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Intel’s DC P4500 and DC P4600 are enterprise PCIe/NVMe SSD families announced in 2017. Intel positioned the P4500 for read-intensive workloads and the P4600 for mixed workloads and caching. Their product briefs list sequential read speeds of up to 3,300 MB/s and 3,280 MB/s, respectively—not a guarantee of 3 GB/s in every workload.
What Intel announced
On May 2, 2017, Intel added the DC P4500 and P4600 to its data-center SSD lineup. Intel described the drives as using TLC 3D NAND, an Intel-developed controller, firmware innovations and PCIe/NVMe. They are enterprise drives, not ordinary SATA desktop SSDs. Intel’s announcement initially described U.2 2.5-inch and half-height, half-length add-in-card versions in 1 TB, 2 TB and 4 TB capacities. Those launch-day details should not be confused with the broader configurations in later product briefs.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Intel SSD DC P4500 4.0TB, 1/2 HEIGHT | $1,500.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Intel DC P4500 1 TB 2.5" Internal Solid State Drive (950688) | $285.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Intel DC P4500 4 TB Internal Solid State Drive - PCI Express - Plug-in Card | $1,400.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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SSD DC P4500 Series | $3,800.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Intel® Optane SSD P4800X Series (375GB, 1/2 Height PCIe x4, 20nm, 3D XPoint) Single Pack | $1,252.55 | Buy on Amazon |
Intel’s May 2, 2017 announcement
How the P4500 and P4600 differ
The key distinction is intended workload. The P4500 targets read-intensive applications; the P4600 is positioned for mixed workloads and data caching. The specifications below are maxima published by Intel, not results from an independent, common test. Actual performance depends on the test setup and queue depth.
| Intel-published specification | DC P4500 | DC P4600 |
|---|---|---|
| Positioning | Read-intensive | Mixed workload and caching |
| Sequential read/write, up to | 3,300 / 1,900 MB/s | 3,280 / 2,100 MB/s |
| Random 4K read/write, up to | 645,000 / 65,600 IOPS | 702,500 / 257,000 IOPS |
| Interface | PCIe 3.1 x4, NVMe 1.2 | PCIe 3.1 x4, NVMe 1.2 |
| Random/JEDEC endurance, up to | 0.75 DWPD / 7 PBW | 2.9 DWPD / 21.7 PBW |
| Sequential-workload endurance, up to | 4.62 DWPD / 19.8 PBW | 4 DWPD / 29.2 PBW |
| Maximum sequential read/write power | 10 W / 20 W | 9.9 W / 20.7 W |
| Warranty | Five years | Five years |
DWPD means drive writes per day; PBW means petabytes written. Intel lists endurance under separate workload conditions, so the random/JEDEC and sequential figures are not interchangeable measures of a single universal lifespan. P4600 has the higher listed random-write maximum and random/JEDEC endurance; P4500 has the higher listed sequential-workload DWPD figure. Intel’s product briefs provide the underlying workload and measurement notes.
#1 Best Overall
Intel DC P4500 product brief (2018) · Intel DC P4600 product brief
What “3 GB/s reads” means
The headline description rounds Intel’s sequential-read maximum to about 3 GB/s: the P4500 is listed at up to 3,300 MB/s and the P4600 at up to 3,280 MB/s. These are vendor-published sequential figures. They do not describe random access, write speed, or performance under every server workload, and they should not be treated as a head-to-head benchmark under identical test conditions.
Rank #2
- Storage Capacity: 1 TB.
- Form Factor: 2.5-Inch, 15mm.
- Interface: PCIe NVMe 3.1 x4.
- Sequential Read Speed (Up To): 3200 MB/s.
- Sequential Write Speed (Up To): 600 MB/s.
Capacity and form factors depend on the model and source date
The 2017 launch announcement described initial U.2 2.5-inch and add-in-card models in 1 TB, 2 TB and 4 TB capacities. Later Intel briefs list a wider family range:
- P4500: 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB and 8 TB, with U.2, add-in-card and ruler form factors represented in the later brief.
- P4600: U.2 capacities of 1.6 TB, 2 TB and 3.2 TB; add-in-card capacities of 2 TB and 4 TB.
These later family listings do not mean every capacity or physical format was available on launch day.
Rank #3
- Upc: 735858321297
- Weight: 0.650 lbs
What to check before using or buying one
Compatibility depends on the specific drive and host; a U.2 SSD is not automatically compatible with a consumer PC just because both use PCIe/NVMe technology. Check the following against the server or storage system documentation:
- Host support for the drive’s PCIe/NVMe interface and required lane configuration.
- A compatible U.2 bay and backplane, or an appropriate adapter for an add-in-card configuration.
- The exact physical form factor, capacity and firmware required by the system.
- For a used drive, its condition and remaining service life; the published endurance figures are workload-specific ratings, not a condition report for an individual unit.
Intel’s briefs also describe management, telemetry, data-protection and power-loss features. Those are vendor-described product capabilities, not evidence that a particular installation will achieve a given performance or reliability outcome. The available launch-era sources establish product positioning and specifications, but not current retail availability, price, support status or compatibility with a specific host.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Intel SSD DC P4800X PCIe
- 375GB SSD
- SSD Type : TLC
- PCI-Express-v3-x4 - HHHL
- IOPS : 550K
Rank #4
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
