Dell 300GB 2.5" 15000RPM SAS 6Gb/s HDD

Overview

The Dell 87CN3 is a 2.5 inch internal hard drive designed for enterprise servers and storage arrays, delivering 300 GB of storage with a fast 15000 RPM spindle speed and a 6 Gb/s SAS interface. This combination ensures low latency and high input/output operations per second (IOPS), making it well suited for transactional databases, virtual machines, and other demanding workloads that require rapid data access and consistent throughput.

Its serial attached SCSI connection supports dual port operation and hot swapping, allowing seamless integration into blade enclosures, rack servers, or external JBOD shelves without needing changes to existing SAS infrastructure. The compact 2.5 inch form factor reduces power consumption and heat generation compared to larger drives, which benefits high-density server environments.

Key features

• High spindle speed of 15000 RPM reduces latency and improves responsiveness for demanding applications
• 6 Gb/s SAS interface supports dual port connectivity for enhanced reliability and failover capabilities
• Compact 2.5 inch design saves rack space and lowers power usage, ideal for dense server configurations
• Hot swap capability allows easy replacement or addition without downtime in compatible backplanes
• Optimized for enterprise environments including blade servers, storage arrays, and high-performance computing setups

Key specs

• Capacity: 300 GB
• Form factor: 2.5 inch
• Spindle speed: 15000 RPM
• Interface: 6 Gb/s SAS (Serial Attached SCSI)
• Dual port support: Yes
• Designed for: Internal use in servers and storage arrays

Connectivity and compatibility

This hard drive connects via a 6 Gb/s SAS interface, which is widely supported in enterprise-grade servers and storage systems. The dual port feature enhances data availability by allowing simultaneous connections to two separate controllers or paths, improving fault tolerance. It fits standard 2.5 inch drive bays commonly found in blade enclosures, rack-mounted servers, and external JBOD units, making it a flexible choice for various enterprise storage architectures.

Ideal uses and environments

The Dell 87CN3 is well suited to environments where fast and reliable data access is critical, such as database servers, virtualization hosts, and transactional systems. Its balance of speed and capacity makes it a practical option for tiered storage setups, positioned between flash storage for speed and SATA drives for higher capacity. The drive’s low power consumption and compact size also make it a strong candidate for dense data centers aiming to optimize space and energy efficiency.