Review Micron 4600 2TB SSD Review: The New Baseline in SSDs

[Admin]

The new Micron 4600 is an all-around excellent SSD with great performance, good power efficiency, and no real weak spots.

Micron 4600 2TB SSD Review: The New Baseline in SSDs : Read more

 

[bit_user]

We also have results showing that, if you want to run it in a PCIe 4.0 slot (or in PCIe 4.0 mode at least), it can do even better. The 4600, via SMART, only pulls about 13% less power at full load than the T705, but in some power states it’s rated as much as 50% lower. This equates to real power efficiency improvements under load.

Where are these results? I'm asking because the PCIe 5.0 results, shown in the table, have it using quite a lot of power.

Do we expect a Crucial-branded retail version of essentially the same drive to be released, as well?

 

[Albert.Thomas]

>No 8TB option

Aren't most 8tb units obscenely overpriced? It's usually better to get 2x 4tb units.

 

[AngelusF]

The 4TB endurance doesn't scale up proportionally from the 1TB and 2TB, is it using higher-capacity Flash chips with a smaller cell size in order to fit everything on a single side?

 

[JarredWaltonGPU]

Where are these results? I'm asking because the PCIe 5.0 results, shown in the table, have it using quite a lot of power.

Do we expect a Crucial-branded retail version of essentially the same drive to be released, as well?

I'm not sure how they got missed, but I've updated the Quarch power charts with the PCIe 4.0 results. Do keep in mind that this is on a desktop without all the extra ASPM stuff enabled, so most SSDs can go into a "near zero" power mode when not actively in use. Under load, though, running a PCIe 5.0 drive in 4.0 mode cuts power draw a lot.

 

[JarredWaltonGPU]

>No 8TB option

Aren't most 8tb units obscenely overpriced? It's usually better to get 2x 4tb units.

It's the classic chicken and egg scenario, plus if you want more than 8TB, like multiple 8TB drives, you eventually run out of M.2 slots (and PCIe x16 slots for expansion cards). We want to see 8TB become more mainstream, and the only way that happens is if more companies start taking the plunge. 2TB is now ubiquitous where it was considered very high-end several years back. 4TB is becoming increasingly common, and now we want to see the shift toward 8TB (or even 6TB) start ramping up.

 

[JarredWaltonGPU]

The 4TB endurance doesn't scale up proportionally from the 1TB and 2TB, is it using higher-capacity Flash chips with a smaller cell size in order to fit everything on a single side?

I think it may have 16 dies per package (2TB NAND) where the 2TB can do 8 dies per package (1TB NAND). Should that reduce endurance? Maybe not, but they're specifying lower endurance probably just because they can. 🤷‍♂️

 

[bit_user]

4TB is becoming increasingly common, and now we want to see the shift toward 8TB (or even 6TB) start ramping up.

Power consumption is an issue holding back drives from using the backside. This is really limiting, since the NAND on a one-sided drive needs to share that side of the PCB with the controller.

However, once you start talking about low-power/high-density drives, then we end up in the QLC territory, which is regarded as low-end. This makes it sort of a no-win situation.

Again, I have to wonder if M.2 didn't put the connector on the wrong edge. A connector on the long edge wouldn't have to span the entire PCB, like it does with DIMMs, but putting it there would've made it easier for M.2 drives to sit perpendicular to the motheboard and thereby alleviate the backside penalty.

 

[JarredWaltonGPU]

Power consumption is an issue holding back drives from using the backside. This is really limiting, since the NAND on a one-sided drive needs to share that side of the PCB with the controller.

However, once you start talking about low-power/high-density drives, then we end up in the QLC territory, which is regarded as low-end. This makes it sort of a no-win situation.

Again, I have to wonder if M.2 didn't put the connector on the wrong edge. A connector on the long edge wouldn't have to span the entire PCB, like it does with DIMMs, but putting it there would've made it easier for M.2 drives to sit perpendicular to the motheboard and thereby alleviate the backside penalty.

We're seeing drives that peak at 8W or so for 4TB, so 12W for 8TB should be very doable. Because a big chunk of the power goes to the controller, and you could limit clocks and such to stay within the 12W envelope. The reality for me is that 4TB is good for what I do right now, but I'm quickly approaching the place where having 8TB would be welcome.

 

[purposelycryptic]

>No 8TB option

Aren't most 8tb units obscenely overpriced? It's usually better to get 2x 4tb units.

That is assuming your machine has two slots, and, even if it does, that you don't need 16TB.

More expensive or not, if you need the extra storage density, the option not being available can force you to go with an alternative drive, even if it is the lesser choice in all other aspects.

 

[Notton]

There are so many laptops without a second m.2 slot these days. And far too many that don't even come with a 2280 slot.
And then the ones that work with 2280 don't always work with a dual-sided SSD.

8TB single sided please.

 

[bit_user]

There are so many laptops without a second m.2 slot these days. And far too many that don't even come with a 2280 slot.
And then the ones that work with 2280 don't always work with a dual-sided SSD.

8TB single sided please.

Since M.2 was obviously designed with primarily laptops in mind, can we not agree that the design was a failure if dual-sided isn't an option for laptops?

It turns out that M.2 was neither an ideal form factor for desktops, nor laptops! And its use in server backplanes ended up being quite limited, as well!

 

[JarredWaltonGPU]

Since M.2 was obviously designed with primarily laptops in mind, can we not agree that the design was a failure if dual-sided isn't an option for laptops?

It turns out that M.2 was neither an ideal form factor for desktops, nor laptops! And its use in server backplanes ended up being quite limited, as well!

I don't think it's a failure per se, but it's definitely not perfect. It works for the vast majority of users, and it's only the edge cases -- like people who want single-sided TLC with 8TB in 2025 -- that aren't satisfied with where we are. It's also interesting how power has become something of a limiting factor for PCIe 5.0 designs, though cooling dual-sided with more than 12W would require changes to laptops and desktop motherboards.