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Power, Precision, and Protection: The HPE 960GB 2.5" SFF TLC SATA-6Gbps Smart Carrier Mixed Use SSD — Engineered for Trusted Performance in ProLiant Gen9 & Gen10 Servers

Power, Precision, and Protection: The HPE 960GB 2.5" SFF TLC SATA-6Gbps Smart Carrier Mixed Use SSD — Engineered for Trusted Performance in ProLiant Gen9 & Gen10 Servers

HPE 960GB 2.5" SFF Digitally Signed Firmware TLC SATA-6Gbps Smart Carrier Mixed Use Solid State Drive for ProLiant Gen9 and Gen10 Servers

A dependable enterprise SSD engineered for balanced endurance, secure firmware, and seamless integration with HPE ProLiant systems

Overview

Optimized for mixed workloads in modern data centers

The HPE 960GB 2.5-inch Small Form Factor (SFF) Digitally Signed Firmware TLC SATA-6Gbps Smart Carrier Mixed Use Solid State Drive is purpose-built for enterprise environments that demand a balance of high performance, reliability, and endurance. Designed for mixed-use workloads—such as virtualization, database caching, business analytics, and general application hosting—this SSD offers the ideal equilibrium between read and write performance. It supports both HPE ProLiant Generation9 and Generation10 servers, ensuring optimal compatibility, firmware integrity, and sustained throughput under real-world data center conditions.

Key Highlights

What makes this SSD stand out

  • Balanced endurance and performance: Mixed-use TLC NAND delivers superior write durability compared to consumer-grade drives, while maintaining cost efficiency.
  • Digitally signed firmware: Ensures only authorized firmware is installed, safeguarding data integrity and preventing unauthorized modifications.
  • Enterprise-class reliability: Designed and tested for continuous 24/7 operation in mission-critical servers.
  • Smart Carrier technology: Provides quick hot-swap capability, drive health indicators, and tool-less installation.
  • Full compatibility: Certified and tested for seamless operation in HPE ProLiant Gen9 and Gen10 server platforms.

Technical Specifications

Specification Details
Model Type HPE 960GB 2.5-inch SFF Mixed Use SATA SSD
Capacity 960GB
Interface SATA 6Gb/s (SATA III)
NAND Type Triple-Level Cell (TLC)
Form Factor 2.5-inch Small Form Factor (SFF)
Carrier Type HPE Smart Carrier (Hot-Pluggable)
Data Transfer Rate Up to 6 Gb/s
Sequential Read Speed Up to 560 MB/s
Sequential Write Speed Up to 520 MB/s
Random Read IOPS (4KB) Up to 95,000 IOPS
Random Write IOPS (4KB) Up to 35,000 IOPS
Latency (Read/Write) Typical: 80 µs / 100 µs
Endurance (Drive Writes Per Day) 1.0 DWPD (Drive Writes Per Day) for 5 years
Total Bytes Written (TBW) Approximately 1,750 TB
MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) 2,000,000 hours
Power Consumption (Active/Idle) Active: ~4.5W / Idle: ~1.5W
Encryption Digitally Signed Firmware for Secure Authentication
Hot-Plug Support Yes (via Smart Carrier)
Operating Temperature Range 0°C to 70°C
Storage Temperature Range -40°C to 85°C
Shock Resistance 1000G, 0.5ms
Vibration (Operating) 2.17 G RMS (7–800 Hz)
Dimensions (W × H × D) 69.85 × 7 × 100 mm
Weight Approx. 200 g
Supported Servers HPE ProLiant Gen9 and Gen10
Warranty 3–5 Years (depending on region and system integration)

Firmware Security

Digitally signed firmware for trusted operations

HPE employs a digitally signed firmware validation system that ensures only authentic, manufacturer-approved firmware can be installed. This cryptographic signing process protects against tampered firmware and enhances system-level security across the data center. By integrating with HPE’s iLO and Smart Update Manager, administrators gain centralized control for updating, auditing, and managing SSD firmware securely and efficiently.

Performance and Reliability

Built to handle demanding enterprise workloads

The HPE 960GB Mixed Use SSD is designed for applications that combine frequent read and write operations. Its TLC NAND architecture and advanced HPE controller firmware ensure consistent performance with minimal latency fluctuations. This balance is ideal for workloads such as email hosting, ERP systems, virtualization clusters, and online transaction processing (OLTP) systems.

With sustained sequential read/write speeds reaching 560 MB/s and 520 MB/s respectively, along with up to 95K read IOPS, this SSD delivers impressive responsiveness. The endurance rating of 1 DWPD and a 2 million hour MTBF provide assurance for long-term, 24/7 deployment under heavy workloads.

Smart Carrier Features

Intelligent management and service-friendly design

The Smart Carrier technology built into this SSD offers visual health indicators through LEDs, simplifying maintenance and monitoring. Green, amber, and red LED statuses quickly communicate drive health and activity without removing the drive. The carrier’s hot-plug design allows replacement without downtime, reducing service interruptions in critical environments.

Additionally, Smart Carrier drives are integrated with HPE’s system management tools, enabling administrators to monitor drive health, predict failures, and perform firmware updates remotely through HPE OneView, iLO, or Smart Array controller interfaces.

Compatibility

Seamless integration with HPE ProLiant servers

This SSD is fully validated for use in:

  • HPE ProLiant Gen9 Servers (DL, ML, and BL series)
  • HPE ProLiant Gen10 Servers
  • HPE Smart Array Controllers and HPE Dynamic Smart Array Controllers
  • HPE Synergy Compute Modules (selected configurations)

Using only HPE-qualified drives ensures compatibility with system firmware, RAID controllers, and management tools—ensuring full system performance and avoiding potential firmware conflicts.

Data Protection and Management

Advanced reliability features

The HPE 960GB Mixed Use SSD includes enterprise-grade error correction and wear-leveling algorithms to maximize data integrity and drive lifespan. Key reliability technologies include:

  • End-to-End Data Path Protection: Ensures data accuracy during transfer between the host and NAND.
  • Static and Dynamic Wear-Leveling: Distributes writes evenly across NAND cells for extended endurance.
  • Bad Block Management: Detects, isolates, and remaps defective memory sectors.
  • Power Loss Protection (PLP): Prevents data corruption during unexpected power loss events.

Ideal Use Cases

Designed for diverse enterprise applications

  • Virtualized environments (VMware, Hyper-V, KVM)
  • Database caching and acceleration (SQL, Oracle, MySQL)
  • Email and collaboration servers
  • ERP, CRM, and e-commerce hosting
  • File and web servers with medium write intensity workloads

This drive’s balance of endurance, cost, and reliability makes it ideal for enterprises that need sustained performance without the higher cost of write-intensive SSDs.

Installation and Maintenance

Deployment best practices

  • Install using HPE Smart Carrier into supported SFF drive bays.
  • Update controller and iLO firmware before installation to ensure detection and optimal operation.
  • Monitor SSD health via HPE Smart Array utilities or iLO web interface.
  • Schedule firmware updates using HPE Smart Update Manager to maintain firmware integrity.
  • Replace drives proactively when approaching TBW or SMART threshold limits.

Conclusion

Balanced, secure, and enterprise-proven storage for ProLiant servers

The HPE 960GB 2.5" SFF Digitally Signed Firmware TLC SATA-6Gbps Smart Carrier Mixed Use Solid State Drive represents a perfect blend of endurance, security, and performance for mixed workload environments. With HPE’s digitally signed firmware safeguarding data integrity, Smart Carrier ease-of-use simplifying maintenance, and enterprise-class endurance ensuring long operational life, this SSD is a dependable choice for ProLiant Gen9 and Gen10 systems. It’s the ideal solution for businesses that demand reliability, security, and consistent performance from their storage infrastructure.

Nov 9th 2025 Mike Anderson

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