Micron 9100 MAX vs. Intel DC P3608...thoughts?

Notice: Page may contain affiliate links for which we may earn a small commission through services like Amazon Affiliates or Skimlinks.

b-rex

Member
Aug 14, 2020
59
13
8
I'm a fan of Intel products and I'm looking to stick with Intel if I can but the performance I needs means I'm probably going to be looking at the P3608. I have been offered a really good deal on Micron 9100 MAX (edited)...but my experience with them is minimal. I pretty much use Samsung and Intel exclusively but both are pretty rich for my blood. Performance looks similar but I know the Intels will keep me happy for a long time...and I'm sure Micron will too but just looking for someone who may have experience with both.
 
Last edited:

amalurk

Active Member
Dec 16, 2016
311
116
43
102
They aren't competitors really. The Micron 5100 PRO is a SATA drive while the P3608 is not just an NVME drive it is an x8 pcie one so the speed difference between the two is huge. The P3608 can to 850K read iops, the Micron 5100 Pro tops at 93k. So it depends on your needs, workload, storage size, SATA ports vs PCIe lanes.
 
Last edited:

b-rex

Member
Aug 14, 2020
59
13
8
They aren't competitors really. The Micron 5100 PRO is a SATA drive while the P3608 is not just an NVME drive it is an x8 pcie one so the speed difference between the two is huge. The P3608 can to 850K read iops, the Micron 5100 Pro tops at 93k. So it depends on your needs, workload, storage size, SATA ports vs PCIe lanes.
My bad...I mean the 9100. I got the two mixed up. The 9100 and the 3608 are what I'm looking to compare. I've used Micron 5100 SATA in a few applications, not bad drives. The deal I was offered were for the 9100s. I also think they are MAX and not PROs (not sure if there is a 9100 PRO). I need to get the actual model number. Either way, I'm very familiar with the 3608 and have always been happy with their performance. The 9100 is new territory. From what I've seen they match up well and for what a 3608 would go for, the deal I'm being offered makes the 9100s look like a bargain. I'm just curious if anyone has any feedback on them. I'm starting a new lab, have 12 S3610s, some constellations, and want to top it off with some NVMe. I'm thinking I can't go wrong with the 9100s but I'm still dropping a grand....so if there's something about these drives I don't know, I want to be able to the make the most informed decision.
 
Last edited:

b-rex

Member
Aug 14, 2020
59
13
8
I ended up pulling the trigger on four P3608s this afternoon. They're rock solid and great performers, I know what to expect...I spent about 1.2K more...but it'll end up being worth it I think in the long run. I've got an ESX vsan setup right now with 4 FIOD2s, some 3610s, and constellations. Can't wait to see how things improve with the 4 3608s, 12 S3610s, and 24 constellations (all going into a new cluster). I'm hoping I'll be able to saturate my Infiniband links :cool:. As for the P3608s, I've intentionally spaced them in the past so that they're not all stacked on top of one another. They've always stayed at a reasonable temp. In the setup they'll be going into, I have two slots open, and unfortunately one is right on top of the other...meaning both disks per server will be within centimeters of one another. With my FIOD2s, they got really hot under load in a similar configuration...anyone see overheating issues with the 3608s? I'm dealing with an LSI 9211 and short 8087 cables...I really don't want to have to move it since I'll require slightly longer cables, but will if I need to spread them out. Thoughts?
 

ServerSemi

Active Member
Jan 12, 2017
130
34
28
You didn't say what capacity you bought for the intel or micron. I know you already got it but if the difference were $1,200 more for the same capacity i would of bought the micron drives and maybe buy an extra drive or two with the extra money
 

b-rex

Member
Aug 14, 2020
59
13
8
For both, I was looking at 1.6TB. Also, yes, I agree, I could've bought more Micron devices (he had two more). However, the big determining factor for me was the condition. The 3608s have years of warranty left and were essentially brand new, never used open box items. The Microns were heavily used with 1 year of warranty left (and I've had problems getting a Micron RMA'd in the past even basically being brand new). That beind said... I mean...does it really matter with the endurance of these drives? Not that much...but I still felt like I was getting a better value with unused 3608s. Besides...4 of either device is more than I will likely ever need. In my opinion, the 3608s are some of the best NVMe ever made, so getting them at the price and condition I did, I was fairly happy. While I'm glad to have the warranties, I've built a number of high end clusters using Intel P series devices (lots of 3xxx) and we have only had a single failure and that was because the client reduced their airflow to a minimum (...to reduce power costs :rolleyes:...wasn't the only problem they had). Despite that, Intel was glad to replace it, almost seemed too easy.

Either way, it was hard to spend that much over the Microns, but I think in the long run, I'll be happy I did.

Now...on to GPU :D although that decision should be fairly easy.