Dell part number K836N identifies the K836N - Dell 160GB 7200RPM SATA 2.5-inch Server 2970 Hard Drive, an enterprise-grade Server Hard Drive unit appropriate for data-center, server-room, and workstation deployment. Technical specifications include capacity of 160 GB, spindle speed of 7,200 RPM, form factor of 2.5-inch, interface of SATA. Typical workloads include VMware ESXi datastores, Veeam / Rubrik / Cohesity backup repositories, RDBMS data files (SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Oracle), and log-tier storage for Splunk and Elastic. Pro Disk Network maintains the K836N in our enterprise inventory and verifies each unit against manufacturer datasheet specifications prior to listing. New stock ships factory-sealed where available; refurbished units are tested under load before dispatch and ship with a 90-day Pro Disk Network functional warranty. Same-day dispatch on in-stock orders placed before 3pm ET; free standard ground shipping on US orders over $150.
The K836N is a Dell server hard drive component with capacity 160 GB, spindle speed 7,200 RPM, form factor 2.5-inch. Pro Disk Network sells the K836N for $344.33 with same-day US shipping and a 30-day return guarantee.
Quick Answer: Will the K836N work with my RAID controller?
The K836N operates with any standard SAS/SATA/NVMe-compatible RAID controller (Dell PERC, HPE Smart Array, LSI/Broadcom MegaRAID, Adaptec, IBM ServeRAID, Lenovo ThinkSystem RAID). Mixing this drive in the same RAID volume with drives of different speed/capacity is supported but never recommended.
How fast does the K836N ship?
If in stock, the K836N ships same business day on US orders placed before 3 pm ET. Most US ZIP codes receive next-business-day or 2-day delivery via FedEx/UPS Ground or Express. Bulk and project orders shipping in pallets are typically dispatched within 24-48 hours.
The K836N is deployed by US enterprises, MSPs, government, and education customers across multiple infrastructure scenarios. Below are the most common deployment patterns Pro Disk Network sees in real-world orders.
VMware vSAN Capacity Tier — Used as bulk storage in all-flash and hybrid vSAN clusters. Pair with NVMe cache-tier drives for SLA-grade write throughput at half the cost of all-NVMe.
Veeam Backup Repository — Cost-optimised backup target for Veeam B&R, Rubrik, or Cohesity primary backup tier. RAID 6 over 8–24 drives delivers 100+ TB usable per server.
Splunk Warm/Cold Tier — Appropriate for Splunk warm/cold/frozen indexes where ingest write rates are below 200 MB/s per node. Avoid for hot-tier indexes — use NVMe instead.
File Server / SMB Shares — General-purpose Windows Server / Samba shares for departmental file storage. RAID 5 for capacity, RAID 10 for IOPS-sensitive workloads.
What is the K836N?
The K836N is a Dell enterprise-grade hard drive with capacity 160 GB and spindle speed 7,200 RPM, manufactured by Dell. Pro Disk Network ships this part new and certified-refurbished from our US warehouse with same-day dispatch on orders placed before 3 PM ET, backed by a 30-day return guarantee.
Pros & Cons of K836N
Pros
Same-day US shipping from our US warehouse
Cons
Designed for capacity tier, not write-intensive cache
Not a drop-in for desktop NAS without verifying caddy
Some firmware revs locked to specific RAID-controller families
Frequently Asked Questions about K836N
Is the K836N a genuine Dell part?
Yes. Pro Disk Network sources every K836N as factory-original Dell inventory. New units arrive sealed in OEM packaging; refurbished units are pulled from decommissioned Dell servers, surface-tested, and re-warranted by Pro Disk Network for 90 days.
Will the K836N work with my RAID controller?
The K836N operates with any standard SAS/SATA/NVMe-compatible RAID controller (Dell PERC, HPE Smart Array, LSI/Broadcom MegaRAID, Adaptec, IBM ServeRAID, Lenovo ThinkSystem RAID). Mixing this drive in the same RAID volume with drives of different speed/capacity is supported but never recommended.
How fast does the K836N ship?
If in stock, the K836N ships same business day on US orders placed before 3 pm ET. Most US ZIP codes receive next-business-day or 2-day delivery via FedEx/UPS Ground or Express. Bulk and project orders shipping in pallets are typically dispatched within 24-48 hours.
What is the warranty on the K836N?
New K836N units carry the full Dell manufacturer warranty (typically 1 to 5 years depending on product line). Refurbished and bulk-OEM units include a Pro Disk Network advance-replacement warranty (90 days refurbished). DOA replacement is free within 30 days of receipt.
Do you offer bulk pricing for the K836N?
Email sales@prodisknetwork.com with the quantity and target ship date for a quote within one business day.
How to Pick the Right Drive Capacity for Your Use Case
Sizing a storage drive correctly is the difference between a system that runs predictably for five years and one that you replace under emergency conditions at 18 months. For the K836N, plan capacity around three numbers: working-set size, retention window, and overhead headroom. Working set is the actively-read data — databases, indexes, hot files. Retention window is how long you keep cold data online before tiering off. Overhead headroom should be 25-30%: drives run noticeably slower above 80% utilisation and metadata operations stall above 90%.
Drive Health Monitoring: SMART, Workload Rating, and Predictive Failure
Workload rating — expressed as TB written per year — matters more than raw capacity in choosing the K836N for sustained-write workloads. Consumer SATA drives are rated for 55 TB/year; enterprise SATA for 180-550 TB/year; enterprise SAS for 550 TB+/year; mixed-use NVMe for 1-3 PB/year over five years. Match the rating to your sustained write profile, then add 30% headroom.