Question is sata lower power than nvme?

[bjlockie]

I might buy a mini pc for a server.
I have a choice between a sata m.2 or an nvme (pci x1) m.2.
Is the sata one a lower power drive?
I'm leaning towards the nvme one even though it is only pci x1.
I don't really care about the speed.

 

[gdansk]

Depends on the controller and NAND flash chips. And your I/O workload.
But go NVMe. If I/O operations complete more quickly then entire system can go to low power state sooner.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Here's a minor dilemma of my recent experience. I can acquire 3TB NAS HDDs with 5-year warranties and low power-on hours for $50 to $80. Running these drives 24/7 means an addition to my annual power expenses of $85.

TeamGroup now sells a 4TB NVME gen 3 for approximately $160 from the right reseller. You could buy three of them for $480, matching the capacity of my 4x 3TB HDDs, and using about a Watt. It could be an eighth to a tenth of the total wattage for the HDDs. And in about six years, they would pay for themselves. But I'm spending less than $200 on the HDDs, which should also last for several years.

Of course I am NOT going to buy the TeamGroup drives, but it's nice to know you can get 4TB NVME drives for that price -- if you needed one, or if you just wanted one badly enough.