Server NVMe SSDs are enterprise-grade drives that connect over PCIe, built for servers, workstations and storage arrays that need low latency under constant load. Our range holds over 50 models, including drives from KIOXIA, HP Enterprise, Western Digital, Samsung and Micron.
How to choose a server NVMe SSD
Form factor and connector. Check what your server bays or slots accept before looking at anything else. Server NVMe drives usually come as 2.5-inch U.2 or U.3, as E1.S or E3.S modules, as M.2 22110 sticks or as PCIe add-in cards. A drive that fits a ProLiant hot-swap bay will not fit a plain M.2 slot.
Endurance and workload. Endurance is rated in drive writes per day (DWPD) or total terabytes written. Read-intensive drives suit web serving, archives and content delivery. Mixed-use and write-intensive drives suit databases, virtualisation and logging, where data is rewritten constantly.
Capacity. Enterprise drives are normally sold in sizes such as 960 GB, 1.92 TB, 3.84 TB and 7.68 TB, and larger sizes exist. Work out your working data set first, then leave headroom, because a drive that is nearly full slows down and wears faster.
PCIe generation. PCIe 4.0 drives are widely supported by current servers. PCIe 5.0 drives offer higher throughput, but only pay off if your CPU, backplane and workload can use it. A PCIe 5.0 drive in a PCIe 4.0 slot will run at the slower speed.
Server compatibility and firmware. Some server makers sell drives under their own part numbers with firmware tuned for their platforms. Match the part number to your server model, especially if you want full health monitoring in the management software.
Server NVMe SSD brands we carry
- KIOXIA: the former Toshiba Memory business, and the company that invented NAND flash, with enterprise NVMe lines for data centres.
- HP Enterprise and HP: drives with HPE part numbers made to work in ProLiant and similar servers, so they are the safe route when replacing or expanding drives in those systems.
- Western Digital: maker of the Ultrastar data centre line, which covers read-intensive and mixed-use NVMe drives.
- Samsung: produces its own flash and controllers, and its enterprise PM series is common in server builds.
- Kingston: offers a DC range of data centre SSDs aimed at boot drives and general server storage.
- Micron: manufactures its own NAND and DRAM, and sells data centre NVMe drives under its own name.
Also in our range: SanDisk, Lenovo and OWC.
Server NVMe SSD FAQ
What is a server NVMe SSD?
A server NVMe SSD is a solid-state drive for servers that uses the NVMe protocol over PCIe. It delivers much lower latency and higher throughput than SATA or SAS drives. Enterprise models also add features such as power-loss protection and higher endurance ratings.
What is the difference between server and consumer NVMe SSDs?
Server NVMe SSDs are designed for continuous operation and steady performance under heavy mixed workloads. Most include power-loss protection, higher endurance and enterprise firmware features. Consumer drives are tuned for short bursts of activity and usually lack these protections.
Can I use a server NVMe SSD in a desktop PC?
Yes, but only if the connector matches. U.2 and U.3 drives need an adapter or a suitable port on the motherboard, while M.2 22110 drives need a slot long enough to hold them. Check that the drive has no server-specific firmware lock, which can affect some branded models.
What does DWPD mean on an enterprise SSD?
DWPD stands for drive writes per day, and it shows how many times you can overwrite the full capacity of the drive each day for the warranty period. A read-intensive drive often has a rating below 1 DWPD, while write-intensive models are rated much higher. Pick the rating by how much data your applications actually write.
