Intel Optane Memory Coming in Q2 2017
Intel announced their new 7th Generation Core ‘Kaby Lake’ processors this morning along with their new Intel 200 series chipsets to go along with those new processors (check out our review). One of the new supported features on Intel 200 series boards is Intel Optane Memory, so it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that the company has also started to share some details on Intel Optane Memory and the Intel Optane Memory Ready program.
Intel Optane memory is a new class of non-volatile memory (NVM) device which accelerates client systems to unleash the new high performance experiences users demand. By pairing either a 16GB or 32GB Intel Optane memory module (via an M.2 motherboard slot) with a large-capacity hard drive or SATA solid state drive users can get SSD-like speed while maintaining capacity and affordability. Note that they said SATA SSD or HDD as this technology isn’t meant to be paired with high-end PCIe SSDs it appears.
Once you pop one of the Intel Optane memory modules into an open M.2 slot on your board, or an add-in card if your motherboard doesn’t have an open slot, you should get improved speed while maintaining large storage capacities is ideal for virtual reality, gaming, content creation and video editing. Intel says that Optane memory boosts responsiveness across the system, but has yet to disclose any performance data, product pricing or exact availability at this time. If all goes well Intel Optane memory solutions should be available to consumers in the second quarter of 2017.
That hasn’t slowed down the motherboard makers and almost all of them are advertising Intel Optane memory module support on their new Intel Z270 motherboards that came out today. MSI for example showed that the all-new Intel Optane technology is supported on their Turbo M.2 slots that are connected to the PCI-E Gen3 x4 interface for transfer speeds up to 32 Gb/s. MSI has an M.2 Shield (patent pending) that comes with select board models to help keep SSDs or Optane modules nice and cool to prevent damage and thermal throttling.
Intel Optane brings back memories of Intel Smart Response Technology (SRT) that was introduced by Intel when Sandy Bridge processors came out on the Intel Z68 platform way back in 2011. It was known as SSD Caching before it was branded as launched as it basically functioned as cache for conventional rotational hard drives at the time as SSDs were very expensive back them. Intel Smart Response Technology caches data I/O blocks to the SSD that benefit the most from accelerationfor example, your most frequently used applications, games, and OS data. Intel still supports the technology, but it is something we haven’t seen anyone use in years let alone still talk much about it. Let’s hope that Intel Optane technology gets off to a better start than SSD Caching did back in 2011 with Intel SRT.
