Intel Quietly Launches 15.3TB Ruler SSDs

Intel DC P4510 (Image credit: Intel)

Apparently, Intel has added two new drives to its DC P4510 SSD family. The new SSDs adhere to the Enterprise & Data Center SSD Form Factor (EDSFF), casually called the ruler form factor.

The EDSFF-based DC P4510 SSDs respect the E1.L standard and are available with 9.5mm or 18mm heatsinks. They slide vertically into a 1U enclosure and communicates via a standard PCIe 3.1 x4 interface. 

The whole point of the EDSFF presentation is to maximize the storage capacity per SSD in a 1U server unit, and Intel has done just that. The original DC P4510 that comes in U.2 form factor maxes out at 8TB. With EDSFF, Intel has almost doubled the capacity up to 15.3TB.

Internally, the EDSFF drives are still using Intel and Micron's 64-layer 3D TLC (triple-level cell) NAND chips. Intel hasn't specified the name or model of the controller. However, they should be leveraging the same second-generation Intel NVMe SSD controller present in the U.2 offerings.

Intel DC P4510 SSD Specifications

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CapacityForm FactorLithographySequential Read (MBps)Sequential Write (MBps)Random Read (IOPS)Random Write (IOPS)Endurance (PBW)Warranty
15.3TBE1.L64-Layer TLC 3D NAND3,1003,100583,800131,40022.75 years
15.3TBE1.L64-Layer TLC 3D NAND3,1003,100583,800131,40022.75 years
8TBU.2 15mm64-Layer TLC 3D NAND3,2003,000641,800134,50013.885 years
4TBU.2 15mm64-Layer TLC 3D NAND3,0002,900636,500111,5006.35 years
2TBU.2 15mm64-Layer TLC 3D NAND3,2002,000637,00081,5002.615 years
1TBU.2 15mm64-Layer TLC 3D NAND2,8501,100465,00070,0001.925 years

The 15.3TB EDSFF drives deliver sequential read and write speeds up to 3,100 MBps. Despite featuring the same ingredients as the U.2 counterparts, the EDSFF versions are just one small step behind the 8TB U.2 drive. In terms of random performance, the EDSFF models offer 583,800 IOPS reads and 131,400 IOPS writes. For comparison, the 8TB U.2 drive flaunts random read and write speeds that are 9.9% and 2.4% faster, respectively.

The DC P4510 targets data center and enterprises, so its endurance level is pretty impressive. Intel rates the EDSFF version with a 22.7 PBW (petabytes written), which is 63.5% higher than that of the 8TB U.2 model.

Typical of the DC P4510 lineup, Intel backs the two EDSFF drives with its limited five-year warranty. 

Worldwide distributor Mouser Electronics has the Intel DC P4510 EDSFF 15.3TB SSD (SSDPEWKX153T801) listed for $4,712.65 a piece.

Zhiye Liu
News Editor, RAM Reviewer & SSD Technician

Zhiye Liu is a news editor, memory reviewer, and SSD tester at Tom’s Hardware. Although he loves everything that’s hardware, he has a soft spot for CPUs, GPUs, and RAM.