Intel DC P4610 6.4TB U.2 3 DWPD $349

[Bert]

Good thing is that no sane chia farmer would every use flash drives anymore for plotting, that has stopped for several months now.

These still sound like great deal to me, even if they are used heavily. 6.4TB of storage in such a small space and we are looking at 35PB total write capacity. Even 1PB life is more than enough for my home use cases.

One thing is for sure, thanks to cloud, I can get more and more processing power and storage than I ever need for prices I cannot even dream of.

I don't need these flash drives right now, is it fair to expect prices will stay or go lower or will they go up again after the big batch is sold out. These drives are selling very quickly.

 

[Samir]

Honestly though, after this chia mining craze, I am very suspicious of used storage. I was not aware SMART info could be wiped or altered, so all these SSD's that are flooding the market as new/unused are just a huge red flag in general.
I don't really care if they come from china or usa, they're ALL suspects !!

Because chia was all about huge storage and not necessarily speed, I think SSDs were pretty exempt from the craze. I know 8TB+ hard drives were hit pretty hard, but people found out pretty quick about the crypto scam and baled. I don't know how many people from the original adopters ever really stayed in.

The real source of all of these must be the usual update cycles in data centers. Now that 15/16TB drives are nearing 1/3th of what they were (or 1/2? don't know since my sampling size has been just a few since they are still far out of my price range), I could see data centers swapping out as their existing 6.4's have worn a good chunk and would need to be updated anyways, plus additional capacity, etc. I could totally be wrong though, but that's my gut thinking.

So while I'm less suspect on ssds for chia, I am more suspect on them for being fake because they are a high margin item. It's done regularly for sd cards and consumer ssds (just check the slickdeals forum for when there was a deal on one of these for all the posts about the fakes that people received due to amazon's comingled inventory), so I can see it also becoming a problem on the enterprise side when 'new'. Hence my default is to always buy genuine used stuff vs new from any 'marketplace' site. My original post here was on NICs and after seeing how many fake Intel NICs were out there, I just got the HP version since it was not known as even the Dell version had fakers. I could have always just bought new, but it would have cost me something like 50x more for the cards. This is the gamble, but it can also be a trap for the uninitiated.

 

[Bert]

Because chia was all about huge storage and not necessarily speed, I think SSDs were pretty exempt from the craze. I know 8TB+ hard drives were hit pretty hard, but people found out pretty quick about the crypto scam and baled. I don't know how many people from the original adopters ever really stayed in.

The real source of all of these must be the usual update cycles in data centers. Now that 15/16TB drives are nearing 1/3th of what they were (or 1/2? don't know since my sampling size has been just a few since they are still far out of my price range), I could see data centers swapping out as their existing 6.4's have worn a good chunk and would need to be updated anyways, plus additional capacity, etc. I could totally be wrong though, but that's my gut thinking.

So while I'm less suspect on ssds for chia, I am more suspect on them for being fake because they are a high margin item. It's done regularly for sd cards and consumer ssds (just check the slickdeals forum for when there was a deal on one of these for all the posts about the fakes that people received due to amazon's comingled inventory), so I can see it also becoming a problem on the enterprise side when 'new'. Hence my default is to always buy genuine used stuff vs new from any 'marketplace' site. My original post here was on NICs and after seeing how many fake Intel NICs were out there, I just got the HP version since it was not known as even the Dell version had fakers. I could have always just bought new, but it would have cost me something like 50x more for the cards. This is the gamble, but it can also be a trap for the uninitiated.

Off-topic: I am still in Chia, I am still chugging along my 1PB although it makes no money anymore. It is not a scam if you volunteer to do it for fun

 

[Samir]

Off-topic: I am still in Chia, I am still chugging along my 1PB although it makes no money anymore. It is not a scam if you volunteer to do it for fun

Oh wow, one of the longtails. What's the point then if it doesn't make money? Isn't there wear and tear on equipment?

 

[Cruzader]

Good thing is that no sane chia farmer would every use flash drives anymore for plotting, that has stopped for several months now.

The farms here were fully moved to ram before end of 2021, and my impression was that we were a bit behind the curve on that move.
Was not even 3months from chia main release to ram plotting being the optimal.


There is a few Chia farms in local DCs here that ive worked on that are still running, smallest one is just over 160pb.
id guess either just incase something changes that drive price up (tho unlikely imo) or running it intil getting full writeoff and then pulling the plug.
The profit they are turning is symbolic vs hardware cost.

Saw same on gpus, most kept them running at a loss for over a year to not let the hardware sit cold (pulling it and re-racking probably cost more also).

 

[gb00s]

Back to actual facts related and away from the doom & gloom + Chia non-sense. If somebody checks the actual serial number of the pictured drive with the Solidigm verification page at Serial Number · Customer Self-Service , this is still under warranty until 2028 and pretty much fits with the packaging date.


You can even write Solidigm and ask for written confirmation that the drive is legit and the warranty applies as pictured on the webpage. If this is confirmed in writing, you are pretty much covered. If you can not validate the drive with the serial then just send it back to Newegg I suppose. Same procedure shall apply to the eBay platform. If a seller refuses to accept returns, then this shall be no base for any further discussion or so.

 

[Bert]

Oh wow, one of the longtails. What's the point then if it doesn't make money? Isn't there wear and tear on equipment?

The point is having 5 Netapp Ds4246 in my garage and having an excuse for myself and most importantly to my wife

 

[nabsltd]

If somebody checks the actual serial number of the pictured drive with the Solidigm verification page at Serial Number · Customer Self-Service , this is still under warranty until 2028 and pretty much fits with the packaging date.

The drive I received was packaged on June 9, 2023, and is under warranty (according to the web page) until July 5, 2028.

 

[UhClem]

The drive I received was packaged on June 9, 2023, and is under warranty (according to the web page) until July 5, 2028.

Based on the image on ServerPartsDeals' product page, I assume the drive label indicates FW version VDV10152. If so, that version dates from ~Jan'19, and there have been (at least) three fw updates since (the first of which dates from ~Jun'20). I.e., packed long after manufactured; but good that warranty tracks the pack date (+ cushion).

 

[VMman]

Found the same PN listed as new for $299 on eBay. I offered $270 for Qty 2, countered with $290, accepted at $285/ea.

SSDPE2KE064T8 Intel DC P4610 Series 6.4TB NVMe PCIe 2.5" SSD Solid State Drive | eBay

Solid State Drives (SSD). Solid State Drives. Power Supplies. Hard Drives. System Boards. Compatible Port. Clock Speed. Form Factor.

www.ebay.com

Hi, care to share more info on these drives if they have arrived?

 

[ArthurA]

Hi, care to share more info on these drives if they have arrived?

Delivery attempted yesterday, the seller sent them adult signature required.

I picked them up today; HPE branded, matching SN clamshells, pristine labels, absolutely no sign of dust, minor scuffing more like smudging on the bottom, and warranty checks come back valid till 2027.01.27.

I probably won't get them powered on till this weekend.

 

[Samir]

Back to actual facts related and away from the doom & gloom + Chia non-sense. If somebody checks the actual serial number of the pictured drive with the Solidigm verification page at Serial Number · Customer Self-Service , this is still under warranty until 2028 and pretty much fits with the packaging date.
View attachment 32505

You can even write Solidigm and ask for written confirmation that the drive is legit and the warranty applies as pictured on the webpage. If this is confirmed in writing, you are pretty much covered. If you can not validate the drive with the serial then just send it back to Newegg I suppose. Same procedure shall apply to the eBay platform. If a seller refuses to accept returns, then this shall be no base for any further discussion or so.

When I purchased a set of fake Intel nics and called up Intel, the serial numbers on the packages were valid even though the product didn't even exist by Intel. I asked what would have happened if I would have sent a card back for warranty, and the rep said you wouldn't have gotten the card back since it's a fake that's fraudulently using our packaging (told him it was bnib), our marks, and even our numbers.

The newest, bestest fakes made by the fakers usually have valid numbers, etc. It's only when the device goes back for warranty service does the fake get identified--and by this time, the seller is long gone...

Just some food for thought on validation.

 

[Samir]

The point is having 5 Netapp Ds4246 in my garage and having an excuse for myself and most importantly to my wife

Yes, if I'd have 5x of those, I would find something for them to do!

 

[gb00s]

When I purchased a set of fake Intel nics and called up Intel, the serial numbers on the packages were valid even though the product didn't even exist by Intel. I asked what would have happened if I would have sent a card back for warranty, and the rep said you wouldn't have gotten the card back since it's a fake that's fraudulently using our packaging (told him it was bnib), our marks, and even our numbers.

I can tell from your comment that you still miss some of the subtle distinctions between various cases. However, I do appreciate your intention to help others avoid the challenges you've encountered, even if they don't precisely align with the topic being discussed in this thread. Your willingness to share your experiences is commendable, and it's something we should all take into consideration as we move on.

 

[Samir]

I can tell from your comment that you still miss some of the subtle distinctions between various cases. However, I do appreciate your intention to help others avoid the challenges you've encountered, even if they don't precisely align with the topic being discussed in this thread. Your willingness to share your experiences is commendable, and it's something we should all take into consideration as we move on.

Thank you for being condescending--that's always great online because there are stronger repercussions if you were in my face in real life.

You obvious miss the point (and probably all the others which you blame on me) which is just having a valid serial number doesn't automatically mean something will not have issues. I've got 'experience to back that up' as well as have read numerous other cases of the same issue online. Not that it happens regularly or even rarely, but it does happen. Take that however you wish.

 

[zachj]

Can anyone tell me if the 4610 supports tcg opal encryption? Intel product page says it doesn’t but solidigm product mage says it does and a whole bunch of resellers have skus that say it supports opal—which is it?

Near as I can tell some skus do and some skus don’t but I don’t know if it’s a “depends on if it was made by intel or solidigm” situation or if it’s a “you have to buy the right model #” situation or if it’s a “flash to the latest firmware situation” or something else entirely.

does the 4610 support name namespaces and tcg opal encryption simultaneously or does it only support one or the other?

 

[UhClem]

Can anyone tell me if the 4610 supports tcg opal encryption? Intel product page says it doesn’t but solidigm product mage says it does and a whole bunch of resellers have skus that say it supports opal—which is it?

Near as I can tell some skus do and some skus don’t but I don’t know if it’s a “depends on if it was made by intel or solidigm” situation or if it’s a “you have to buy the right model #” situation or if it’s a “flash to the latest firmware situation” or something else entirely.

Door #2.
As for "Intel product page says it doesn’t", I believe that is just your (understandably) incorrect interpretation. Ever since Intel sold off its NAND-based storage unit to Solidigm, most of Intel's online literature relating to, and even merely referencing, those products has been purged, or cleansed.

As for resellers, everyone should know that it is very risky relying, even a little bit, on what they say/write. There might be rare exceptions. Real OEMs, however, can be a source of reliable info. E.g., you can peruse this [Link], closely, for further enlightenment.

does the 4610 support name namespaces and tcg opal encryption simultaneously or does it only support one or the other?

The P4610 supports multiple (128) namespaces from firmware version VDV10152 onward. The OPAL and non-OPAL models do use the same firmware, and I've seen nothing to suggest that OPAL models don't support multiple namespaces. I do KNOW that my own two non-OPAL models, once updated to 152, DO provide that support.

Take careful note that the prior paragraph only applies to P4610s actually using Intel-supplied firmware (VDV101xx). OEM'd P4610s can lead to disappointment in the namespace department.

 

[nabsltd]

When I purchased a set of fake Intel nics and called up Intel, the serial numbers on the packages were valid even though the product didn't even exist by Intel.

Somewhere, either you or Intel dropped a bit or two in that conversation.

If a serial number is truly valid then the vendor would say something like "yeah, that's a model T version 27, built in October 1935 with warranty until December 1937". Otherwise, they'd say something like "yeah, that number fits our numbering convention, but it doesn't match any SKU we have ever sold".

In this case, multiple people have used the online warranty checker at Solidigm, and the result show they built a device with that serial number. It's unfortunate that the online check doesn't return the exact model number, build date, etc., but I'm willing to bet a phone call would verify that. It would be hard to believe that any fake could have a valid serial number that Solidigm acknowledges was built by them on the same date that is on the drive label, and functions as expected for at least some amount of time.

At that point, I'm pretty sure that consumer protection laws would say that the customer has done all the due diligence they need to believe it's not a fake, and if the device needs warranty replacement, Solidigm would have to do it, even if it was a fake. I'm going to update the firmware on mine (using Soldigm's tool) as soon as I install it, and if that works, I think I have a really good case for "hey, it's your fault you let someone build a fake so good even your own tools can't tell".

 

[Samir]

Somewhere, either you or Intel dropped a bit or two in that conversation.

If a serial number is truly valid then the vendor would say something like "yeah, that's a model T version 27, built in October 1935 with warranty until December 1937". Otherwise, they'd say something like "yeah, that number fits our numbering convention, but it doesn't match any SKU we have ever sold".

In this case, multiple people have used the online warranty checker at Solidigm, and the result show they built a device with that serial number. It's unfortunate that the online check doesn't return the exact model number, build date, etc., but I'm willing to bet a phone call would verify that. It would be hard to believe that any fake could have a valid serial number that Solidigm acknowledges was built by them on the same date that is on the drive label, and functions as expected for at least some amount of time.

At that point, I'm pretty sure that consumer protection laws would say that the customer has done all the due diligence they need to believe it's not a fake, and if the device needs warranty replacement, Solidigm would have to do it, even if it was a fake. I'm going to update the firmware on mine (using Soldigm's tool) as soon as I install it, and if that works, I think I have a really good case for "hey, it's your fault you let someone build a fake so good even your own tools can't tell".

Funny as I didn't detect you eavesdropping on the conversation, so I have no idea how you can come to such an conclusion.

They said, 'yes it is a valid serial number', but what I was physically holding in my hands was not that product nor one ever made by Intel in that spec. Furthermore, the factory plant and other numbers were all valid, but pulled from other parts that when applied to this particular serial number, made the entire thing in my hands invalid on multiple levels.

I'm sure you find it hard to believe--but that does not take it out of the realm of possibility (a faker can simply copy the two labels from a valid product), which is where the fakers go to make their newest products. Many manufacturers (mainly in the consumer space at this time--JVC is the one off the top of my head) now have specific warnings on their web site about fake products not being valid for warranty service, which I'm sure is a result of consumers having valid numbers that allow a warranty claim to be started, except once the product is received, the user has to be informed that their product was not genuine and that there is no warranty. It will only be a matter of time when this happens in the 'new' enterprise storage scene if it doesn't already. Hence why I would be cautious unless it's coming new from an authorized distributor--but that's me. Perhaps a 'good copy fake' is fine for most use cases (as was the case with the Intel NICs here on STH), but purchasing such goods contributes greatly to the problem of IP theft and damage to the companies developing these products. Personally, I only go for genuine goods, but you're welcome to do as you please.

I don't think there are any consumer protection laws that will help an individual with an individual issue. But I'd be very happy to know that I'm wrong if you want to go through the effort if you ever face such an issue. And please share your experience here as many of us would like to have the same know how.

The 'fakes so good your own tools can't tell' is exactly what happened in the Intel NICs thread here on STH--the fakes would work on everything but would just have problems with iscsi and some other edge cases vs the genuine ones. I don't think anyone was able to warranty them with Intel claiming, "hey, it's your fault you let someone build a fake so good even your own tools can't tell".

 

[ArthurA]

I would really appreciate it if you folks would take your bickering somewhere else.