Server SATA SSDs are solid-state drives with a Serial ATA III interface, built for rack servers, workstations and storage arrays. Our range has over 60 models for businesses replacing hard drives or adding capacity to existing servers. Leading brands include HP Enterprise, Samsung, HP, Lenovo and Dell.
How to choose a server SATA SSD
Server compatibility. Check the server maker and model before anything else. Many drives from HP Enterprise, Lenovo, Dell and Fujitsu are sold with firmware and hot-swap carriers matched to that vendor's servers, and a generic drive may not be recognised or may not fit the tray.
Capacity. Our range runs from 240 GB and 480 GB for boot and operating system drives, through 960 GB, up to 3.84 TB for databases, virtual machines and file storage. Size for the data you hold today plus room to grow, because SSDs perform better and last longer when they are not filled to the limit.
Endurance and workload. Drives are usually sold as read-intensive or mixed-use. Read-intensive models suit web servers, archives and boot volumes, while mixed-use models cope better with databases and virtualisation that write constantly. The endurance rating is normally given in drive writes per day (DWPD) or total terabytes written, so compare it with your actual write volume.
Interface and form factor. SATA III tops out at 6 Gbit/s, which is enough for most general server tasks and works with a very wide base of existing backplanes and RAID controllers. If your server only has SAS or NVMe bays, a SATA drive may not be usable, so confirm the bay type first.
Data protection features. Enterprise models often add power-loss protection, which lets the drive finish writing cached data if power fails. This matters for databases and any system where a corrupted write is costly, and it is one of the main differences from consumer SSDs.
Brands in our server SATA SSD range
- HP Enterprise and HP: the largest group in our range, covering drives made for ProLiant servers and similar HP systems, usually supplied in the matching hot-swap carrier.
- Samsung: designs its own flash memory and controllers, and has long supplied SATA SSDs for data centres.
- Lenovo: drives intended for ThinkSystem servers, with firmware validated for Lenovo hardware.
- Dell: drives for PowerEdge servers, which is the usual route when you want to stay within Dell's supported parts.
- Solidigm: took over Intel's flash memory and SSD business, so its data centre drives continue a well-known Intel line.
- Kioxia: the former Toshiba Memory, the company that invented NAND flash.
- Micron: manufactures its own NAND flash and is the parent company of Crucial.
Also in our range: Kingston and Fujitsu.
Frequently asked questions about server SATA SSDs
Can I use a normal desktop SSD in a server?
Yes, it will often work physically, but it is not advisable for continuous workloads. Desktop drives usually have lower endurance, no power-loss protection and no vendor firmware support. Server SATA SSDs are tested for constant use and, in many cases, for specific server platforms.
What is the difference between SATA, SAS and NVMe server SSDs?
They differ in interface speed and the bays they fit. SATA is the most common and the slowest of the three, while SAS adds better resilience features and NVMe offers much higher throughput over PCIe. Your server's backplane decides which type you can install.
What does DWPD mean on an enterprise SSD?
DWPD stands for drive writes per day. It shows how many times you can write the full capacity of the drive every day during the warranty period without exceeding its endurance rating. A higher figure suits write-heavy workloads such as databases.
Which capacity should I choose for a server SSD?
Choose according to the data you need to store plus some spare room. A 240 GB or 480 GB drive is enough for an operating system or hypervisor, while 960 GB and 3.84 TB drives suit active data, virtual machines and shared storage. Leaving free space helps keep performance steady.
