News Intel Kills Optane Memory Business for Good

[Admin]

Intel sends its 3D XPoint-powered Optane business off into the sunset.

Intel Kills Optane Memory Business for Good : Read more

 

[USAFRet]

Good.

 

[cirdecus]

This is a shame. Optane runs client apps and games far better than anything today and at extreme reliability. I'm using the 1.5TB drive for steam games and windows apps and i love it. That being said, I know they're looking to focus on their chip business and as NAND improves, the cost for the technology just can't keep up. Great innovation though.

 

[maestro0428]

Damn right its a shame. Optane drives are the fastest on the planet and will be for some time. They also last for ever (tons of writes) and noone can match it. I have four in my workstation and love em. Mine (900p) arent the fastest at sequential reads and writes but still dominate benches in everyplace that actually matters.

 

[jeremyj_83]

Damn right its a shame. Optane drives are the fastest on the planet and will be for some time. They also last for ever (tons of writes) and noone can match it. I have four in my workstation and love em. Mine (900p) arent the fastest at sequential reads and writes but still dominate benches in everyplace that actually matters.

This was Optane memory and not Optane SSD.

 

[LikeClockwork64]

Some poor IT guy is going to get fired because its going to take a day instead of an hour to troubleshoot someone's business

 

[we_are_theBorg]

Shouldn't that subtitle be:

"3D XPoint at the last Xroad."🤔

But seriously, it's a shame. I only ever used it seriously in one system but it was incredibly useful when you really needed that memory density, or an intermediate caching layer with extremely durable writes. It's failure kinda psychologically entrenches NAND just that much deeper and disincentivises future productization of any competing or creative high performance storage technologies.

XPoint, you will be missed (a little bit, by a handful of hardcore nerds) 🥀

 

[escksu]

Oh, been a long time. Optane is not bad but its simply way too expensive. It ended up as a product which is neither here nor there.

Unlike Optane, NAND is making leaps and bounds in terms of progress. This is mainly due to a very competitive market and massive demand for NAND.

 

[2Be_or_Not2Be]

This was Optane memory and not Optane SSD.

I feel the irony in how Intel wants now to get back more local manufacturing/fabrication, but they let a local one of their own creation go previously. It's still a shame to me that they left Optane storage first, which was its best performer - more so than Optane memory. Optane was great for virtual hosts & database servers in the enterprise, but they couldn't bring the price down to make it become profitable to everyone. Between them and Micron, they would have had the highest performing standard for storage, not only for servers, but even for client PCs. Also, they would have dominated it as being the sole providers of the storage at first, before they started licensing it out more. Intel was making billions; they should have kept it longer, even while they were losing on it. The long-term potential for the future could have made that the loss back. Instead, NAND still dominates, and we're faced with lower stuff like QLC & PLC. Ugh...

Oh well... such is life.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

Intel making bone head moves again.

They should license the Optane technology to ALL the competing memory manufacturers and let them innovate on it.

Just like Intel contributing ThunderBolt Interface to USB IF.

Intel trying to make this "Proprietary", kills off very good technology by being too expensive to sustain or innovate on.

Damn, such good technology going down the drain because of mismanagement for the top getting too greedy.

 

[slash3]

This was Optane memory and not Optane SSD.

Ryan Smith over at AnandTech has since confirmed with Intel that it is in fact Optane in its entirety that is being discontinued.

https://www.anandtech.com/show/17515/intel-to-wind-down-optane-memory-business

"Update: 6:40pm ET

Following our request, Intel has sent out a short statement on the Optane wind-down. While not offering much in the way of further details on Intel's exit, it does confirm that Intel is indeed exiting the entire Optane business.

We continue to rationalize our portfolio in support of our IDM 2.0 strategy. This includes evaluating divesting businesses that are either not sufficiently profitable or not core to our strategic objectives. After careful consideration, Intel plans to cease future product development within its Optane business. We are committed to supporting Optane customers through the transition."

 

[rluker5]

PCIe5 Optane SSDs would have been outstanding. At least mine will perform well until the PCIe and M.2 standards are obsolete. I noticed a deal about 6 months to a year ago where the 960GB 905p was selling for less than $500 from Newegg. I already had a 480GB 900p that I spent more for, but I couldn't pass it up. Maybe there will be a clearance sale.

 

[jeremyj_83]

Ryan Smith over at AnandTech has since confirmed with Intel that it is in fact Optane in its entirety that is being discontinued.

https://www.anandtech.com/show/17515/intel-to-wind-down-optane-memory-business

"Update: 6:40pm ET

Following our request, Intel has sent out a short statement on the Optane wind-down. While not offering much in the way of further details on Intel's exit, it does confirm that Intel is indeed exiting the entire Optane business.

It has been known for quite a while that Optane storage was going away. Back in the end of February Intel was selling off their fab.

 

[jeremyj_83]

I feel the irony in how Intel wants now to get back more local manufacturing/fabrication, but they let a local one of their own creation go previously. It's still a shame to me that they left Optane storage first, which was its best performer - more so than Optane memory. Optane was great for virtual hosts & database servers in the enterprise, but they couldn't bring the price down to make it become profitable to everyone. Between them and Micron, they would have had the highest performing standard for storage, not only for servers, but even for client PCs. Also, they would have dominated it as being the sole providers of the storage at first, before they started licensing it out more. Intel was making billions; they should have kept it longer, even while they were losing on it. The long-term potential for the future could have made that the loss back. Instead, NAND still dominates, and we're faced with lower stuff like QLC & PLC. Ugh...

Oh well... such is life.

I completely understand the sadness of Optane SSD going away. I have a full NVMe VMware vSAN Array at work that uses Optane 4800X for the write cache drive. The performance is absolutely amazing.

 

[rluker5]

I feel the irony in how Intel wants now to get back more local manufacturing/fabrication, but they let a local one of their own creation go previously. It's still a shame to me that they left Optane storage first, which was its best performer - more so than Optane memory. Optane was great for virtual hosts & database servers in the enterprise, but they couldn't bring the price down to make it become profitable to everyone. Between them and Micron, they would have had the highest performing standard for storage, not only for servers, but even for client PCs. Also, they would have dominated it as being the sole providers of the storage at first, before they started licensing it out more. Intel was making billions; they should have kept it longer, even while they were losing on it. The long-term potential for the future could have made that the loss back. Instead, NAND still dominates, and we're faced with lower stuff like QLC & PLC. Ugh...

Oh well... such is life.

Not the first time. I remember the Asus Zenfone2 and Leagoo T5c. I even picked up a T5c for my daughter (unfortunately she eventually broke the charge port). They ran comparably to upper midrange ARM at the same power draw while emulating ARM. They had better cpus than most of those cheap Windows tablets with the subsidized Atoms. All it would have taken to grab a niche big enough to make a small market is to have one brand of phone run desktop windows as well as those cheap tablets did and have a micro usb data/peripheral port. Or have some bootable bios that would let you install some x86/64 linux (although W8 was better suited for phones). Just one phone made somewhere in the world.

At least we may be getting back there with the handhelds. One just needs detachable sticks and a mobile broadband card.

 

[thestryker]

Hands down the best persistent storage technology on the market and while it would never get as cheap as NAND it could have gotten to a reasonable price had they developed it further. NAND will never be able to match its performance, and consumers will never be able to afford the exotic CXL based solutions which enterprise will use. I assumed when Micron sold off the fab that was the end, but it was all assured when they hired Gelsinger on for CEO as I believe he had said in the past that "Intel isn't a memory company".

We don't need more sequential read/write performance, but rather random and now the future looks dreary.

 

[rluker5]

PCIe5 Optane SSDs would have been outstanding. At least mine will perform well until the PCIe and M.2 standards are obsolete. I noticed a deal about 6 months to a year ago where the 960GB 905p was selling for less than $500 from Newegg. I already had a 480GB 900p that I spent more for, but I couldn't pass it up. Maybe there will be a clearance sale.

I just checked and the 960GB 905p U.2 is selling for $549.99 at Newegg. Has an M.2 adapter. Yes it is expensive and just PCIe3. Also needs SATA power into the adapter, which isn't pretty in terms of cable management. Just thought I'd bring it up. Don't make an emotional purchase.

 

[escksu]

Intel making bone head moves again.

They should license the Optane technology to ALL the competing memory manufacturers and let them innovate on it.

Just like Intel contributing ThunderBolt Interface to USB IF.

Intel trying to make this "Proprietary", kills off very good technology by being too expensive to sustain or innovate on.

Damn, such good technology going down the drain because of mismanagement for the top getting too greedy.

I am not sure if all manufacturers will be keen in Optane. Esp. since they have invested heavily in NAND. There is no reason to have Optane competing with SLC/MLC/TLC.

 

[-Fran-]

I find it ironic that my AMD Advatange laptop comes, in fact, with an Optane SSD (1TB). I guess I should be sad about it, but not really. CXL is the better way forward, much like USB4 is (over TB).

As it's been the theme the past few years (after Otellini, in fact): Intel's execution has left a lot on the table and more to be desired from it. Optane, in concept, you can absolutely say it's CXL's showcase and proof of concept. As someone said above, Intel would've made a lot more with the tech if they actually licensed it or opened it up. Short term greed obfuscated the long term profit here.

Regards.

 

[Johnlee_SZ]

Intel sends its 3D XPoint-powered Optane business off into the sunset.

Intel Kills Optane Memory Business for Good : Read more

Optane/3DXpoint technology should be focus on enterprise / datacenter storage. But the new PCM takes too much money to expand for lower cost, with too many masks and tow low stack (2 & 4 stacks) .
Check out DapuStor Xlenstor, it can replace Optane P4800x/P5800X perfectly.
https://www.storagereview.com/review/dapustor-x290...
Based on the optimized SLC (KIOXIA XL-FLASH), much easier for saling up and lowering the cost.

 

[2Be_or_Not2Be]

I find it ironic that my AMD Advatange laptop comes, in fact, with an Optane SSD (1TB). I guess I should be sad about it, but not really. CXL is the better way forward, much like USB4 is (over TB).

That's incredible. The drive was probably worth more than the laptop, if that was indeed a full Optane 1TB storage drive. I have no idea how that would ever have been a normal storage option in a laptop. Wow!

 

[jeremyj_83]

I am not sure if all manufacturers will be keen in Optane. Esp. since they have invested heavily in NAND. There is no reason to have Optane competing with SLC/MLC/TLC.

Optane SSD was the best of those techs. The best use case for Optane was/is as a write cache drive in Hyperconverged storage arrays. You cannot beat its low QD write performance. Plus the endurance makes sure that even if you have a write heavy DB on that array you won't have to worry about your cache drive dying due to writes. FYI I run a datacenter that has two Hyperconverged storage solutions. One is a software defined storage (SDS) with all flash and uses DRAM for cache. The other is a VMware vSAN array that is all flash with Optane 4800X as the write cache. The vSAN array is noticeably faster for everything but especially for writes.

 

[jeremyj_83]

I find it ironic that my AMD Advatange laptop comes, in fact, with an Optane SSD (1TB). I guess I should be sad about it, but not really. CXL is the better way forward, much like USB4 is (over TB).

As it's been the theme the past few years (after Otellini, in fact): Intel's execution has left a lot on the table and more to be desired from it. Optane, in concept, you can absolutely say it's CXL's showcase and proof of concept. As someone said above, Intel would've made a lot more with the tech if they actually licensed it or opened it up. Short term greed obfuscated the long term profit here.

Regards.

Optane RAM vs Optane SSD is different. The Optane RAM was hamstrung by software and hardware. You were given two modes, Memory Mode and App Direct Mode. In memory mode VMware best practice had a 1:4 RAM to Optane RAM ratio. So if you used 128GB Optane DIMMs (smallest available) you would also have 32GB DRAM DIMMs. The problems came in the fact that a lot of production software didn't support memory mode and in order to use those Optane DIMMs you needed the L series CPUs. Another issue was 128GB LRDIMMs were only double the price of Optane so you could get all the advantages of DRAM instead for only "slightly" more cost. In App Direct mode things were better but you needed software to be aware of it to take advantage of the non-volatile nature.

For SSD Optane was the king of the hill. However, prices were never able to drop so general consumers never were able to afford it. That left the 900 series for the prosumer market but even prosumers were not always wanting to spend that money. In the end you were left with enterprise but Intel didn't do a good job marketing the drive. They should have been trying to get enterprise consumers to go away from fiber channel and go Hyperconverged with their Optane SSD for their write cache drives.

 

[passivecool]

Pat bleeds now from many wounds...
Nerds regret the choice.
Shareholders rejoice!

 

[-Fran-]

Optane RAM vs Optane SSD is different. The Optane RAM was hamstrung by software and hardware. You were given two modes, Memory Mode and App Direct Mode. In memory mode VMware best practice had a 1:4 RAM to Optane RAM ratio. So if you used 128GB Optane DIMMs (smallest available) you would also have 32GB DRAM DIMMs. The problems came in the fact that a lot of production software didn't support memory mode and in order to use those Optane DIMMs you needed the L series CPUs. Another issue was 128GB LRDIMMs were only double the price of Optane so you could get all the advantages of DRAM instead for only "slightly" more cost. In App Direct mode things were better but you needed software to be aware of it to take advantage of the non-volatile nature.

For SSD Optane was the king of the hill. However, prices were never able to drop so general consumers never were able to afford it. That left the 900 series for the prosumer market but even prosumers were always wanting to spend that money. In the end you were left with enterprise but Intel didn't do a good job marketing the drive. They should have been trying to get enterprise consumers to go away from fiber channel and go Hyperconverged with their Optane SSD for their write cache drives.

I know they're different; while I don't have great insight (or none at all) on Optane on the whole, I do have the basic grasp on the generalities of what it does and what it tried to do. I just made a very interesting observation (irony?) of my system which was "all AMD".

Regards.