The 3D XPoint storage technology launched by Intel and Micron has finally launched an Intel Optane Memory product for the general desktop computer market. Although Intel Optane Memory looks like an ordinary M.2 solid state drive, its special feature is that it can not only achieve 1350MB/s and 240000 IOPS transmission performance, but also can be used as a system accelerator disk, whether it is a general SATA interface HDD Or SSD solid state drive, can achieve obvious acceleration effect through Intel Optane Memory.

●Intel Optane Memory function specification and enable setting introduction

The purpose of Intel's newly launched Optane Memory is actually a bit like Intel Smart Response Technology (ISRT) proposed by Intel before. Simply put, it can be used as a hard disk through a small-capacity solid-state drive. Cache space to speed up the access performance of the system. Intel's newly launched Optane Memory function is basically the same as ISRT to accelerate the access performance of the system, but the difference is that ISRT used to be used with mSATA solid-state drives, but now Intel Optane Memory uses PCIe3 The .0x2 NVMe M.2 transmission interface, the transmission speed can reach up to 1350MB/s, so the acceleration effect will naturally be more obvious than in the past with mSATA solid state drives.

Intel Optane Memory currently has two capacity specifications of 16GB and 32GB. Although the name is called AQZ205 memory, it can also be used as a general M.2 solid state drive, and the transfer speed can reach up to 1350MB/s for reading and 290MB for writing. /s, 4K random access performance can reach to read 240K model">240K model">240K model">240K model">240K model">240K model">240K model">240K model">240K model">240K model ">240K Model">240K Model">240K Model">240K Model">240K Model">240K Model">240K Model">240K Model">240K IOPS and write 65K IOPS. However, the current capacity specification of Intel Optane Memory is too small, and there is not much free space left after the operating system is installed, so it is more useful to use a larger-capacity SATA solid-state drive or HDD magnetic recording hard drive.

The Intel Optane Memory borrowed this time is a 32GB capacity specification version. There are two storage chips with Intel 3D XPoint technology embedded on the circuit board. The capacity of a single chip is 16GB, and the detailed model is 29P16 BICLDNF2.

Below is the official Intel Optane Memory specification sheet for your reference.

Before the actual trial, one thing to explain to you is that Intel Optane Memory is not supported by all Intel computer platforms. The hardware part must be equipped with Intel 7th generation processors and 200 series motherboards, and it can only be used in Windows. 10 operating system environment can drive Intel Optane Memory device to achieve system acceleration effect. Below is the Intel Optane Memory hardware support list officially provided by Intel, which is a reference for netizens.

When used with Intel Optane Memory, there is basically no need to recharge the system, and there is no need to enter the BIOS to adjust the AHCI or RAID mode. Basically, it can be started after installing the new version of the Intel RST fast storage driver that supports Intel Optane technology. . After installing the new version of the Intel RST driver, users do not need too many complicated settings, just enter the Intel Optane operation page and directly click to start. The setting method is quite easy to operate.

After booting the Intel Optane Memory device, the software automatically starts to configure the system, and then reboots to complete the Intel Optane Memory configuration.

After the Intel Optane Memory is activated, the cache acceleration operation will be performed in the background of the system, and the general file manager will not see the change of the Intel Optane Memory's magnetic area or the original hard disk capacity.

If Intel Optane Memory is not activated as a system acceleration disk, it is basically the same as the function of ordinary solid-state drives.

●Transmission performance test

After briefly reading the specifications and startup methods of Intel Optane Memory, let's test the acceleration effect of Intel Optane Memory actually paired with Plextor M6S 240GB solid state drive and Seagate 8TB Desktop HDD hard drive.

◎Processor: Intel Core i7-7700K

◎Motherboard: ASUS ROG MAXIMUS IX FORMULA

◎Hard drive: PLEXTOR M6S 240GB & Seagate 8TB Desktop HDD

◎Memory: Kingston DDR4-2400 8GBx4

◎Power supply: Gigabyte ODIN 1200W

◎Operating system: Windows 10 64 bit

◆AJA Benchmak test

In fact, through the AJA Benchmak test and when the file resolution is set to 3840x2160 and 4GB capacity, the read and write test performance of Intel Optane Memory in a single test is 1296MB/s and 281MB/s; the read and write performance of a single test of Plextor M6S 240GB SSD The test performance is 491MB/s and 435MB/s; the read and write test performance of a single Seagate 8TB Desktop HDD hard drive is 229MB/s and 228MB/s; when Intel Optane Memory is used with Seagate 8TB Desktop HDD hard drive, the read and write test performance is 1301MB /s and 267MB/s; when Intel Optane Memory is paired with Plextor M6S 240GB SSD, the read and write test performance is 1293MB/s and 267MB/s.

◆AS SSD Benchmak test

In the actual AS SSD Benchmak test, the sequential read and write test performance of Intel Optane Memory in a single test is 1309.96MB/s and 283.12MB/s, and the 4K read and write performance is 229.18MB/s and 139.9MB/s; single test Plextor M6S The sequential read and write test performance of the 240GB SSD is 490.69MB/s and 437.4MB/s, and the 4K read and write performance is 34.85MB/s and 93.99MB/s; the sequential read and write test performance of the single Seagate 8TB Desktop HDD hard drive is 236.8 MB/s and 179.81MB/s, 4K read and write performance is 0.85MB/s and 2.35MB/s; when Intel Optane Memory is paired with Seagate 8TB Desktop HDD, the sequential read and write test performance is 1308.14MB/s and 246.7MB/ s, 4K read and write performance is 169.98MB/s and 112.81MB/s; when Intel Optane Memory is paired with Plextor M6S 240GB solid state drive, the sequential read and write test performance is 1308.33MB/s and 245.6MB/s, 4K read and write performance is 168.18MB/s and 113.18MB/s.

In AS SSD Benchmak's 4K-64Thrd read and write test project, the read and write test performance of Intel Optane Memory is 312253 iops and 65747 iops; the read and write test performance of Plextor M6S 240GB solid state drive is 93441 iops and 78363 iops; The read and write performance of a single Seagate 8TB Desktop HDD hard drive is 483 iops and 479 iops; when Intel Optane Memory is used with Seagate 8TB Desktop HDD hard drive, the read and write test performance is 261961 iops and 63505 iops; when Intel Optane Memory is used with Plextor M6S 240GB The read and write performance of the SSD is 253865 iops and 62923 iops.

◆CrystalDiskMark test

When actually tested by CrystalDiskMark and set to random data, the sequential read and write test performance of Intel Optane Memory in a single test is 1361MB/s and 298.4MB/s, and the 4K read and write performance is 297.5MB/s and 164.8MB/s; The sequential read and write performance of the Plextor M6S 240GB SSD is 508.8MB/s and 447.4MB/s, and the 4K read and write performance is 38.27MB/s and 109.6MB/s; the sequential read and write test of the Seagate 8TB Desktop HDD The performance is 245.8MB/s and 246MB/s, 4K read and write performance is 0.88MB/s and 2.97MB/s; when Intel Optane Memory is used with Seagate 8TB Desktop HDD, the sequential read and write test performance is 1188MB/s and 248.5MB /s, 4K read and write performance is 210.4MB/s and 132.1MB/s; when Intel Optane Memory is paired with Plextor M6S 240GB SSD, the sequential read and write test performance is 1345MB/s and 294MB/s, 4K read and write performance is 207.3 MB/s vs 131.9MB/s.

◆PCMark 8 software test

When actually testing the Storage and Home items in the PCMark 8 software, because the Intel Optane Memory capacity is only 32GB, there is not enough space to install the PCMark 8 software after the system is installed, so only the Storage item is tested, and the total score of the test results is 5048 points. The total score of the single test Plextor M6S 240GB SSD test results is 4948 points and 3871 points; the test results of the single test Seagate 8TB Desktop HDD hard disk are 3246 points and 3731 points; the test when Intel Optane Memory is used with Seagate 8TB Desktop HDD hard disk The total score is 4582 points and 3876 points; when the Intel Optane Memory is paired with the Plextor M6S 240GB SSD, the total score is 5040 points and 4138 points.

◆Boot time test

When using the Boottracer software to test the system boot time, the boot time with Intel Optane Memory as the system disk is about 20.75 seconds, with the Plextor M6S 240GB solid state drive as the system disk, the boot time is about 22.6 seconds, with the Seagate 8TB Desktop HDD as the system disk. The boot time of the system disk is about 37 seconds, the boot time with the Seagate 8TB Desktop HDD with Intel Optane Memory is about 21.5 seconds, and the boot time with the Plextor M6S 240GB SSD with Intel Optane Memory is about 20.55 seconds.

●Test summary

After the actual test, through the comparison of various data, it can be seen that Intel Optane Memory has a very good acceleration performance in terms of reading performance when it is paired with a general HDD or a solid-state drive. The specifications are significantly higher, so the performance in practical applications such as 4K reading, PCMark 8 or boot time has a significant acceleration effect, and the acceleration effect for general HDD hard drives is even more obvious. However, because Intel Optane Memory's own writing specifications are not very good, and even only a little more than half of the performance of general SATA solid-state drives, when used with solid-state drives, not only there is no obvious acceleration in writing, but it is also reduced. write performance.

Since Intel Optane Memory has software and hardware specifications such as Intel's seventh-generation processors, Intel 200 series motherboards, and Windows 10 operating systems, for users of old platforms, unless they just want to reinstall the whole machine, it is basically The above is not related to this product. And from the price point of view, the actual price of a 256GB NVMe M.2 solid state drive on the market is almost NT$3,000, but a 16GB Intel Optane Memory costs about 350 yuan, and 32GB should also be It is about RMB 450, so for ordinary users, it is more convenient to buy an NVMe solid-state drive directly instead of buying an accelerator disk with so many hardware and software limitations.

On the whole, although Intel Optane Memory can indeed achieve obvious acceleration effects, due to many software and hardware limitations and the price difference from the current NVMe solid-state drive is not large, it is inevitable that Intel Optane Memory is just a transitional 3D. XPoint products, it seems that the high-capacity Intel Optane SSD may be more practical in the future!