NVMe is the new protocol for transferring and accessing high-speed storage devices such as SSDs (Solid-State-Drive). NVMe is the abbreviation of Non-Volatile Memory Express. Now is the era of SSD as the HDD (Hard Disk Drives) is going out of the market? The main benefit of an SSD is that it stores data inside the memory chip and it even works without no power.

The second benefit is the provision of quick performances in launching apps, transferring and accessing data, and boosting computers. Putting NVMe into action means incorporating NVMe chips into SSDs.

Follow along as we describe how it works, the difference, and the use cases.

How Does NVMe Work

HDD storage systems used SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) interfaces in the 2000s. But SATA has limitations such as slow speed and limited bandwidth that impede data transfers. Besides that, each SATA drive needs its port in the motherboard, reducing the number of storage systems you can connect to on a computer.

The emergency of NVME in early 2014 solved the challenges with SATA. NVMe is now a storage interface and protocol working with the PCIe lane and can transfer up to 2,000mb/s of data when it uses only four lanes. SATA on the other hand has only one lane and can only transfer up to 600mb/s. Here's how NVMe archives the speed:

• It performs parallel input/output (l/O) operations with multi-core processors.
• NVMe has a latency of 2.8m/s against AHCI'S 6m/s.
• NVMe supports performs over 1 million I/O operations per second (IOPS_
• NVMe supports many types of non-volatile memory, including NAND flash and 3D xpoint technology.

The Difference Between NVMe SSDs and SATA SSDs

AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) uses software to communicate with SATA devices, while NVMe SSDs use flash memory chips. In short, it’s super-fast and optimizes for performance. SATA devices have to communicate with their controller first before communicating with the CPU, while NVMe connects directly with the CPU.

SATA SSD AHCI drives have one queue with 32 commands per queue, while NVMe permits up to 65 535 with up to 65, 536 commands per queue. The NVMe technology reduces latency and optimizes the datapath compared to SSDs.  NVMe was designed and optimized to allow many CPU cores to manage queues.

Therefore, NVMe SSDs can handle enterprise workloads and artificial intelligence, large data transfer and DevOps. In short, data centers and high-end computers will need NVMe SSD. SATA SSDs will handle small data analysis and storage achievable with small-budget laptops.

Cost and Use Cases

The demand and manufacturing scales have reduced the cost of NVMe SSDs. However, NVMe SSDs are still expensive compared to SATA and SAS SSDs. It's common knowledge that choosing a high storage capacity will increase the cost of an SSD. Whether you need it or not depends on the workload.

For instance, a SATA SSD will get your laptop on in a few seconds, launch programs in a snap, and let you copy and transfer files quickly. However, if you work with huge files of videos, you'll need an NVMe SSD that will allow you to work extra fast.

Transitioning to SSDs is the first half of the battle. The second half is ensuring the transfer protocol and networking architecture speed up your delivery and storage system. That means replacing the old technologies, such as SCSI, with NVMe.

One thing that you need to remember:

NVMe is not meant to make older technology obsolete. Using NVMe, SATA, and even SAS will be a great option based on your processing needs, power consumption, and cost.

Conclusion

Older storage interfaces like SATA and SCSI cause challenges in today's network since they work with a slow HDD and tape-based memory. NVMe takes advantage of SSD to up the speed and optimizes performance. Feel free to try this technology as you assess your business needs.