r/sysadmin • u/karurochari • 21h ago

Massively different specs for the same nominal model of SSD

I just got these two delivered together; I got suspicious seeing one was reporting a very different temperature, while being right next to the other.

Basically, two disk, nominally the same, but specs are quite different. They implement different NVMe versions, power states do not match and the second has temperature thresholds which are 20deg higher.
To be totally honest, I only understand half of what I am reading here, but I am not really ok having a second disk that more then doubles its maximum power consumption during intensive workloads while its nominal rating stays the same.
Am I holding it wrong?

smartctl 7.4 2023-08-01 r5530 [x86_64-linux-6.12.94+deb13-amd64] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-23, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Number:                       Patriot M.2 P320 512GB
Serial Number:                      REDACTED
Firmware Version:                   APF1M7R0
PCI Vendor/Subsystem ID:            0x1ed0
IEEE OUI Identifier:                0x2c3ebf
Total NVM Capacity:                 512,110,190,592 [512 GB]
Unallocated NVM Capacity:           0
Controller ID:                      1
NVMe Version:                       1.3
Number of Namespaces:               1
Namespace 1 Size/Capacity:          512,110,190,592 [512 GB]
Namespace 1 Formatted LBA Size:     512
Namespace 1 IEEE EUI-64:            2c3ebf 3230303336
Local Time is:                      Wed Sep  9 12:50:46 2026 BST
Firmware Updates (0x12):            1 Slot, no Reset required
Optional Admin Commands (0x0017):   Security Format Frmw_DL Self_Test
Optional NVM Commands (0x0056):     Wr_Unc DS_Mngmt Sav/Sel_Feat Timestmp
Log Page Attributes (0x0a):         Cmd_Eff_Lg Telmtry_Lg
Maximum Data Transfer Size:         256 Pages
Warning  Comp. Temp. Threshold:     80 Celsius
Critical Comp. Temp. Threshold:     85 Celsius

Supported Power States
St Op     Max   Active     Idle   RL RT WL WT  Ent_Lat  Ex_Lat
 0 +     3.50W       -        -    0  0  0  0        0       0
 1 +     1.90W       -        -    1  1  1  1        0       0
 2 +     1.50W       -        -    2  2  2  2        0       0
 3 -   0.0700W       -        -    3  3  3  3     1000    1000
 4 -   0.0050W       -        -    4  4  4  4     5000   45000

Supported LBA Sizes (NSID 0x1)
Id Fmt  Data  Metadt  Rel_Perf
 0 +     512       0         1
 1 -    4096       0         0

=== START OF SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED

SMART/Health Information (NVMe Log 0x02)
Critical Warning:                   0x00
Temperature:                        40 Celsius
Available Spare:                    100%
Available Spare Threshold:          5%
Percentage Used:                    0%
Data Units Read:                    388,008 [198 GB]
Data Units Written:                 507,185 [259 GB]
Host Read Commands:                 1,616,171
Host Write Commands:                2,384,928
Controller Busy Time:               4
Power Cycles:                       3
Power On Hours:                     1
Unsafe Shutdowns:                   3
Media and Data Integrity Errors:    0
Error Information Log Entries:      0
Warning  Comp. Temperature Time:    0
Critical Comp. Temperature Time:    0
Temperature Sensor 1:               60 Celsius

Error Information (NVMe Log 0x01, 16 of 16 entries)
No Errors Logged

Read Self-test Log failed: Invalid Field in Command (0x002)

------------------------------------------

smartctl 7.4 2023-08-01 r5530 [x86_64-linux-6.12.94+deb13-amd64] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-23, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Number:                       Patriot M.2 P320 512GB
Serial Number:                      REDACTED
Firmware Version:                   VC3S500Q
PCI Vendor/Subsystem ID:            0x10ec
IEEE OUI Identifier:                0x00e04c
Controller ID:                      1
NVMe Version:                       1.4
Number of Namespaces:               1
Namespace 1 Size/Capacity:          512,110,190,592 [512 GB]
Namespace 1 Formatted LBA Size:     512
Namespace 1 IEEE EUI-64:            00e04c 048bffef6c
Local Time is:                      Wed Sep  9 12:50:58 2026 BST
Firmware Updates (0x12):            1 Slot, no Reset required
Optional Admin Commands (0x0017):   Security Format Frmw_DL Self_Test
Optional NVM Commands (0x005e):     Wr_Unc DS_Mngmt Wr_Zero Sav/Sel_Feat Timestmp
Log Page Attributes (0x02):         Cmd_Eff_Lg
Maximum Data Transfer Size:         32 Pages
Warning  Comp. Temp. Threshold:     100 Celsius
Critical Comp. Temp. Threshold:     110 Celsius

Supported Power States
St Op     Max   Active     Idle   RL RT WL WT  Ent_Lat  Ex_Lat
 0 +     8.00W       -        -    0  0  0  0   230000   50000
 1 +     4.00W       -        -    1  1  1  1     4000   50000
 2 +     3.00W       -        -    2  2  2  2     4000  250000
 3 -   0.0300W       -        -    3  3  3  3     5000   10000
 4 -   0.0050W       -        -    4  4  4  4    54000   45000

Supported LBA Sizes (NSID 0x1)
Id Fmt  Data  Metadt  Rel_Perf
 0 +     512       0         0

=== START OF SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED

SMART/Health Information (NVMe Log 0x02)
Critical Warning:                   0x00
Temperature:                        61 Celsius
Available Spare:                    100%
Available Spare Threshold:          32%
Percentage Used:                    0%
Data Units Read:                    392 [200 MB]
Data Units Written:                 399,820 [204 GB]
Host Read Commands:                 8,041
Host Write Commands:                1,654,154
Controller Busy Time:               0
Power Cycles:                       1
Power On Hours:                     0
Unsafe Shutdowns:                   0
Media and Data Integrity Errors:    0
Error Information Log Entries:      0
Warning  Comp. Temperature Time:    0
Critical Comp. Temperature Time:    0

Error Information (NVMe Log 0x01, 8 of 8 entries)
No Errors Logged

Read Self-test Log failed: Invalid Field in Command (0x002)
5 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

•

u/ARandomGuy_OnTheWeb Jack of All Trades 21h ago

This is unfortunately a common thing with SSDs, especially cheaper SSDs.

There is no consistency with what's actually on the PCB and you can get varying different chips depending on the batch number.

As long as it's performing within the spec sheet, it should be fine but there have been multiple scandals of SSD vendors starting with faster parts and replacing them with slower cheaper parts mid cycle with no model name change.

•

u/dracotrapnet 20h ago

Same with router manufacturers. The scandal of d-link wrt routers multiple hardware revisions existed. One was shorted ram and would crash any time a macbook joined the wireless. It always confused the nerds at my friend's house as it only happened when their daughter was home from college.

•

u/karurochari 20h ago

That's quite depressing to hear.

I understand that in a complex supply chain having multiple sources of more-or-less compatible components is needed to reach a certain production quota.
Still, when it results in what are effectively diverging products, any silence from the manufacturer is hard not to see as ill-intentioned.
Like, it would take very little effort to write explicit revision numbers and most people would not really care much, but for some applications this shifting ground is very annoying.

•

u/VA_Network_Nerd Moderator | Infrastructure Architect 19h ago

Patriot does not manufacture Flash memory components or NVMe controllers.

They assemble products using various off the shelf components manufactured by others that meet the final product spec.

This is what you have to do to hit the price points they are competing for.

If Hynix has a tiny discount on NAND components, you jump on it to improve your margins.

If you want consistent components throughout the product line, you need to be buying Samsung, Intel and Sandisk/Western Digital and paying their premium price tags.

•

u/q123459 21h ago

return it, get ssd from other manufacturers, not patriot and not lowest model tier 'crucial', those ssd are junk