Next-Generation Memory Standard Earns Lukewarm Reception @ Extremetech

Maybe the best quote I can find about Intel Optane comes not from a professional review site but rather a long standing technology site that started as a lackluster review site.  (go figure how that transformation happened, oh wait, money

Anyhow Extremetech has posted a little editorial about Intel Optane that pulls in results from other review sites and has this to say.

One issue no one’s happy with is Intel’s decision to limit Optane to Kaby Lake CPUs in 200-series chipsets. SSD caches (and Optane caches) would be most effective if deployed as acceleration in lower-cost systems or older hardware. Intel’s decision to sandbox their platform to only the latest motherboards and CPUs means the computers that could benefit the most from Optane acceleration aren’t eligible to use it.

It’s also telling the platforms Intel shipped for Optane testing literally preclude comparing it with its most logical competitor. As we’ve previously stated, Optane should be compared against SSD drive caching, but the B250 motherboards that Intel provided literally only support Optane caching. If you try to configure the software to cache via SSD instead, it refuses to do so. For that, you need a Z270 motherboard, and that’s one reason we don’t have Optane figures ourselves today. The appropriate configuration to test against is the configuration that should serve as Intel’s primary competitor.

There is some "emphasis" that gets lost in the Hardware Asylum quote system BUT, it pretty much tells you everything you need to know about Optane.  Basically, it makes things fast but only on systems that are already fast with no chance of making older systems fast using the new fast technology.

Or in other words.  Intel is forcing obsolensense on its own hardware to get people to buy new hardware and use technology they don't really need,  #smart

Be sure to check out the full article.

Related Web URL: https://www.extremetech.com/computing/248226-intel...