HPE 300GB 6G SATA VE 2.5 SC Enterprise Hard Drive (717968-004)

Data centers running HPE ProLiant servers often need reliable, hot-swappable storage that balances capacity and endurance. The HPE 300GB 6G SATA VE 2.5-inch Small Form Factor hard drive steps in as a workhorse for boot, logging, and light-to-medium workloads. Its Value Endurance rating means it’s tuned for always-on operation without the premium of top-tier enterprise SSDs. The Smart Carrier design simplifies drive identification and handling, while the 7200 RPM spindle delivers consistent read/write performance over the 6Gb/s SATA interface.

Key specifications

• Capacity: 300 GB
• Interface: SATA 6Gb/s
• Form factor: 2.5-inch SFF
• Spindle speed: 7200 RPM
• Drive class: Midline (MDL)
• Features: Value Endurance (VE), Smart Carrier (SC), hot-plug support
• Data transfer rate: 600 MB/s external
• Sector format: 512n (native)
• Compatibility: HPE ProLiant DL/ML/SL servers, HPE Apollo systems
• Warranty: 1-year limited

Why choose it

This drive is engineered for 24/7 server environments where uptime matters. Hot-plug capability lets you replace a failed drive without shutting down the server. The Smart Carrier provides visual indicators and a robust handle, reducing the risk of mishandling during maintenance. With a 300 GB capacity, it’s ideal for operating systems, hypervisors, or dedicated application partitions. The SATA 6Gb/s interface ensures backward compatibility with 3Gb/s controllers while delivering full throughput on modern backplanes.

Ideal use cases

• Boot drives for HPE ProLiant rack and tower servers
• Dedicated storage for logging, monitoring, or lightweight databases
• High-availability clusters requiring hot-swap storage
• Cost-effective capacity expansion for HPE Apollo systems
• Replacement or spare drive for existing HPE server fleets

Good to know

The part number 717968-004 is the spare SKU; the option kit part number is 717968-B21. This drive is classified as a Midline HDD, meaning it is designed for moderate workloads rather than write-intensive enterprise applications. Always verify compatibility with your specific HPE server model using the HPE QuickSpecs or compatibility matrix. The drive ships in a Smart Carrier tray that fits standard HPE 2.5-inch drive bays.