HPE 9.5mm SATA DVD-RW Optical Drive

Overview

The HPE 726537-B21 is a 9.5 mm SATA DVD-RW optical drive designed to provide reliable CD and DVD reading and writing capabilities for ProLiant Gen9 servers and any system with a compatible slimline bay. It supports common disc formats such as DVD-R, DVD+R, and CD-R, with DVD writing speeds up to 8X and CD writing speeds up to 24X, making it efficient for creating recovery media, software distributions, or data backups without consuming excessive maintenance time.

Installation is simple, with the drive sliding into a 9.5 mm bay and connecting via the included SATA 1.5 Gbps cable. Its tray-loading mechanism and quick random access times—under 160 ms for DVDs and 140 ms for CDs—ensure smooth operation when accessing large disc libraries. This drive suits IT environments that still depend on optical media for tasks like OS deployment, firmware updates, or secure data transfers, as well as labs and repair stations handling legacy discs.

Key features

• Supports reading and writing of DVD-R, DVD+R, CD-R, and other widely used disc formats for versatile media handling
• DVD write speed up to 8X and CD write speed up to 24X to speed up data recording and reduce downtime
• Tray-loading design simplifies disc insertion and removal, improving user convenience
• Native SATA 1.5 Gbps interface ensures seamless integration and reliable data transfer with compatible systems
• Includes a SATA cable for immediate installation without needing additional accessories
• Random access times below 160 ms for DVDs and 140 ms for CDs help with quick navigation through large disc collections
• Compact 9.5 mm slimline form factor fits easily into ProLiant Gen9 server bays and other compatible devices
• Bundled Roxio software for Windows users streamlines disc creation and backup tasks
• Backed by a one-year HPE parts warranty for added confidence in hardware reliability

Key specs

• Form factor: 9.5 mm slimline optical drive
• Interface: SATA 1.5 Gbps
• DVD write speed: up to 8X
• CD write speed: up to 24X
• Random access time: under 160 ms (DVD), under 140 ms (CD)
• Dimensions: 0.95 × 12.95 × 13.21 cm
• Weight: approximately 0.66 kg
• Supported disc formats: DVD-R, DVD+R, CD-R, and other common formats
• Warranty: one-year parts warranty from HPE

Connectivity and compatibility

The drive connects through a SATA 1.5 Gbps interface, which is standard for many server and desktop systems, ensuring broad compatibility with ProLiant Gen9 servers and other devices that accept a 9.5 mm slimline bay. The included SATA cable allows for quick setup without additional purchases. Its support for common disc formats means it works well with a wide range of optical media used in IT and professional environments.

Ideal uses and environments

This optical drive is well suited to IT teams and system administrators who still rely on physical media for operating system deployment, firmware updates, or secure data transfers to air-gapped systems. It also fits test labs, educational facilities, and repair benches where legacy discs remain part of daily workflows. Its compact size and reliable performance make it a practical addition to server setups and workstations that require dependable optical media access.