The potential future of data storage systems for enterprises and data centers has been presented in the form of a new standard form factor EDSFF (Enterprise and Datacenter Standard Form Factor).
EDSFF is designed to replace legacy 2.5 SSD and M.2 drives, offering a number of benefits, including improved signal transmission and greater performance.
One of the significant benefits of EDSFF is improved cooling of the entire system, as the backplane is positioned flat and does not block airflow, resulting in more efficient cooling. This design allows the use of less expensive fans, reducing the need for large amounts of power consumption and less wiring.
Another advantage of EDSFF drives is the connector. The EDSFF connector only supports PCLe 5.0 / 6.0 signals, so it can only work with SSD NVMe drives, which are much faster than SAS and SATA format drives. Additionally, as EDSFF technology has matured, multiple form factors have been defined for different applications.
There are two main types of EDSFF drives: E3.S and E1.S form factors.
| 2.5 SATA SSD 3TE7 | E3.S 4TS2-P | |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | 2.5 SATA | E3. S |
| Memory type | 3D TLC | |
| Density | 32 GB~2 TB | 400 GB~12.8 TB |
| Write/read speed | 550/520 MB/s | 6,000/3,500 MB/s |
| Voltage | 2,1V | TBD |
| Maximum channels | 4 | 8 |
| DRAM buffering | No | Yes |
| TCG Opal Standard | No | Yes |
| Dimensions | 69.8 x 100.0 x 7.0 mm | 76 x 112.75 x 7.5 mm |
Designed for enterprise servers and storage, the E3.S offers 2x the capacity of the 2.5" form factor and has been designed as a new alternative to the U.2 form factor thanks to its high read/write speeds and availability on board up to 13 TB of Flash memory.
| M.2 (P80) 3TE4 | E1.S 4TS2-P | |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | M.2 | E1. S |
| Memory type | 3D TLC | |
| Density | 128 GB~1 TB | 400 GB~3.2 TB |
| Write/read speed | 2,600/1,800 MB/s | 6,900/4,650 MB/s |
| Voltage | 4 V | 10.9 V |
| Maximum channels | 4 | 8 |
| DRAM buffering | No | Yes |
| Dimensions | 22.0 x 80.0 x 1.35 mm | 31.5 x 111.5 x 5.9 mm 33.75 x 118.75 x 9.5 mm 33.75 x 118.75 x 15 mm |
The E1.S is a compact form factor that fits vertically into a 1U high chassis. The E1.S is comparable in size to M.2 form factors but offers improved heat dissipation and cooling. The E1.S form factor is primarily intended for hyperscale servers and storage systems.
In conclusion, we can say that the EDSFF form factor has great potential in capturing the NVMe drive segment, as it is not inferior to its competitors, and in some aspects even surpasses them.
