Is your computer slow? Your old hard drive may not be cutting it anymore. As we said before the easiest way to improve the performance of a PC is to buy a SSD drive; however, SSDs are considerably more expensive than hard drives in terms of dollar per gigabyte.
Fear nothing, Intel has a solution. Unveiled for the first time in 2017, Optane is a memory module designed to speed up the speed of computers for less money. It promises a better computing experience for every user, from gamers to advanced users. It's too good to be true? Here is what you need to know about Intel Optane.
Quick summary:
- Intel Optane is a new high-speed memory module.
- The main advantage of Optane lies in improving storage performance.
- Laptop manufacturers sell laptops with Optane memory, or you can buy it online.
- Intel Optane costs 34 and 54 dollars respectively for 16 GB and 32 GB.
What is Intel Optane?
Intel Optane is basically a technology-based system that dramatically improves storage speeds by caching the most common processes your computer uses for the hard drive. The technology uses 3D XPoint, a new type of memory that its creators, Micron and Intel, claim 1,000 times faster than traditional NAND flash memory.
With its new type of memory, Optane activates what Intel calls "system acceleration," or faster completion of tasks and reduced downtime compared to hard drives without Optane. For ordinary users, this means that your favorite applications will load much faster than before.
It is important to note that Intel Optane does not replace DRAM, but rather works with it. Using smart algorithms, Optane accesses long-term memory or what's left on your computer after it's turned off. This translates into lower waiting times when you load games, documents, images, and applications. Despite the way some computer manufacturers mislead Intel Optane, they do not act as primary system memory, such as DRAM, which accesses short-term memory until your laptop is turned off.
Intel Optane is used in two different ways. Since its launch last year, Optane is available as 16GB and 32GB PCIe M.2 memory modules used to accelerate a conventional hard disk in the same way as an SSD cache. Intel says that a desktop or laptop equipped with a hard drive like primary storage and a secondary Optane cache could load Windows 10 faster than a laptop with a PC. 39, an SSD.
PLUS: Which laptop is best for you?
The other form that Optane takes is a series of Intel SSDs equipped with 3D XPoint memory. The latest product in the SSD series of drives, the 905P, is ultra-fast and extremely expensive.
How much faster will Optane do my PC?
With super-fast memory, notebooks with Optane technology are much faster and more responsive than those without them. In particular, Optane speeds up boot times, application load times and data load times, and can enhance the PC experience for various users, from those who surf the web to business users.
According to Intel, an Intel Core 8th Gen with Optane performs daily tasks 2.2 times faster than a processor without memory technology. In addition, it is estimated that large files open three times faster than without Optane.
Low budget players should also consider a laptop equipped with an Optane cache. According to Intel, Intel Core 8th Gen processors with Optane memory allow load times 4.7 times faster than computers without it. Better still, since Optane works with traditional hard drives, players can keep their large storage capacities without sacrificing SSD speeds.
PLUS: laptops with the longest battery life
Although everything looks impressive, what is more relevant to consumers, it's Optane's performance in the real world. Until now, the technology has impressed. Our partner site, Tom's Hardware Called the Intel Optane SSD 905P – a high-end reader for desktops and workstations – the fastest SSD ever made ". And, using the SYSmark benchmark, AnandTech determined that a 32GB Optane memory module improved the response time of a conventional hard drive and even outperformed some SSDs. Unfortunately, these gains are at the level of energy consumption so expect the laptops powered by Optane to have a worse life.
What is the required configuration for Optane?
If you buy a new laptop with Optane, the technology will be preinstalled. Laptop manufacturers – Dell, HP, Lenovo – are already selling laptops equipped with Optane cache drives, as well as high-capacity hard drives. Specific notebooks with configurations that include Optane memory include the Dell Inspiron 15 5000 on Lenovo Ideapad 330s and the ] HP 15-da0032 . Note, however, that adding Optane to an old laptop is tricky because OEMs need to push a BIOS update for Optane to work with their motherboard. This is possible, but even the most technology-savvy customers will find it difficult to add Optane to an existing laptop.
The Intel Optane component that you can purchase separately allows you to upgrade the speed of your hard drive. However, there is a set of minimum system requirements required for the memory module to work on your platform. You need an Intel Core Gen 7th (Core i3, i5 or i7) or later, an Intel chipset 200-series or newer and a slot M.2 2280 with two or four lines of PCIe data. Desktops and laptops with Celeron, Pentium or older processors will not support Optane. Your device must also run the Windows 10 64-bit operating system and install Intel Rapid Storage Technology 15.5 or later.
Cost and Availability of Intel Optane
The purchase of a laptop or desktop with Optane memory will simplify things, but you can still add it to your device if it meets the above mentioned requirements .
A major advantage of Optane is that you do not need as much memory to see performance gains. This keeps prices relatively low. The 16 GB M.2 memory, which Intel claims is best used for current use, costs 34 dollars on Amazon at the time of writing . The larger 32GB model, better for games and for professional use, is worth $ 19459 .
Designed for the most demanding workloads, Intel 's Optane – based SSDs are extremely fast and at an exorbitant price. A 960 GB version of the 905P model costs $ 1,300.
Credit: Intel; Shutterstock
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Is your computer slow? Your old hard drive may not be cutting it anymore. As we said before the easiest way to improve the performance of a PC is to buy a SSD drive; however, SSDs are considerably more expensive than hard drives in terms of dollar per gigabyte.
Fear nothing, Intel has a solution. Unveiled for the first time in 2017, Optane is a memory module designed to speed up the speed of computers for less money. It promises a better computing experience for every user, from gamers to advanced users. It's too good to be true? Here is what you need to know about Intel Optane.
Quick summary:
- Intel Optane is a new high-speed memory module.
- The main advantage of Optane lies in improving storage performance.
- Laptop manufacturers sell laptops with Optane memory, or you can buy it online.
- Intel Optane costs 34 and 54 dollars respectively for 16 GB and 32 GB.
What is Intel Optane?
Intel Optane is basically a technology-based system that dramatically improves storage speeds by caching the most common processes your computer uses for the hard drive. The technology uses 3D XPoint, a new type of memory that its creators, Micron and Intel, claim 1,000 times faster than traditional NAND flash memory.
With its new type of memory, Optane activates what Intel calls "system acceleration," or faster completion of tasks and reduced downtime compared to hard drives without Optane. For ordinary users, this means that your favorite applications will load much faster than before.
It is important to note that Intel Optane does not replace DRAM, but rather works with it. Using smart algorithms, Optane accesses long-term memory or what's left on your computer after it's turned off. This translates into lower waiting times when you load games, documents, images, and applications. Despite the way some computer manufacturers mislead Intel Optane, they do not act as primary system memory, such as DRAM, which accesses short-term memory until your laptop is turned off.
Intel Optane is used in two different ways. Since its launch last year, Optane is available as 16GB and 32GB PCIe M.2 memory modules used to accelerate a conventional hard disk in the same way as an SSD cache. Intel says that a desktop or laptop equipped with a hard drive like primary storage and a secondary Optane cache could load Windows 10 faster than a laptop with a PC. 39, an SSD.
PLUS: Which laptop is best for you?
The other form that Optane takes is a series of Intel SSDs equipped with 3D XPoint memory. The latest product in the SSD series of drives, the 905P, is ultra-fast and extremely expensive.
How much faster will Optane do my PC?
With super-fast memory, notebooks with Optane technology are much faster and more responsive than those without them. In particular, Optane speeds up boot times, application load times and data load times, and can enhance the PC experience for various users, from those who surf the web to business users.
According to Intel, an Intel Core 8th Gen with Optane performs daily tasks 2.2 times faster than a processor without memory technology. In addition, it is estimated that large files open three times faster than without Optane.
Low budget players should also consider a laptop equipped with an Optane cache. According to Intel, Intel Core 8th Gen processors with Optane memory allow load times 4.7 times faster than computers without it. Better still, since Optane works with traditional hard drives, players can keep their large storage capacities without sacrificing SSD speeds.
PLUS: laptops with the longest battery life
Although everything looks impressive, what is more relevant to consumers, it's Optane's performance in the real world. Until now, the technology has impressed. Our partner site, Tom's Hardware Called the Intel Optane SSD 905P – a high-end reader for desktops and workstations – the fastest SSD ever made ". And, using the SYSmark benchmark, AnandTech determined that a 32GB Optane memory module improved the response time of a conventional hard drive and even outperformed some SSDs. Unfortunately, these gains are at the level of energy consumption so expect the laptops powered by Optane to have a worse life.
What is the required configuration for Optane?
If you buy a new laptop with Optane, the technology will be preinstalled. Laptop manufacturers – Dell, HP, Lenovo – are already selling laptops equipped with Optane cache drives, as well as high-capacity hard drives. Specific notebooks with configurations that include Optane memory include the Dell Inspiron 15 5000 on Lenovo Ideapad 330s and the ] HP 15-da0032 . Note, however, that adding Optane to an old laptop is tricky because OEMs need to push a BIOS update for Optane to work with their motherboard. This is possible, but even the most technology-savvy customers will find it difficult to add Optane to an existing laptop.
The Intel Optane component that you can purchase separately allows you to upgrade the speed of your hard drive. However, there is a set of minimum system requirements required for the memory module to work on your platform. You need an Intel Core Gen 7th (Core i3, i5 or i7) or later, an Intel chipset 200-series or newer and a slot M.2 2280 with two or four lines of PCIe data. Desktops and laptops with Celeron, Pentium or older processors will not support Optane. Your device must also run the Windows 10 64-bit operating system and install Intel Rapid Storage Technology 15.5 or later.
Cost and Availability of Intel Optane
The purchase of a laptop or desktop with Optane memory will simplify things, but you can still add it to your device if it meets the above mentioned requirements .
A major advantage of Optane is that you do not need as much memory to see performance gains. This keeps prices relatively low. The 16 GB M.2 memory, which Intel claims is best used for current use, costs 34 dollars on Amazon at the time of writing . The larger 32GB model, better for games and for professional use, is worth $ 19459 .
Designed for the most demanding workloads, Intel 's Optane – based SSDs are extremely fast and at an exorbitant price. A 960 GB version of the 905P model costs $ 1,300.
Credit: Intel; Shutterstock
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The post What Is Intel Optane? The Memory That Gives Hard Drives SSD Speeds appeared first on News Doses.
