Sourced for enterprise IT teams, the HP DC516A (DC516A - HP 250GB 7200RPM IDE Ultra ATA-100 3.5-inch Hard Drive) is a Desktop Hard Drive component appropriate for new-build, expansion, or warranty-replacement procurement. Technical specifications include capacity of 250 GB, spindle speed of 7,200 RPM, form factor of 3.5-inch, interface of IDE. Appropriate for OS boot tier (Windows Server, RHEL, Ubuntu Server, ESXi), application data tier, database log volumes, and tier-2 capacity in mixed-storage clusters. Pro Disk Network maintains the DC516A 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 DC516A is a HP desktop hard drive component with capacity 250 GB, spindle speed 7,200 RPM, form factor 3.5-inch. Pro Disk Network sells the DC516A for $309.18 with same-day US shipping and a 30-day return guarantee.
Quick Answer: Will the DC516A work with my RAID controller?
The DC516A 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 DC516A ship?
If in stock, the DC516A 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 DC516A 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 DC516A?
The DC516A is a HP enterprise-grade hard drive with capacity 250 GB and spindle speed 7,200 RPM, manufactured by HP. 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 DC516A
Pros
Free 30-day return window covers DOA + fit issues
Cons
Not recommended for OLTP databases above 50 TPS
Mechanical drive — expect 5–10W idle power per unit
3.5" form factor only — confirm caddy fit before ordering
Frequently Asked Questions about DC516A
Is the DC516A a genuine HP part?
Yes. Pro Disk Network sources every DC516A as factory-original HP inventory. New units arrive sealed in OEM packaging; refurbished units are pulled from decommissioned HP servers, surface-tested, and re-warranted by Pro Disk Network for 90 days.
Will the DC516A work with my RAID controller?
The DC516A 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 DC516A ship?
If in stock, the DC516A 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 DC516A?
New DC516A units carry the full HP 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 DC516A?
Email sales@prodisknetwork.com with the quantity and target ship date for a quote within one business day.
Other parts that share the DC516A series prefix — useful when sourcing matched lots, hot-spare pools, or capacity-tier expansions.
DC516AR — DC516AR - HP 250GB 7200RPM IDE Ultra ATA-100 3.5-inch Hard Drive — $194.70
Pro Disk Network Buyer’s Guide: Desktop Hard Drive
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 DC516A, 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 DC516A 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.