IBM FlashSystem 5200 vs Pure Storage FlashArray //X20
Side-by-side specifications from the vendors' own documents. The IBM FlashSystem 5200 is a compact 1U all-flash storage system delivering enterprise NVMe performance. The Pure Storage FlashArray //X20 was a 3U enterprise all-NVMe storage array designed to consolidate virtual machines, virtual desktops, and transaction databases.
| IBM FlashSystem 5200 | Pure Storage FlashArray //X20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | IBM | Pure Storage |
| Status | current | end-of-sale |
| Released | Feb 2021 | May 2018 |
| Form factor | 1U rack | 3U rack |
| Form factor | 1U rack | — |
| Controllers | Dual active-active | — |
| Cache memory | 512GB | — |
| Max drives | 12 NVMe FCM/SSD in 1U (expands to 748) | — |
| Host interfaces | 32Gb FC, 25Gb/10Gb iSCSI, NVMe-oF | — |
| Max raw capacity | 1.7PB in 1U (up to 32PB expanded) | — |
| Controller configuration | — | Dual active-active controllers in 3U enclosure |
| Operating system | — | Pure Storage Purity//FA |
| Raw capacity | — | Up to 263TB raw with DirectFlash shelf expansion |
| Effective capacity | — | Up to 800TB effective with inline data reduction |
| Drive media | — | DirectFlash Modules (4.5TB, 9.1TB, 18.2TB) |
| Connectivity | — | 16Gb/32Gb FC, 10GbE/25GbE iSCSI, and NVMe-oF (RoCEv2) |
| Nvram | — | Dual internal NVRAM modules |
| Data reduction | — | Inline deduplication and LZ4/Huffman compression |
| Management | — | Pure1 and Purity GUI |
Buying or selling a FlashSystem 5200 or FlashArray //X20?
New, refurbished or used. Tell us the quantity and condition and we connect you with a vetted reseller in your region, usually within one working day.