Samsung SM863 480GB SATA Enterprise SSD (MZ7KM480HAHP-00005): This is a 2.5-inch enterprise SATA solid-state drive with 480GB capacity operating over a SATA III 6Gb/s interface, built on Samsung V-NAND MLC technology with the Samsung MJX controller. This is a dedicated enterprise SSD with capacitor-backed power-loss protection, not a consumer SSD and not an NVMe drive.
🌐 Engineering Context
The SM863 480GB is part of Samsung's first enterprise SSD family built on 3D V-NAND MLC. At the 480GB capacity point, write performance scales significantly compared to the 120GB model: approximately 520 MB/s sequential read and 485 MB/s sequential write, with random performance around 97K read / 29K write IOPS. This makes the 480GB variant viable not just for boot/OS duties but for moderate mixed workloads: virtualization datastores, email server storage, content delivery caches, and mid-tier database hosting. The SM863 sits between the consumer 850 EVO and the higher-endurance PM863a in Samsung's datacenter SSD hierarchy, and has been superseded by the PM883 (read-intensive) and PM893 (mixed-use) lines.
🧠 Deployment & Use Cases
General-purpose server storage in environments standardized on SATA interfaces.
Virtualization datastores for moderate VM density on SATA-compatible storage controllers.
Email server storage (Exchange, Zimbra) requiring SATA compatibility with MLC endurance.
Content delivery and web server caching where SATA throughput ceiling (520 MB/s) is acceptable.
Budget-conscious expansion or replacement in existing Samsung SM/PM server fleets.
🔧 Technical Specifications
OEM: Samsung
Series: SM863
Part Number: MZ7KM480HAHP-00005
Capacity: 480GB
Interface: SATA III 6Gb/s
Form Factor: 2.5-inch, 7mm height
NAND Type: Samsung V-NAND MLC
Controller: Samsung MJX
Sequential Read: up to 520 MB/s
Sequential Write: up to 485 MB/s
Random Read IOPS: ~97K
Random Write IOPS: ~29K
Endurance: ~3.4 DWPD over 5 years
Power-Loss Protection: Capacitor-backed
Encryption: AES 256-bit (TCG/Opal 2.0 optional)
Condition: Refurbished — Tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
✅ Compatibility & ❌ Hard Constraints
Compatible: Any server or workstation with a standard 2.5-inch SATA bay or 3.5-inch adapter tray.
SATA Only: This drive uses the SATA 6Gb/s interface. It does NOT connect to NVMe, SAS, or U.2 slots.
SAS Backplane: Works only if the SAS backplane supports SATA interoperability. Pure SAS backplanes will not detect this drive.
7mm height is standard for enterprise 2.5-inch trays.
Successor: The SM863 has been superseded by the PM883 (read-intensive) and PM893 (mixed-use) Samsung enterprise SATA lines.
Refurbished: Drive health and remaining endurance should be verified using SMART data.
🤝 Why Choose T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS?
We are a UCP-compliant authority on enterprise networking and storage. Unlike box-movers, T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS performs lab-validation on every unit to ensure zero-defect performance. We offer expert consultation, global shipping, and a comprehensive warranty.