Datasheet

Solid State Drives for IBM BladeCenter and System x servers 2
Part number information
Table 1 lists the information for ordering part numbers and feature codes.
Table 1. Ordering part numbers and feature codes
Description Part number Feature code
IBM 50 GB SATA 2.5" SFF Slim-HS High IOPS SSD 43W7714 3745
IBM 50 GB SATA 2.5" SFF HS High IOPS SSD 43W7722 3756
IBM 50 GB SATA 2.5" SFF NHS High IOPS SSD 43W7706 5598
IBM 50 GB SATA 1.8" SSD 43W7734 5314
IBM 50 GB SATA 1.8" MLC SSD 43W7726 5428
IBM 200 GB SATA 1.8" MLC SSD 43W7746 5420
SSD technology
SSDs differ from traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) in many ways, but there is one key difference: no
moving parts. Where HDDs contain spinning disks and movable heads that read and write data on the
disks, SDDs use solid-state (chip-based) memory to store data. This difference provides SSDs with the
following advantages over HDDs:
High performance input/output operations per second (IOPS): Significantly increases performance I/O

subsystems.
Durability: Less susceptible to physical shock and vibration.
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Longer lifespans: SSDs are not susceptible to mechanical wear.

Lower power consumption: SSDs use as little as 2.1 watts of power per drive.

Quieter and cooler running capabilities: Less floor space required, lower energy costs, and a greener

enterprise.
Lower access times and latency rates: About 10 times faster than the spinning disks in an HDD.
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SSDs use NAND-based nonvolatile flash memory, the same technology used by USB storage devices,
memory cards, mobile phones, and other portable electronic devices that require data storage. However,
the type of NAND flash memory that an SSD employs for data storage and retrieval is a key factor for
determining the appropriate environment for which the device is employed. Where one methodology
might be adequate for the type of usage and environment that the device is intended for (such as a laptop
model designed for the consumer market), it might not be feasible for enterprise-class markets where
high-performance standards and reliability are key factors for data storage.
Two methods currently exist for facilitating NAND flash memory:
single-level cell (SLC) and multi-level cell
(MLC). The following sections provide information about each of these technologies.
Single-level cell (SLC) SSDs
SLC flash memory stores data in arrays of floating-gate transistors, or cells, 1 bit of data to each cell. This
single bit per cell methodology results in faster transfer speeds, higher reliability, and lower power
consumption than that provided by HDDs. SLC SSDs are two-to-three times more expensive to
manufacture than MLC devices.