This document discusses the noise performance of p-i-n and avalanche photodiode (APD) devices. It defines key metrics like quantum efficiency, response speed, noise equivalent power, and signal-to-noise ratio. For p-i-n diodes, it examines the contributions of drift, diffusion, shot noise, and thermal noise currents. For APDs, it describes how the internal avalanche gain improves sensitivity but also increases excess noise. Formulas are provided for calculating noise performance metrics in both types of photodiodes.