Exascend SE4 vs Kingston DC600M
Enterprise SATA SSD Technical Comparison
It is somewhat ironic that an interface originally designed for HDDs continues to be the most popular interface on Enterprise SSDs - SATA. Not because it is the fastest, but because the infrastructure already exists almost everywhere. In newer, SSD-first server architectures, NVMe dominates.
This comparison evaluates two enterprise SATA SSD platforms: Kingston DC600M and the Exascend SE4 family (Streaming, Pro, and Max editions). All specifications referenced below are drawn strictly from publicly available datasheets. No Marketing adjectives, Just numbers.
The objective is straightforward - to focuse on parameters that really matter and draw a techincal conclusion that is not headline drivn.
Here is a consolidated side by side specificatin table, a TLDR for anybody who wants to techinically evaluate
Unified Specification & Endurance Comparison
| Specification | Kingston DC600M | Exascend SE4 Streaming | Exascend SE4 Pro | Exascend SE4 Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interface | SATA 6Gb/s | SATA 6Gb/s | SATA 6Gb/s | SATA 6Gb/s |
| NAND | 3D TLC | 3D TLC | 3D TLC | pSLC |
| Controller | Not publicly disclosed | Marvell 88SS1074/1080 | Marvell 88SS1074/1080 | Marvell Enterprise |
| DRAM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Max Capacity | 7.68TB | 15.36TB (family max) | 15.36TB (family max) | 15.36TB (family max) |
| Sequential Read | Up to 560 MB/s | Up to 560 MB/s | Up to 560 MB/s | Up to 560 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | Up to 530 MB/s | Up to 535 MB/s | Up to 535 MB/s | Up to 535 MB/s |
| 4K Random Read | 94K IOPS (steady-state) | Up to 94K IOPS | Up to 94K IOPS | Up to 97K IOPS |
| 4K Random Write | 34K–78K IOPS (capacity dependent) | Up to 50K IOPS | Up to 50K IOPS | Up to 50K IOPS |
| Enterprise Endurance (5 yrs, JESD219) | 1 DWPD | 0.6 DWPD | 1 DWPD | 25 DWPD |
| Power Consumption (Idle) | ~1.3W | <1W | <1W | <1W |
| Power Consumption (Active Write) | ~3.6W | <3W | <3W | <3W |
| MTBF | 2M hours | 2M hours | 2M hours | 2M hours |
| UBER | ≤10⁻¹⁷ | ≤10⁻¹⁷ | ≤10⁻¹⁷ | ≤10⁻¹⁷ |
Technical Observations
First, all drives operate within SATA bandwidth limitations. Think of them as capable performance engines operating under a fixed speed governor . Why I keep repeating this is because minor performance deltas in throughput or IOPS should be considered incremental within same performance boundary. They dont matter.
What matters is the following
• Endurance Alignment
DC600M and SE4 Pro both sit in the 1 DWPD mixed-use enterprise class. SE4 Streaming is optimized for read-dominant deployments. SE4 Max extends into extreme sustained-write territory with a rated endurance of 25 DWPD ( yes, not 2.5 it really is 25) - this is the upper boundary of what enterprise SATA can today deliver.
However - in most SMB and mid-market environments, sustained write workloads rarely approach full DWPD consumption over a five-year lifecycle. For many enterprise use cases, the Streaming variant provides the endurance actually required .
Good thing with Exascend is that rather than tying the buyer to a single endurance profile, they have a structured family where you can select based on your workload requirement rather than a single SKU.
• Capacity Density
The SE4 family scales up to 15.36TB within the same SATA framework. More capacity per slot means fewer drives required to reach a given storage target.
• Power Efficiency
Exascend SE4 demonstrates lower idle and active power consumption. For a single drive the difference doesn't look much, but in multi-drive arrays working 24/7 , these small watt differences add over time.
Exascend SE4 is a very Competitive Alternative to DC600M
Kingston DC600M is a widely recognized enterprise SATA SSD with strong global brand visibility and established market presence. Brand familiarity brings comfort and often influences purchasing decisions. However, recognition alone does not define technical merit.
Exascend, while less broadly known in some regions, has built a solid reputation in enterprise and industrial SSD segments, particularly in high-endurance and customized firmware deployments. SE4 family is perceived as a technically credible and competitive option within the same SATA performance class that differentiates itself through:
- A structured endurance family (Streaming, Pro, Max) rather than a single fixed profile.
- Higher maximum SATA capacity scalability (up to 15.36TB)
- Transparent controller disclosure
- Competitive enterprise feature architecture
As authorized distributors of Exascend, we have evaluated these products across real-world deployments and consider SE4 a mature enterprise-grade option within the SATA ecosystem.
Ultimately, selection should be driven by workload analysis, infrastructure constraints, and long-term deployment strategy. Exascend competes very strongly on endurance flexibility, capacity density and technical merits , if not on brand familiarity.