INTEL'S OPTANE: 3D XPOINT IS GO FOR LAUNCH
It’s going to be a while before we’ll be able to uncover the full implications of Intel’s 3D XPoint tech. But we do now know what shape the first products will take. At CES in Las Vegas, earlier this year, Intel divulged initial details of its first 3D XPoint products.
To be sold under the new Optane brand, we’re talking solid-state storage in the M.2 form factor, and initially 16GB and 32GB capacities. Somewhat oddly, the marketing pitch for Optane has involved the shortcomings of using a “spinning hard disk” for data storage. That’s true, of course, but the fact that Optane drives are solid state and faster than magnetic hard drives surely isn’t what sets them apart. It’s the distinction compared to existing solidstate drives that makes Optane interesting.
Whatever, Optane drives are being pitched as a disk drive cache memory option for its seventh-gen Kaby Lake processors and platforms. To quote: “Intel Optane memory is a revolutionary new memory technology that affordably accelerates your system, delivering high speed and responsiveness without compromising system storage capacity. When combined with a large storage drive, the Intel Optane memory M.2 module accelerates computer performance, while maintaining capacity. You’ll be amazed at how fast applications launch or new games install. Together, Intel Optane memory and a seventh-generation Intel Core i-series processor deliver a snappy PC experience with short boot times, fast application launches, extraordinary gaming experience, and responsive browsing.”
You will, as we understand it, need the full Kaby Lake package to use an Optane drive. That means a Core iSomething-7xxx CPU and a motherboard with Optane support, based on Intel’s new 200 Series chipsets. Exactly what we can expect in terms of performance boosts, whether Optane will play nicely with both HDDs and SSDs, and so on isn’t yet clear. Our guess is that the very first products could be underwhelming, and will be held back by things like the controller technology and other specifics related to the early implementation. But, with any luck, we’re only a month or two away from revealing 3D XPoint’s first tranche of secrets.