Why Not Have NVMe SATA Drives for Both System And Data?

BulldogX

Greetings! I hope this question won't betray too much of my lack of knowledge. 😏

With good quality 2 TB NVMe M.2 SSDs now available for $80, is there any reason NOT to use an NVMe M.2 SSD for both my system drive and my data drive? I ask because, both in pre-built PowerSpecs and in PC Builder, the second drive offered is typically a 2.5-inch SATA SSD.

Given the choice between a svelte 2280 form factor that sits directly on the PCIe bus and a klunky (by comparison) 2.5-inch drive that connects through cables and a SATA controller, why would someone choose the latter if they can have the former?

Thanks for your advice.

PowerSpec_MichaelB

https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/13536/why-not-have-nvme-sata-drives-for-both-system-and-data

Nope, the biggest reason was price per GB. With SSDs getting cheaper, I'd strongly recommend using multiple SSDs if possible. That's what I do on my home system. Even for my dad's Plex server, I have a large SSD to create a block level cache on a RAID6 drive setup. A single 2TB SSD caching 16TB worth of spinners.

That said, SSDs do have the problem of finite write cycles, so if you are writing a ton of data at a time, traditional disks might still be beneficial assuming you buy one purpose built for your task. For most people though, they'll never exceed the write cycles of an SSD under normal everyday workloads.

BulldogX

Thanks for your reply.

"That said, SSDs do have the problem of finite write cycles, so if you are writing a ton of data at a time, traditional disks might still be beneficial assuming you buy one purpose built for your task."

For someone who commonly writes 'a ton of data at a time' I agree that an HDD might be a better choice. Absent that use case, it seems to me that any SSD is inherently more reliable, since there are no mechanical parts to fail.

PowerSpec_MichaelB

https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/comment/51262#Comment_51262

Exactly. The finite writes in my opinion are a much easier compromise than traditional HDD's inherent weakness to vibration and shock. The last data server we made here was purely SSD based (NVME + U.2), definitely lightning fast and far more affordable now.

magarity

Well my motherboard only has two m.2 and four sata. So after I get two m.2 and needed more storage, what else besides get sata types. Seems pretty straightforward.

PowerSpec_MichaelB

https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/comment/51302#Comment_51302

If you have spare PCIe lanes available, it's also worth considering a PCIe add-in card for more NVMe storage. My next project is to create a single system in the house to store all of my steam games so I can transfer them over the network instead of downloading from Steam directly. Hard part is justifying buying a 10gbit router to facilitate the transfer without bottlenecking the NVMe drives too much, lol.

magarity

All my Steam games go on the SATA type, which is plenty fast enough for gaming.