Samsung 845DC PRO Enterprise SSD Review

Final Thoughts

Samsung is no stranger to launching disruptive new NAND technologies. They led the way with 3-bit MLC (TLC) for the datacenter, and built upon that with their 3D V-NAND offering. Samsung's in-depth knowledge of their own NAND, DRAM, and SSD controllers provides a benefit beyond component cost and profit margins. A SSD controller is a very small percentage of the BOM (Build of Materials) cost, but the ability to develop new components and rapidly adjust firmware is a benefit that grants Samsung a time to market advantage.

The 845DC PRO is built from the time-tested MDX controller, and first generation 24-layer V-NAND. 32-layer V-NAND products are shipping to the client segment, and we expect to see those next year for the datacenter. We also expect to see the next-gen MEX controller next year, after quality cycles have had time to run their course. Samsung has quite the one-two punch with the 845DC PRO and 845DC EVO. Both provide stout read performance, but those looking for more write performance and endurance will be better served with the 845DC PRO.

V-NAND is revolutionary in many aspects. Samsung's Charge Trap Flash (CTF) technology uses less power to store a charge than the old Charge Pump Device (CPD) approach. Stepping back to a larger process also reduces the amount of voltage required to program a cell, speeding page program times and lowering voltage requirements. This enables the exceptionally low power consumption we noted in our testing. The 845DC PRO led across the board by a huge margin in our power and efficiency tests, easily providing the best power measurements of any SSD we have tested.

The larger cell size, and more efficient CTF technology, provides V-NAND's enhanced endurance. This allows the use of 'standard' 3D NAND instead of eMLC, and requires less overprovisioning to hit endurance targets. The 845DC PRO serves up a big helping of endurance with a robust ten DWPD. A two million hour MTBF, one per 10E17 UBER rating, end-to-end data protection, and power loss protection covers the bases for a reliable enterprise SSD.

The 845DC PRO outperformed the competition in nearly every aspect of our performance testing. The 845DC PRO led in all pure random read/write workloads, and even continued the dominance in every one of our mixed random workloads. Surprisingly, the only SSD to challenge the 845DC PRO in read performance was its value-conscious sibling, the 845DC EVO.

The 845DC PRO also provided robust performance in our sequential testing and server workloads. Overall, the 845DC PRO outperforms the normal expectations of any flagship-class enterprise SSD, and does so at a reasonable price point. Prices fluctuate, but the 845DC PRO is hovering around $2 per GB with the Intel DC S3700. With similar endurance and data protection characteristics, the tiebreaker comes from the 845DC PRO's faster performance, and insanely low power consumption. The M500DC provides great performance for its low price of roughly $1.20 per GB, making it a serious competitor to the PRO and EVO.

With a hefty endurance threshold, low power consumption, leading performance, robust data protection features, and a five-year warranty, the 845DC PRO hits the grand slam, winning the TweakTown Editor's Choice Award for the high endurance SATA segment.

PRICING: You can find the Samsung 845DC PRO SSD for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.

United States: The 400GB Samsung 845DC PRO SSD retails for $1,069.00 at Amazon, and the 800GB Samsung 845DC PRO SSD retails for $1,900.00 at Amazon.