Humor me on inserting NVMe into late build change

[nomdeplume]

Got a wild hair to look at the lower priced end of NVMe as boot drive before I do a fresh W11 install. Basically I decided to look what Microcenter had in stock for cheap while they still carry 3x4. System specs are correct and board is pictured below for ease of reference. My wallet is only willing to open to the amount of $30 or so total w/heatsink on this gen of SSD and/or this old of hardware. Mostly started to this thread to see if it is even worth considering over a SATA SSD.



Lowest slot on board is the only x4 slot and gets overlapped a few mm by 1060 strix. Heatsink to the right stands off the board a bit without fouling so I'm not overly concerned there. I am really curious if an aftermarket heatsink is going to be required somewhere with this much cooling potential?

Just for reference Supermicro XG6 KXG60ZNV512G, Crucial P3 (500GB), and possibly stretching to a Samsung 980 500GB are leading candidates at the moment. IF there is no getting around a heatsink I might just go with the cheapest option, Inland Prime 250GB. Other ideas are certainly welcome and may be worth the delay from instantaneous purchase driving this.

 

[dgianstefani]

Small SSD's (below 1 TB) aren't really a good idea to buy, as write endurance and r/w performance literally scales with capacity.

The "saving" of going with a smaller capacity isn't even linear, too.

Storage should be bought like PSU's and cases are - they're going to remain in use and will be compatible across builds, don't skimp on them.

Heatsinks also aren't necessary for Gen 3 drives as they don't even come close to running hot enough for them to be required, same can be said for most Gen 4 drives, it's Gen 5 that hits the speeds where heatsink/active cooling is necessary.

Moving completely away from SATA for all new drive purchases is also a good idea, as eventually you can have a build with zero SATA data/power cables cluttering everything up.

Don't buy QLC, TLC is possible on a budget.

 

[nomdeplume]

Small SSD's (below 1 TB) aren't really a good idea to buy, as write endurance and r/w performance literally scales with capacity.

View attachment 300684

The "saving" of going with a smaller capacity isn't even linear, too.

Storage should be bought like PSU's and cases are - they're going to remain in use and will be compatible across builds, don't skimp on them.

I'm well aware of that, currently. Not so sure that applies to the same extent on drives from an era 1TB was $$$. On an economy business board that is not likely to realize full potential of basically any performance oriented hardware.

Edit: 850 Pro 500GB I have installed was the high volume offering of that gen. We're only looking slightly past that in time realistically.

Heatsinks also aren't necessary for Gen 3 drives as they don't even come close to running hot enough for them to be required, same can be said for most Gen 4 drives, it's Gen 5 that hits the speeds where heatsink/active cooling is necessary.

Moving completely away from SATA for all new drive purchases is also a good idea, as eventually you can have a build with zero SATA data/power cables cluttering everything up.

I know the sticker is metal foil and supposed to add some limited help with cooling. I'm not so sure that is enough or I wouldn't have asked though.

No offense, but I'm hoping to hear a few more opinions on this aspect and in particular how relevant it is to certain drives.

 

[AlwaysHope]

OP, I don't know what part of the world your in, but over here in my country the price per GB of Sata SSD & NVMe are nearly identical. And I'm also unsure of your projected usage model you have for this system as you haven't mentioned it. But in any case with those points I mentioned, I would opt for NVMe drives. If you have the option for more up to date tech & that board obviously shows this then prices between techs being practically comparable ( at least in my country) , why would you not consider NVMe anyway now?

 

[Frick]

Small SSD's (below 1 TB) aren't really a good idea to buy, as write endurance and r/w performance literally scales with capacity.

View attachment 300684

A small NVMe can definitely be a good idea if it'll be a pure OS drive.

 

[Hyderz]

i have a 500gb nvme drive and i wished i plonked more money into a 1tb size... and this was back in 2018 when it was still hella expensive...
now that nvme capacity is cheap just get the 1tb drive... even if you are not buying it for the performance the size of the drive is a welcome... my 2 cents

 

[nomdeplume]

OP, I don't know what part of the world your in, but over here in my country the price per GB of Sata SSD & NVMe are nearly identical. And I'm also unsure of your projected usage model you have for this system as you haven't mentioned it. But in any case with those points I mentioned, I would opt for NVMe drives. If you have the option for more up to date tech & that board obviously shows this then prices between techs being practically comparable ( at least in my country) , why would you not consider NVMe anyway now?

US, where Microcenter is located.

This mobo is probably going in an SFF case to be a family member's internet machine when I upgrade. In the meantime it will be an OS only drive allowing me use the 850 Pro for games I play a lot of and store everything else on spinning drive. 500GB OS drive and another 8GB of memory will be quite sufficient for a mom computer and the realistic expectations of performance on this platform I have.

Reason I opened this topic is I wasn't sure if stretching to Samsung was going to be worth it over something 1/3 the price.

i have a 500gb nvme drive and i wished i plonked more money into a 1tb size... and this was back in 2018 when it was still hella expensive...
now that nvme capacity is cheap just get the 1tb drive... even if you are not buying it for the performance the size of the drive is a welcome... my 2 cents

Given the inability for receiving party to mitigate tech issues I was leaning towards reliability and warranty. They won't use 100GB or need the speed.

For myself it will certainly be a couple TB OS drive and as fast of storage as is realistically priced for multiple TB.

 

[Hyderz]

Given the inability for receiving party to mitigate tech issues I was leaning towards reliability and warranty. They won't use 100GB or need the speed.

For myself it will certainly be a couple TB OS drive and as fast of storage as is realistically priced for multiple TB.

In that case, im using a crucial p1 ssd, its fast and super cheap now and doesn't require an external heatsink on it if you have a well ventilated case...
Its in my desktop im using for school, but from my knowledge if you want warranty as well it would WD nvme which offers 5 years...

 

[Todestrieb]

My then high-end-ish ADATA SX8200 w/o heatsink will never go above 55C no matter the workload and ambient. It's in a well ventilated case, but sitting above a 3070 and below a big fat double tower cooler.

I would have a hard time to imagine a Gen3 NVMe SSD in a mommy's Internet machine getting any hot. Heatsink should be a non-factor here.

 

[joemama]

What do you need that SSD for? For most usages, you don't really benefit from the NVME's speed much compared to SATA SSDs but it requires less cables.
500GB SSDs are pretty small, I would either consider saving up more money to buy a 1T SSD or forget about the idea.

 

[Hyderz]

What do you need that SSD for? For most usages, you don't really benefit from the NVME's speed much compared to SATA SSDs but it requires less cables.
500GB SSDs are pretty small, I would either consider saving up more money to buy a 1T SSD or forget about the idea.

op wants one for his folks i believe and hes looking into one that is reliable in the long run and has long periods of warranty

 

[nomdeplume]

op wants one for his folks i believe and hes looking into one that is reliable in the long run and has long periods of warranty

I want to purchase an M.2 drive offering good performance at a low price for myself. Something aptly matching capabilities of system it will operate: 3x4, efficient BIOS, low cost and highly flexible, capable of handling the needs of a power user with realistic expectations. The goal is to see what potential can be realized for small money before...

At some point this build will be relocated into an SFF case until it's presence in my free Around the Clock Friends and Family Tech Support Deluxe Package has grown into a large enough annoyance I replace it. The results above will determine if NVMe is capable of enhancing their enjoyment in ways they will be interacting with the computer. QOL for them and peace of mind I'm not creating a timebomb with any shorter fuse than SATA SSD.

Should both use cases prove unsatisfying. It will replace all but the one USB drive that is used to install OS. Wash and repeat with next product cycle that gets my attention.


The obvious here should be avoiding QLC and slapdash implementations of controller (or controller and memory) being covered up with a firmware that degrades performance/data security to levels below SATA to eke it over the warranty line. I take it as a near fact the options will be selfsame to the point it will be the company itself that sets one choice over the others. Still one does need to do their homework on the physical product.

 

[nomdeplume]

Having a tough time deciding between 1TB drives: Samsung 970 Evo, Samsung 980 Evo Pro, WD Black.

I guess that forms a request which one has firmware in a better state at the moment?

 

[SPDIF]

Afaik, there are no problems reported with 970 EVO. The 980 PRO has updated firmware now (5B2QGXA7), there are no reported problems anymore.

WD SN850X also had problems with the firmware lately and strange errors like this; Event ID 11 System Event Log stornvme controller error. Update the SSD firmware from 620311WD to 620331WD and the problem seems to have disappeared.
This SSD from WD is the fastest off al three and PCIE 4.0. Even crucial had many firmware problems lately, i don't know what happened with the manufacturers...

 

[thebluebumblebee]

Team Group MP33 512 GB M.2 NVMe SSD Review - Zero Thermal Throttling

Team Group's MP33 SSD is based on 96-layer TLC NAND from Toshiba paired with a new Phison controller that achieves impressive sustained writes and has the best thermals we've ever seen. Even when fully loaded, without airflow, there is no thermal throttling.

www.techpowerup.com

 

[Bomby569]

Afaik, there are no problems reported with 970 EVO. The 980 PRO has updated firmware now (5B2QGXA7), there are no reported problems anymore.

WD SN850X also had problems with the firmware lately and strange errors like this; Event ID 11 System Event Log stornvme controller error. Update the SSD firmware from 620311WD to 620331WD and the problem seems to have disappeared.
This SSD from WD is the fastest off al three and PCIE 4.0. Even crucial had many firmware problems lately, i don't know what happened with the manufacturers...

i have the 970 EVO and the SN850x 1TB, never had any issue with either.

 

[SPDIF]

If you make sure that the NVMe SSD you use has the latest firmware installed, you should be good with any of them.

Many people forget that an SSD has firmware that sometimes needs to be updated. This is in contrast to hard drives.
And they are not always errors, an update sometimes makes the SSD faster and more economical and more compatible with the various systems.
Or there are more options available such as encryption. Or it makes the SSD stay cooler in use, and can even prolong life.
Some drives where not compatible with Windows 11, a firmware update fixed this.

So ALWAYS update the firmware of your SSD if there is any available!
And as always... Take a backup of your data before updating an SSD. If power fails while update, your expensive or cheap SSD may be bricked, and unusable... And all your data destroyed.
If you're not sure how to do this, get someone knowledgeable or have it updated at a computer store.

 

[nomdeplume]

Team Group MP33 512 GB M.2 NVMe SSD Review - Zero Thermal Throttling

Team Group's MP33 SSD is based on 96-layer TLC NAND from Toshiba paired with a new Phison controller that achieves impressive sustained writes and has the best thermals we've ever seen. Even when fully loaded, without airflow, there is no thermal throttling.

www.techpowerup.com

View attachment 302056

I actually went to purchase something from TG after a recent review on TPU. Plenty of satisfied customers here, but I'm no longer looking in that direction.

This SSD from WD is the fastest off al three and PCIE 4.0. Even crucial had many firmware problems lately, i don't know what happened with the manufacturers...

For the time being install will be into 3x4 slot. Right now 980 Pro is the cheapest at a local retailer and is probably what I'll go with. If it doesn't like mobo/BIOS returns are fairly easy.

 

[Count von Schwalbe]

Right now 980 Pro is the cheapest at a local retailer and is probably what I'll go with.

th SN770 is similar or slightly better in performance from a quick glance at W1zzard's review, and can often be found cheaper. FWIW.

 

[nomdeplume]

th SN770 is similar or slightly better in performance from a quick glance at W1zzard's review, and can often be found cheaper. FWIW.

If I procrastinated any longer they would both be discontinued and the process would begin afresh.

 

[thesmokingman]

A small NVMe can definitely be a good idea if it'll be a pure OS drive.

This is what I subscribe to as well. I use a tiny 500gb (in hindsight it could be half that even) gen4 drive for OS and a fat 2tb gen 3 for games, and the rest are spinners.

 

[P4-630]

Having a tough time deciding between 1TB drives: Samsung 970 Evo, Samsung 980 Evo Pro, WD Black.

I guess that forms a request which one has firmware in a better state at the moment?

As OS drive and for durability you could get a Seagate FireCuda 530 1TB.
TBW 1,275PB.

 

[nomdeplume]

Bit of a moment hunting for the impossibly tiny screw that must've escaped the box when I opened it. Then again hunting through the mobo box that collected all of the other assorted literature and spare parts to find bag with them in it. The aiming fluid didn't make an appearance for that segment of the proceedings but is sure to for OS install and getting all game files present and verified working on 850 Pro. Should be at least a small uptick in performance from the 850 Evo and 7200rpm HDD I was flipping over to for gaming.

About what could be expected from 980 Pro in a 3x4 slot. Which luckily is located directly under gpu fans instead of behind it. Ambient is 35 °C on bare drive.

 

[wNotyarD]

How much would a WD SN570 cost you? NVMe PCIE 3.0x4, dead cold, and although it's DRAM-less it punches well above its weight.

 

[Count von Schwalbe]

How much would a WD SN570 cost you? NVMe PCIE 3.0x4, dead cold, and although it's DRAM-less it punches well above its weight.

Pen name done bought a 980 PRO already..