and hyper converged infrastructure (HCI) platforms. Its standardized form factor and NVMe protocol ensure broad support across modern server backplanes and NVMe-enabled storage enclosures.