Analysis paralysis: Help me pick out my first enterprise-grade drives for my homelab hypervisor

[lmm7425]

I currently run Proxmox on a DeskMini H470 with an i5-10400 and 64GB DDR4 (non-ECC).

I have about a dozen VMs/CTs running, with one of the VMs running about 25 Docker containers. The Proxmox box hovers around 5% CPU usage and 60% RAM usage.

Proxmox is installed on a Samsung 970 Pro 512GB NVMe SSD, and my VMs/CTs live there too. I'd like to add 2x1TB enterprise-grade SATA SSDs, setup a ZFS mirror, and then move my VMs/CTs to that storage. Proxmox would remain on the NVMe drive. Backups are handled by Proxmox backing up to a separate NAS.

Here is my output from iostat against the NVMe drive. I'm assuming I want the 1st (r/s) and 7th (w/s) columns to see IOPS?

Device            r/s     rkB/s   rrqm/s  %rrqm r_await rareq-sz     w/s     wkB/s   wrqm/s  %wrqm w_await wareq-sz     d/s     dkB/s   drqm/s  %drqm d_await dareq-sz     f/s f_await  aqu-sz  %util
nvme0n1         12.00     48.00     0.00   0.00    0.25     4.00  279.00   1784.00     5.00   1.76    0.38     6.39    0.00      0.00     0.00   0.00    0.00     0.00   42.00    1.21    0.16  10.00

I have analysis paralysis and can't decide which SSDs I should purchase. I'm currently looking at these drives. Because my IOPS are so low, I could reasonable purchase any of the drives below, right?

D3-S4510 960GB (Q3 2018 - 64-layer TLC, 4k_read=95k, 4k_write=36k, 3.5 PBW)
$265 @ Newegg
$261 @ B&H

D3-S4610 960GB (Q3 2018 - 64-layer TLC, 4k_read=96k, 4k_write=51k, 5.8 PBW) <------ Second choice
$351 @ Insight

D3-S4520 960GB (Q1 2021 - 144-layer TLC, 4k_read=90k, 4k_write=43k, 5.3 PBW) <------ First choice
$285 @ Insight

Samsung PM893 (Q1 2021 - ???-layer TLC, 4k_read=97k, 4k_write=26k, 1.7 PBW)
$171 @ SuperMicro
$218 @ CDW
$395 @ Insight

 

[amalurk]

Or used on ebay because with those 5pb endurance ratings and homelab use you should be fine and will save some money.

 

[T_Minus]

I'd go 4610 and get it off ebay for much cheaper.

 

[Bjorn Smith]

I'd go 4610 and get it off ebay for much cheaper.

I second this - I have a couple of these - and they are excellent - as most of intel drives are.

 

[lmm7425]

@T_Minus @Bjorn Smith - I don't know much about enterprise drives. Why the 4610 in particular over the others? Is it simply because big number = better? Does 144-layer NAND perform better in any way than 64-layer NAND, or am I splitting hairs?

@amalurk - Yes, I didn't even get into eBay in my original post. What should I look for in eBay sellers? I'm currently looking at US sellers that accept returns and have a good rating. Any particular recommendations?