Pure Storage FlashArray//X: tier-1 block storage
FlashArray//X is Pure Storage’s tier-1 block array, built on NVMe DirectFlash media and sold in four R4 models from X20 to X90. It is a block-focused product rather than a unified one, which is deliberate: the platform is designed around consistent low latency for databases and virtualisation rather than around serving every protocol.
Technical specification
| Brand | Pure Storage |
|---|---|
| Product group | Storage |
| Capacity / format | Tier-1 block, NVMe DirectFlash |
| Model codes | FA//X20 R4, X50 R4, X70 R4, X90 R4 |
Which one should you choose?
Block-focused is a feature, not a gap
If your requirement is file shares, this is the wrong product and we will say so. If your requirement is a database or a virtualisation cluster that needs predictable latency under load, a block-specialised array is a different and usually better answer than a unified one running the same workload alongside file services.
DirectFlash is about the media layer
Rather than using off-the-shelf SSDs with their own controllers, the platform manages raw flash directly. The practical consequence customers notice is consistency: latency that stays flat as the array fills rather than degrading. Whether that matters depends on how close to full you intend to run.
X20 to X90 is a performance ladder
The four R4 models differ in performance and capacity rather than in features, so the data services are the same across the range. That makes sizing simpler than in families where the entry model is also feature-limited: pick the class from the workload and the growth, not from the feature matrix.
Effective capacity needs your data
Quoted effective capacity assumes a data reduction ratio. Databases and virtual machine images reduce well; already-compressed media does not. We quote raw and effective separately and state the assumed ratio, because a comparison built on someone’s optimistic ratio is not a comparison.
What to send us
Usable capacity, the workload type, the latency or IOPS target, the host connectivity you have, and the growth expected. If you are comparing against another vendor’s proposal, send that too and we will match the assumptions before matching the price.
Request a Quote
Send the usable capacity, the protocol your hosts speak and the performance target. A priced quote comes back within 48 hours with the raw and usable figures separated.
