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updated April 2025

NVM Express® technology is driving the next generation of SSDs for data centers. NVMe™ SSD are not limited by legacy form factors or protocols, and they can better address the needs of servers and storage in enterprise and hyperscale data centers. Each of these use cases has distinct requirements and application environments, and they are outlined in the table below. There will always be exceptions to these guidelines, but these are generally fit profiles for NVMe SSD classification.

More details on each of the classification use cases are provided in a revised NVMe SSD Classification White Paper which describes how NVMe SSDs are used in enterprise servers, enterprise storage, low latency SSD, data center/hyperscale servers, and data center/hyperscale storage environments. This classification may also apply to SATA and SAS SSDs.

NVMe SSD ClassificationEnterprise ServerEnterprise StorageLow Latency SSDData Center / Hyperscale ServerData Center / Hyperscale Storage
Applications / Use Cases
  • Traditional DAS/RAID
  • CRM/ERM/collaborative/
  • HCI
  • AFA
  • Primary Array Storage

Read/Write

Cache Tier 0 between DRAM and TLC SSD

Write-intensive workloads

Write logging (metadata)

Low latency SSD plus QLC -lower TCO than TLC

  • Boot
  • Cloud data storage
  • Server data storage

Durable storage

RAID

EC

JBOD/JBOF

Form Factors

(Form Factor details)

M.2->E1.S

2.5-inch (U.2)

E3.S

E3.L

AIC

  • M.2->E1.S
  • 2.5-inch (U.2)
  • E3.S
  • E3.L
  • 2.5-inch (U.2) AIC
  • AIC
  • .2->E1.S
  • 2.5-inch (U.2)
  • (7 &15 mm-Z)
  • 2.5-inch (U.2)
  • E1.L
  • E1.S
Power
  • 8.25-11W (M.2)
  • 12-25W 2.5-inch (U.2)
  • 25-40W (E1.S, E1.L)
  • 8.25-11W (M.2)
  • 12-25W 2.5-inch (U.2)
  • 25-40W (E1.S, E1.L)
  • 20-25W 2.5-inch (U.2)
  • 9W (AIC)
  • 8.25-11W (M.2)
  • 12-25W (E1.S)
  • 12-25W 2.5-inch (U.2)
  • 12-25W (E1.S)
  • 25W (E1.L)
PerformanceHigh performance, read intensive and mixed workload class drives, and best in class performanceHigh performance, mixed workload, and best in class performanceHigh performance, write heavy workloads, and best in class performanceIOPS/TB scaling, mixed workloadsRead bandwidth, seq write (ZNS)
Latency
  • Care about average latency
  • Better than SAS/SATA
Mixed workload QoS1/10 to 1/3 the latency of TLC SSDsRead QoS, tail latenciesRead priority
Endurance- Drive Writes per Day (DWPD)
  • 1 DWPD (Read-Intensive)
  • 3 DWPD (Mixed Use)
  • 5-10 DWPD (Write-Intensive)
  • 1 DWPD (Read-Intensive)
  • 3 DWPD (Mixed Use)
30, 60, 100DWPD<=1 DWPD<1 DWPD
Capacity1-8TB2-30TB375GB - 3200GB1-2TB > 4TB4-8TB TLC, >8TB QLC
Management
  • NVMe-MI
  • SNIA Swordfish™
  • (NVMe-oF™)
  • NVMe-MI
  • SNIA Swordfish (NVMe-oF)
  • NVMe-MI
  • SNIA Swordfish (NVMe-oF)
  • NVMe CLI (IB via SW)
  • NVMe-MI basic for temp only (BMC)
NVMe CLI (IB via SW)
Features
  • Security
  • Manageability
  • Single-port
  • RAI
  • Dual-port (2.5-inch form factor)
  • X8/16 PCIe AIC
  • Higher prices (greater than SANs)
  • Capacities up to 30TB
  • Dual-port (2.5-inch (U.2))
  • Predictable Low Latency
  • Very high endurance
  • Single-port
  • QoS
  • Sets / IODLatency
  • TRIM performance
  • Multi-tenancy
  • ZNS
  • SDS
SSD Vendor ExamplesEnterprise ServerEnterprise StorageLow Latency SSDData Center / Hyperscale ServerData Center / Hyperscale Storage
KIOXIACM7 SeriesCM7 SeriesFL6 SeriesXD7P Series, CD8P SeriesXD7P Series, CD8P Series
IntelP4510 (3.0), P5500 (4.0)D4510 (3.0)P5800P4510 (3.0)P4326 (QLC, 3.0)
Micron
  • 9550 PRO, MAX
  • 7450/7500 PRO, MAX
  • 9550 MAX
  • 7450/7500 MAX
N/A
  • 7450/7500 PRO
  • 9550 PRO
  • 7450/7500 PRO
  • 6500 ION
SamsungPM1733/5, SZ1735PM1733/5, SZ1735SZ985PM9A3PM9A3