Optane 1600X 118GB - Lots of CDM benching and some thoughts

[LabRat 891]

Unfortunately Intel NAND and Optane drives become read-only once they reach 100-105% of their rated TBW.

So trying to speed run the 1300TBW rating isn’t recommended. Even if the media itself can last far beyond that rating.

Any way to 'spoof' the recorded writes? (Like those 'generic Chinese' NVMEs do?)

 

[mesaprotector]

I found out today that I'm not even using the "optimal" configuration of the drive, because I have the sector size set to 512B which is default rather than the reported "best" setting of 4096B/4KiB.

Unfortunately changing that setting would be rather involved as doing so deletes all data on the drive. I probably won't go to the trouble until I have a new system.

I'll console myself with the thought that it "probably" doesn't make much of a difference in performance, in benchmarks let alone in real-world experience.

 

[QcRMoD]

I found out today that I'm not even using the "optimal" configuration of the drive, because I have the sector size set to 512B which is default rather than the reported "best" setting of 4096B/4KiB.

Unfortunately changing that setting would be rather involved as doing so deletes all data on the drive. I probably won't go to the trouble until I have a new system.

I'll console myself with the thought that it "probably" doesn't make much of a difference in performance, in benchmarks let alone in real-world experience.

Best setting for Optane specifically or ssd generally? I seem to remember regular nvme drives cannot do lower than 4KiB, whereas Optane can. I’d be curious to see real world difference indeed if any but cannot really make an educated guess about that. I’m thinking the default sector size is attributed by operational capabilities but might not be optimal in Windows.

I do remember back in the hdd/win 7 era that it was optimal to force a 4KiB sector when partitioning, the theory long lost to me since except that it was supposed to be optimal performance indeed.

 

[A Computer Guy]

i can already tell you whats going to happen: random performance (the metric you'd care for) will actually get worse. don't do raid0 w/ ssds. remember raid0 = 0brain

What about soft-raid like from Windows Disk Management? My understanding was at the very least there would be some OS/CPU overhead but the OS would access the drives at their native speed probably better than some cheap consumer firmware raid.

 

[bruhmoment01]

What about soft-raid like from Windows Disk Management? My understanding was at the very least there would be some OS/CPU overhead but the OS would access the drives at their native speed probably better than some cheap consumer firmware raid.

Your random access speed/latency will be orders of magnitude slower, even with VROC backed mdraid on Linux (semi-hardware).

Best setting for Optane specifically or ssd generally? I seem to remember regular nvme drives cannot do lower than 4KiB, whereas Optane can. I’d be curious to see real world difference indeed if any but cannot really make an educated guess about that. I’m thinking the default sector size is attributed by operational capabilities but might not be optimal in Windows.

I do remember back in the hdd/win 7 era that it was optimal to force a 4KiB sector when partitioning, the theory long lost to me since except that it was supposed to be optimal performance indeed.

Enterprise-adjacent storage has been 4k capable for about a decade. Capable Optane and NAND drives can be easily be converted with the “nvme” command on Linux. Notably, the Optane 905p that is reasonably common has no 4k support.

 

[A Computer Guy]

Your random access speed/latency will be orders of magnitude slower, even with VROC backed mdraid on Linux (semi-hardware).

What would be the best (free) windows tool for measuring the speed/latency?

 

[chrcoluk]

How much are you guys paying for these drives? I noticed an upturn in people saying they buying them.

No stock on amazon, some on ebay used, I checked where I got my DC P4600 from and its silly money.

I *almost* pulled the trigger on a 1.9TB 905P for <$400. Realized that I have 'enough' to 'play with' as-is, and if I'm lucky can score something better on the used market, later.

Here 240gig optane's cost more then that. Guessing its one of those things where its cheaper to import and pay tariffs on.

 

[mesaprotector]

Best setting for Optane specifically or ssd generally? I seem to remember regular nvme drives cannot do lower than 4KiB, whereas Optane can. I’d be curious to see real world difference indeed if any but cannot really make an educated guess about that. I’m thinking the default sector size is attributed by operational capabilities but might not be optimal in Windows.

I do remember back in the hdd/win 7 era that it was optimal to force a 4KiB sector when partitioning, the theory long lost to me since except that it was supposed to be optimal performance indeed.

For both Optane and NAND drives, 4096B is supposed to be preferable, but 512B is the default. The P1600X, at least, supports both.

How much are you guys paying for these drives? I noticed an upturn in people saying they buying them.

No stock on amazon, some on ebay used, I checked where I got my DC P4600 from and its silly money.


Here 240gig optane's cost more then that. Guessing its one of those things where its cheaper to import and pay tariffs on.

I paid $65 for the 118GB back when it was available on Amazon. Only other place I saw them was Newegg.

The entreprise-level 905P/P4800X/P5800X and so on are much more expensive (and usually not available as M.2). The 3.2GB version is even available on Mouser if you have $6500 to spare.

 

[R-T-B]

Unfortunately Intel NAND and Optane drives become read-only once they reach 100-105% of their rated TBW.

So trying to speed run the 1300TBW rating isn’t recommended. Even if the media itself can last far beyond that rating.

I thought that was only on enterprise optane, and that even there, later models just speed throttled when you hit this threshold?

The entreprise-level 905P/P4800X/P5800X

Small correction. 905p is considered a consumer part.

The 3.2GB version is even available on Mouser if you have $6500 to spare

Actually no. It's nonstocked but they can get one for you (in 6 weeks).

Only other place I saw them was Newegg.

There was a sale going on there with a glut of 905ps with oddly recent manufacture dates on them yeah. I got one.

 

[unwind-protect]

The only cheap Optane right now is on Newegg:

Intel Optane 905P Series 1.5TB, 2.5" x 15mm, U.2, PCIe 3.0 x4, 3D XPoint Solid State Drive (SSD) SSDPE21D015TA01 - Newegg.com

Buy Intel Optane 905P Series 1.5TB, 2.5" x 15mm, U.2, PCIe 3.0 x4, 3D XPoint Solid State Drive (SSD) SSDPE21D015TA01 with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.com

$350, but a $50 gift card, so $300 is you need something else from NE.

 

[Shrek]

I paid $65 for the 118GB back when it was available on Amazon.

Me too, and I'm very happy with it.