Nimbus Data, who is famous for its large enterprise SSDs, announced the 100TB ExaDrive SSD two years ago. The company never did reveal the pricing at launch, and now we can see why.
TechRadar recently noticed that Nimbus Data has finally listed the prices for the brand's ExaDrive lineup. The 50TB unit costs $12,500, while the 100TB model will set you back a whopping $40,000. If we do the math, this comes down to $250 per terabyte on the first and up to $400 per terabyte on the latter.
The ExaDrive comes inside a 3.5-inch case, and it's available with either a standard SATA III or SAS-2 interface. The price remains the same for both so it's up to the customer to pick the format that fits into the system.
According to the manufacturer, the SSD leverages four flash controllers that are escorted by a protocol processor whose job is to direct data traffic. The ExaDrive SSD utilizes enterprise-grade 3D MLC (multi-level cell) NAND chips and comes with DRAM although Nimbus Data doesn't specify just how much.
Nimbus Data ExaDrive Specifications
| Model | Capacity (TB) | Sequential Read (MBps) | Sequential Write (MBps) | Random Read (IOPS) | Random Write (IOPS) | Endurance (DWPD) | Warranty | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDDCT100 | 100 | 500 | 500 | 114,000 | 106,000 | Unlimited | 5 Years | $40,000 |
| EDDCS100 | 100 | 450 | 260 | 52,000 | 26,000 | Unlimited | 5 Years | $40,000 |
| EDDCT050 | 50 | 500 | 470 | 97,000 | 91,000 | Unlimited | 5 Years | $12,500 |
| EDDCS050 | 50 | 450 | 260 | 50,000 | 25,000 | Unlimited | 5 Years | $12,500 |
Obviously, the ExaDrive's forte is its density since the drive's performance within what you would expect from a standard SATA SSD.
The SATA models deliver sequential read and write speeds up to 500 MBps and the random read and write speeds up to 114,000 IOPS and 106,000 IOPS.
The SAS variants, on the other hand, max out at 450 MBps and 260 MBps for sequential read and write speeds, respectively. The random perfomance is good for up to 97,000 IOPS reads and 91,000 IOPS writes.
ExaDrive SSDs are rated with unlimited endurance over a period of five years. The drives are designed for enterprise systems so they will play nice with servers from big names, including Cisco, Dell EMC, HPE, Lenovo, Supermicro and Tyan.
