PM9A3 3.84TB vs S4520 1.92TB
The PM9A3 3.84TB and the S4520 1.92TB are both enterprise SSDs we supply tested from Hong Kong, and the figures below are the same ones published on each product page. They share the same supply and warranty terms and separate on interface, endurance, form factor, so the decision is less about "which is better" and more about which of those differences your platform or workload can actually use.
Nothing on this page is a price: used and refurbished hardware is repriced weekly, so both are quoted on request against confirmed stock with the date the quote holds until. If you are replacing a part, send the platform and we will confirm the population before you commit.
Side by side
PM9A3 3.84TB vs S4520 1.92TB specifications
| Specification | PM9A3 3.84TB | S4520 1.92TB |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe Gen4 x4, NVMe 1.4 | SATA 6Gb/s (SATA III) |
| Endurance | 1 DWPD (approx. 7,008 TBW) | 1 DWPD (approx 3,500 TBW) |
| Form Factor | 2.5-inch U.2 (SFF-8639) | 2.5-inch, 7mm, SATA |
| Sequential R/W | Up to 6,800 / 3,700 MB/s | Up to 550 / 510 MB/s |
| Random R/W (4KB) | Up to 1,000K / 180K IOPS | Up to 92K / 33K IOPS |
| NAND / Controller | Samsung 128-layer V-NAND TLC / Elpis | not stated |
| Security | AES 256-bit, TCG Opal, power-loss protection | AES 256-bit, power-loss protection, end-to-end data path protection |
| Model | Samsung PM9A3 3.84TB (MZQL23T8HCLS) | Intel/Solidigm D3-S4520 1.92TB (SSDSC2KB019TZ01 / TZ1Z) |
| NAND | not stated | Intel 144-layer 3D4 TLC |
Rows that differ are highlighted. Figures are the same ones published on each product page; where a figure is community-sourced rather than vendor-published it is stated on that page. Confirm every part against your build sheet when ordering.
Where they differ
- ·Interface — PM9A3 3.84TB: PCIe Gen4 x4, NVMe 1.4; S4520 1.92TB: SATA 6Gb/s (SATA III).
- ·Endurance — PM9A3 3.84TB: 1 DWPD (approx. 7,008 TBW); S4520 1.92TB: 1 DWPD (approx 3,500 TBW).
- ·Form Factor — PM9A3 3.84TB: 2.5-inch U.2 (SFF-8639); S4520 1.92TB: 2.5-inch, 7mm, SATA.
- ·Sequential R/W — PM9A3 3.84TB: Up to 6,800 / 3,700 MB/s; S4520 1.92TB: Up to 550 / 510 MB/s.
- ·Random R/W (4KB) — PM9A3 3.84TB: Up to 1,000K / 180K IOPS; S4520 1.92TB: Up to 92K / 33K IOPS.
- ·Security — PM9A3 3.84TB: AES 256-bit, TCG Opal, power-loss protection; S4520 1.92TB: AES 256-bit, power-loss protection, end-to-end data path protection.
Decision
Which one to buy
For enterprise SSDs the decision is interface and endurance before capacity. A PCIe/NVMe drive removes the SAS/SATA controller bottleneck and is the right choice for latency-bound databases and tiering; a SATA drive is cheaper per terabyte and plenty for sequential backup, logging and capacity tiers. Endurance (DWPD) tells you whether the drive is built for write-heavy work or read-mostly storage — buying a read-optimised drive for a write-heavy job is how arrays get replaced early. Capacity follows once interface and endurance match the workload.
Choose the PM9A3 3.84TB if
- ·Interface: PCIe Gen4 x4, NVMe 1.4
- ·Form Factor: 2.5-inch U.2 (SFF-8639)
- ·Random R/W (4KB): Up to 1,000K / 180K IOPS
Choose the S4520 1.92TB if
- ·Interface: SATA 6Gb/s (SATA III)
- ·Form Factor: 2.5-inch, 7mm, SATA
- ·Random R/W (4KB): Up to 92K / 33K IOPS
Photos
What the two look like
PM9A3 3.84TB
Photo from the PM9A3 3.84TB page. Every unit's label is read against your order before dispatch.
S4520 1.92TB
Photo from the S4520 1.92TB page. Every unit's label is read against your order before dispatch.
Frequently asked questions
How much do the PM9A3 3.84TB and the S4520 1.92TB cost?
We do not publish prices for either: secondary-market hardware is repriced weekly. Send the quantity, the platform and the condition you want and we quote both against confirmed stock, with the date the figure holds until.
What is the main difference between the PM9A3 3.84TB and the S4520 1.92TB?
Interface (PM9A3 3.84TB: PCIe Gen4 x4, NVMe 1.4; S4520 1.92TB: SATA 6Gb/s (SATA III)); Endurance (PM9A3 3.84TB: 1 DWPD (approx. 7,008 TBW); S4520 1.92TB: 1 DWPD (approx 3,500 TBW)); Form Factor (PM9A3 3.84TB: 2.5-inch U.2 (SFF-8639); S4520 1.92TB: 2.5-inch, 7mm, SATA).
Can I use the PM9A3 3.84TB and the S4520 1.92TB in the same system?
Yes — both are 2.5-inch-class drives, so they can live in the same server as long as your bays and controller support the interfaces (PCIe Gen4 x4, NVMe 1.4 vs SATA 6Gb/s (SATA III)). Mixed capacities are normal in an array; mixed models in one RAID group is a controller-policy decision.
Which one should I buy?
Buy the one whose strong points match the job: see the "Choose" section above. If you are replacing an existing part, send the platform or the old part number and we will confirm compatibility before you order.
What condition are they in, and do you ship worldwide?
Both are supplied tested with a 1-year written warranty. Condition is stated line by line before you order — new, decommissioned pull or OEM tray — and we ship worldwide from the Hong Kong warehouse with full export documentation, typically 3–7 days by air.
Get a quote for either — or both
Tell us the quantity, the platform and the condition you need. We confirm stock and put a firm figure in writing with the date it holds until.
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