What SSDs (NVMe + SATA) to a high-performance laptop

Question

I've bought a new, high-performance, laptop

Dell Inspiron 15 Gaming 7577, some basic specs:

• Model: The exact model number is 7577-92774

• Service Tag: ==REMOVED==

• BIOS: Upgraded to the latest version (1.6.1)

• CPU: Intel© Core™ i7-7700HQ - 7th gen. = Kaby Lake

• RAM: 16GB single memory stick

• GPU: I disabled the integrated in the OS, and have NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design and 6GB GDDR5 active

• Network: The laptop is connected to my router via Cat.6 ethernet cable

• Display: UHD 3840 x 2160, 15.6 inches

• System: Linux Mint 19

---

This question is all about storage, current configuration:

• SSD #1: M.2, NVMe PCI-Express, Toshiba, 512GB, KXG50ZNV512G (original part)

• SSD #2: 2.5 inches, SATA III, Samsung, 250GB, 850 EVO (replaced HDD with this temporarily)

---

Question

In spite of Dell's recommendation, I intend to replace both of these SSD drives. The question is not about if to replace them; it is about what to replace them for. I am an IT guy and use my computer 12 hours a day. I literally go for the best overall value and / or performance if the price limit allows it.

The price limit for both of these drives should be in total 10000 CZK ~= 385 EUR or 440 USD. I live in the Czech Republic, please take it into account and test in the beginning if the drive you are suggesting is available on our market, you can use for instance this page, which is my favorite: https://www.czc.cz/

The answer with the most upvotes will get realized.

Conditions for the answers:

1. Include suggestion for both of the drives in one answer.

2. Formulate the suggestion and structure it well, take your time.

3. It should include a direct link to https://ssd.userbenchmark.com/

4. A picture of the drive is welcomed for a better viewer experience.

5. You should include a text explaining why that SSD is better for me, e.g. overall value, performance, etc.

---

Primary (NVMe) SSD will be used for the Linux system itself and performance-driven applications and games, while the secondary (SATA) SSD will be used for storing stuff like virtual machines, which I don't really need to run at peak performance and other data like thousands of pictures, some videos, etc.

Answer 1

I thought about writing a comment first, but since it will be relevant to other people I will write it as an answer.

There are a few things you need to consider when doing this upgrade:

1. Do you really need NVMe SSD? NVMe speeds reach into thousands of MB/s, it sounds impressive, but in real computing, you would see a marginal difference, the real difference being in 2-8%, according to my estimates. Compiling AOSP on my SATA SSD loads my Ryzen 1700x CPU up to 90-95%, and your laptop has a much weaker 7700HQ. Most of the heavy computing you do will be CPU-bound, and upgrading SSD won't help it. You might see some apps taking a second or two less to load.

2. The only real use for those speeds is actually doing backups. If you can't stand to let them run overnight, then having SSD's is a plus. But with NVMe SSD's you still would be IO bound - to run a backup at SATA III speed you would need at least a 5 gigabit speed, while your laptop only has a gigabit Ethernet adapter, that is just as fast as a decent HDD. Even a 10 gigabit would max out at ~1200 MB/s, which your Toshiba KXG50ZNV512G is capable of delivering. To get even higher speeds you would need a Thunderbolt port. You would also need a storage that supports those kinds of speed, so either a RAID 0 NAS or another NVMe SSD.

3. Samsung's 860 aren't quite as good as you think. Its speed is a bit of a cheat - it uses a cheap flash and a fast caching storage, so after the cache gets filled its speed drops to 120-150 MB/s. If you were to use it intensively you would notice a performance drop.

So, my suggestion is:

Go for a single 1TB Samsung 970 Pro M.2:

It costs about 11400 CZK on the website you suggested, it delivers one of the best SSD performance, and it is the most cost-efficient solution. SSD prices drop and storage increases, buying a 500 GB SSD now would require a sooner upgrade and make it less reusable in future. You would also be able to install your VM's on it, and in this case, it might actually improve VM's performance.

https://ssd.userbenchmark.com/SpeedTest/497261/Samsung-SSD-970-PRO-1TB

And an M.2 to SATA adapter. You already have a working SSD, so why not reuse it?

Answer 2

1. NVMe PCI-Express: Samsung MZ-V7P512BW

   Model: Samsung 970 Pro NVMe PCIe M.2 512GB

   

   https://ssd.userbenchmark.com/SpeedTest/498971/Samsung-SSD-970-PRO-512GB

2. SATA: Samsung MZ-76P512B

   Model: Samsung 860 Pro 512GB

   

   https://ssd.userbenchmark.com/SpeedTest/431483/Samsung-SSD-860-PRO-512GB

---

Total price: Around 11000 CZK in an e-shop like https://www.czc.cz/, which is yet acceptable. Maybe before Christmas, there will be a sale.

---

Bottom Line: I think these are a lot overpriced, and I am unsure I would ever use their speed to maximum, but they are flagships, so I post them.

Answer 3

1. NVMe PCI-Express: Samsung MZ-V7E500BW

   Model: Samsung 970 Evo NVMe PCIe M.2 500GB

   

   https://ssd.userbenchmark.com/SpeedTest/493995/Samsung-SSD-970-EVO-500GB

2. SATA: Samsung MZ-76E500B/EU

   Model: Samsung 860 Evo 500GB

   

   https://ssd.userbenchmark.com/SpeedTest/428560/Samsung-SSD-860-EVO-500GB

---

Total price: Less than 6000 CZK in an e-shop like https://www.czc.cz/, which is totally acceptable. Maybe I could even go for higher capacity this way.

---

Bottom Line: I think these are priced well, I know they are a bit slower than Pro versions, but they are really tempting to buy.