Ideas International compared a disk-based server to an SSD-based server using the new Storage Performance Council’s SPC-1/E efficiency benchmark for some very interesting results.
The disk-based server used 300 GB Seagate Savvio 10K drives. The SSD server was an IBM model using 69 GB solid state devices.
Summary:
- Cost/IOPS: about the same
- Cost/gigabyte: disk-based server wins
- Gigabytes/Watt: disk-based server wins
- IOPS/Watt: SSD-based server wins
An interesting observation from SearchStorage on this test: the SSD-based server used about the same power (within 3%) whether operating or idling. The disk-based system used 78% at idle compare to its peak power usage.





Great article Pete. When will Seagate come out with a SSD? There are literally a dozen different SSD brands out there and I’m surprised seagate has not put out one yet.
Seagate’s first SSD is scheduled to come out later in 2009. Stay tuned!