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| Brand | Micron |
|---|---|
| Model | M550 |
| Capacity | 256GB |
| Usage Class | Client |
| Host Interface | SATA 6Gb/s |
|---|---|
| Total Interface Bandwidth | 6 Gb/s |
| Form Factor | 2.5" 7mm |
|---|
| NAND Flash | 2D MLC |
|---|---|
| Drive Writes Per Day | |
| Total Bytes Written | 72 TBW |
| Sequential Read | 550 MB/s |
|---|---|
| Sequential Write | 500 MB/s |
| Random Read IOPS | 90000 |
| Random Write IOPS | 80000 |
| Average Latency | μs |
| Mean Time Between Failures | 1.5 Million Hours |
|---|---|
| Uncorrectable Bit Error Rate | 1.0×10⁻¹⁷ |
| Power Loss Protection | Yes |
The Micron M550 256GB (MTFDDAK256MAY-1AH1ZABHA) is best suited for read-intensive boot, cache, and edge appliance workloads that need SATA compatibility but cannot compromise on latency consistency, combining 550/500 MB/s throughput with up to 90K/80K IOPS in a proven 2D MLC design. Compared with same-class SATA SSDs built on TLC NAND, it delivers a stronger endurance profile at 72 TBW and more predictable sustained write behavior, making it a safer choice for embedded infrastructure and light mixed-workload server deployments.
With an endurance rating of 72 TBW, the MTFDDAK256MAY-1AH1ZABHA can comfortably handle typical OS, boot, and general application workloads over a long service life. In practical terms, for a 256GB system drive used in normal enterprise client or embedded scenarios, this level of endurance is generally sufficient to support many years of stable operation without concern about write wear. From a reliability perspective, built-in power loss protection helps safeguard in-flight data and metadata during an unexpected power interruption, reducing the risk of corruption and improving system recovery confidence. Its UBER rating of 1.0E-15 and 1.5 million-hour MTBF indicate a strong enterprise-grade data integrity and reliability profile, giving procurement teams added assurance for dependable long-term deployment.
1. The SATA 6Gb/s interface with full protocol maturity makes this drive easy to deploy in legacy and mainstream enterprise servers, enabling cost-efficient upgrades without changing the storage backplane.
2. Its 550 MB/s sequential read performance helps accelerate boot volumes, image distribution, and large-file retrieval in read-heavy business environments.
3. With 90,000 random read IOPS, the drive can sustain responsive performance for virtualized workloads, metadata access, and high-concurrency transactional reads.
4. The rated [dwpd] DWPD endurance is designed to support predictable write intensity over the service life of the drive, reducing replacement risk in always-on enterprise operation.
5. Built on 2D MLC NAND and delivering typical latency of [latency] µs, it offers a reliability-first balance of flash consistency and fast response for latency-sensitive server applications.
Suggested adjacent capacities in the same family: Lower capacity: 128GB Higher capacity: 512GB At 256GB, this SSD sits in the sweet spot of the series. Compared with the 128GB model, it provides much better headroom for OS growth, logs, metadata, overprovisioning, and application updates, reducing the risk of early capacity pressure. Compared with the 512GB model, it preserves essentially the same enterprise-class sequential throughput and random IOPS profile while keeping acquisition cost and stranded capacity under tighter control. In practice, 256GB is a strong fit for a compact virtualization cluster, such as boot and utility storage for about 30 to 40 light-duty virtual machines.
Q: Is MTFDDAK256MAY-1AH1ZABHA suitable for a write-heavy database server?
A: Not ideally. With 256GB capacity, 72TB TBW, and 2D MLC NAND, this SSD is better suited to read-intensive or light mixed workloads than sustained write-heavy database environments.
Q: How many full drive writes per day can it actually endure over its warranty period?
A: Based on 72TBW and 256GB capacity, the drive supports about 281 total full drive writes. Assuming a 5-year warranty, that equals roughly 0.15 drive writes per day.
Q: Does it include power loss protection (PLP) and why is that critical?
A: Yes, it includes power loss protection. PLP helps preserve in-flight data and mapping tables during sudden outages, reducing corruption risk and improving reliability in server and storage applications.
Q: What RAID level is recommended for this SSD?
A: For business use, RAID 1 is a solid choice for redundancy, while RAID 10 is better for higher database performance. RAID 5/6 is less ideal for write-heavy workloads.