Help me to decide between to NUCs

Hardware
#1

Hi, I would like to convert from my rpi 3 to a proper NUC System. I don’t plan to run anything other than HA on it.

Now I’m deciding between to NUCs:

NUC7PJYH

and

NUC8i3BEK

I know that both system probably will be “overpowered” for HA alone - with the i3 being the faster System, I guess.

However I more thinking about general quality and long-term 24/7 use.

The j5005 System has a lower TDP. But it seems to be quite picky about RAM and also Samsung SSDs?! Also it doesn’t support nvme SSDs.

The i3 has a higher TDP. But I guess is the more “modern” System. And it supports nvme SSDs.

So what to choose? Are those little nvme SSDs better for 24/7 then 2.5 SATA SSDs? Does the TDP difference really make a difference as well?

What system would you choose? Or would you recommand a different NUC?

Best regards!

#2

If you can get the i3 used at a decent price, I’d recommend it. My i3 NUC has an NVME SSD and has been incredibly reliable for well over a year already. Only recommendation is to update to the latest/greatest BIOS before you begin adding parts and installing Home Assistant.

#3

Thanks I will go for the i3.

Now I need to choose a ssd. Im deciding between a fast pci 3.0 ssd like samsung 970 evo plus or wd sn750 and a normal sata ssd which is specifically designed for 24/7 use like the wd red sa500.

What do you guys think is better for HA? As HA will constantly write on the ssd, will this have a negative impact on its lifespan? ( tbw). Most tests for ssds are for temporary use and not for 24/7 use…thats why Im asking.

If I were to chose a pci 3 or pci4 ssd would I even notice a difference in speed with HA compared to a normal sata ssd? (I mean at least on paper they should be 6 times faster…)

Thank you!

#4

Samsung 970 pro will have the best long term reliability due to use of MLC flash and good write amplification algorithms, you can also modify the recorder settings to write to db in less frequent intervals.

For your use a PCIe4 ssd will not be faster, if you had a higher end device and were running lots of services and possibly virtualization then there are advantages, even with the PCIe3 interface on the NUC board

#5

Thanks. What about the wd red one? Shouldnt this be the best concerning longterm reliability? As it is just sata my question was if I would notice the difference compared to a pci 3.0 ssd.

Best regards

#6

No. That has 3-bit NAND, as do most SSDs. Samsung 860 pro SATA and 970 pro NVME are 2 on the market with 2-bit NAND, and have double the endurance rating of the Red drives.

Beyond that, there are datacenter SSDs with 3-bit NAND but they offer more DRAM and on-board capacitors to prevent data lost.

Performance wise the NVME drives are substantially faster, especially when performing a system update.

#7

Ok thank you!

A 970 Evo Plus 1 TB has 600 tbw. A 970 Pro 512 GB also has 600 tbw.

Which to choose now? They both seem to have the same calculated lifespan with the 970 evo plus having double the capacity, price is about the same.

#8

There is more to a drive than just endurance, but also how it actually puts the data in pages on the flash chips, and how it consolidates the data in ram before putting it to flash.

If you want long term use, you want the largest drive with the best flash. If those 2 are your choices I would choose the pro

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#9

I just want to be as “safe” as possible. Nothing is more annoying then a hdd that suddenly dies. But it looks like the pro gernerally gives me more of that security/ is the better choice for 24/7 use.

Could you maybe also point me torwards some good ram? Want to put 16 gb into the nuc…but choices are immense…

Thanks a lot for your help so far!

#10

I have used Crucial in NUCs for decades, never had any issues, but I do tend to buy ram clocked at higher speed than the NUC will support and let it run at a lower speed. 8th gen Core processors all tend to support the same memory, last I used in an 8i5 was CT2K8G4SFRA266

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