Intel Optane Memory 16GB M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 x2 NVMe Module

Intel Optane Memory 16GB M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 x2 NVMe Module

Intel’s 16GB Optane Memory module: a 3D XPoint cache that sits in front of a hard drive to make an older Intel system feel far more responsive.

Despite the name, Optane Memory is not system RAM. It is a small, very low-latency M.2 module built on Intel’s 3D XPoint media that the Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver uses as a cache for a slower drive. Frequently used files, application code and Windows components are kept on the Optane module, so a PC that boots from a mechanical hard drive gets SSD-like start-up and application launch times without replacing the drive. The 16GB size is the entry model, launched in early 2017.

Performance

Intel rates the module at up to 900MB/s sequential read and 145MB/s sequential write, but its strength is random access: up to 190,000 read and 35,000 write IOPS at 4K, with latency far below NAND flash. That is what makes small, scattered reads (the ones that make a hard-drive PC feel slow) fast. Endurance is 182.5TB of lifetime writes, with a five-year warranty.

Requirements

Optane Memory caching needs a supported Intel platform (7th-generation Core or later with a compatible chipset), a motherboard M.2 slot with PCIe lanes and the Intel RST driver. It can also be used as a tiny standalone NVMe drive on other systems, though that is not its purpose. Intel has discontinued the product line, so this is a fit for existing eligible machines rather than new builds; Punch Technology would normally recommend an SSD instead for anything new.

Ideal for

• Existing Intel 7th-gen or newer PCs booting from a hard drive
• Office machines that cannot easily be reimaged onto an SSD
• Spares for systems already using Optane caching

Specifications

• Product: Intel Optane Memory Series 16GB
• Media: 20nm 3D XPoint
• Interface: PCIe 3.0 x2, NVMe
• Form factor: M.2 22 x 80mm
• Sequential read: up to 900MB/s
• Sequential write: up to 145MB/s
• Random 4K read: up to 190,000 IOPS
• Random 4K write: up to 35,000 IOPS
• Endurance: 182.5TB lifetime writes
• Power: 3.5W active, 1W idle
• Operating temperature: 0 to 70 degrees C
• MTBF: 1.6 million hours
• Launched: Q1 2017 (discontinued)
• Warranty: 5-year