I am currently building up a test environment for virtual desktops. It is Hyper-V based, using local storage, and will have Hyper-V Replica running in the background - I feel it important to note this last bit because the build out relies more on the clustering of hosts for redundancy than actual hardware-level redundancy as us 'server guys' understand it. Why build a RAID-based logical drive when, with the power of Hyper-V Replica (allowing near seemless migrations of guests), it doesn't matter if I lose a single SSD - take the host down and move on. Or so that is my current thinking, and the reason why we are talking MLC SSD's (more or less) in the data center.
This brings me back to the storage discussion. I am considering the following three drives, with my perceived pros/cons:
Intel 520 Series 480GB - MLC
Pro: proven SandForce controller, great performance
Pro: Intel reliability
Con: Cost per GB is highest of the bunch
Con: Cost per GB grows even higher if I overprovision the devices, as may be 'smart' with an MLC device
PNY Prevail Elite 480GB - eMLC
Pro: SandForce controller again
Pro: eMLC chips should deliver significantly more writes than standard MLC
Pro: With the eMLC chips, I would be more comfortable with not overprovisioning the devices, leading to;
Pro: Good value!
Con: PN-who? (Reputation). Yes, they make RAM and stuff, I know. And I have a 512MB thumb drive of there's from a hundred years ago (that still works)
Samsung 840 Pro Series 512GB - MLC
Pro: Performance through the roof!
Pro: Good value, even if I do overprovision the devices
Con: Still MLC device, concerns about writes
A lot of my thinking and concerns go back to the amount of writes to the devices. But being that they are desktops, I don't have a very firm metric by which to establish any calculations for writes - 'users can be users' as I am heard to commonly utter.
All of them are playing in a similar price range. The Samsung is tempting as it is probably the cheapest, offers the greatest capacity, and is the best performer of the group. But if I OP the device, it brings the amount of storage into the range of the PNY. And lastly, I am still quite tempted on Intel my reputation alone - I've got approximately 100 Intel SSD's out in the field, all the way back to the G2 series, without a single failure to date (knock on wood)
Community thoughts?
Thanks in advance.
This brings me back to the storage discussion. I am considering the following three drives, with my perceived pros/cons:
Intel 520 Series 480GB - MLC
Pro: proven SandForce controller, great performance
Pro: Intel reliability
Con: Cost per GB is highest of the bunch
Con: Cost per GB grows even higher if I overprovision the devices, as may be 'smart' with an MLC device
PNY Prevail Elite 480GB - eMLC
Pro: SandForce controller again
Pro: eMLC chips should deliver significantly more writes than standard MLC
Pro: With the eMLC chips, I would be more comfortable with not overprovisioning the devices, leading to;
Pro: Good value!
Con: PN-who? (Reputation). Yes, they make RAM and stuff, I know. And I have a 512MB thumb drive of there's from a hundred years ago (that still works)
Samsung 840 Pro Series 512GB - MLC
Pro: Performance through the roof!
Pro: Good value, even if I do overprovision the devices
Con: Still MLC device, concerns about writes
A lot of my thinking and concerns go back to the amount of writes to the devices. But being that they are desktops, I don't have a very firm metric by which to establish any calculations for writes - 'users can be users' as I am heard to commonly utter.
All of them are playing in a similar price range. The Samsung is tempting as it is probably the cheapest, offers the greatest capacity, and is the best performer of the group. But if I OP the device, it brings the amount of storage into the range of the PNY. And lastly, I am still quite tempted on Intel my reputation alone - I've got approximately 100 Intel SSD's out in the field, all the way back to the G2 series, without a single failure to date (knock on wood)
Community thoughts?
Thanks in advance.