Question Intel Optane for now?

[mandevillejosh2]

Hi guys, I just recently did a full rig update, i9 9900k, brand new MSI motherboard (supports optane) and also bought 2, 2 TB hybrid drives to replace my main storage and game storage. I also just bought an intel Optane memory that will be arriving tomorrow. My question is this; I intend to purchase a 2TB M.2 SSD here in the next few months. I'd like to know how Intel Optane works with Hybrid drives and their similar function with Flash memory to access files quicker. If I need that M.2 slot with my 2TB M.2 SSD, what will happen to the cached files on Intel Optane? I can't justify spending another 200~ dollars on a WD 2TB M.2 at the moment. Hence why a 22USD Intel Optane looks very attractive. Let me know!

 

[Lutfij]

You've already bought the Optane memory module. In retrospect you'd have been better off getting an SSD, first for that M.2 slot on the board.

You may want to read through this to understand how Intel Optane works. Since then, people who have absolutely no budget for a stand alone SSD, opt for the Optane.

 

[R4DIO4CT1VE]

Intel Optane drives work similarly to hybrid drives, they both cache commonly used information/files for future use. Having both is probably unnecessary, although Optane is faster.

Having both optane and hybrid drives might give you more cache space, or i could see it as possible that the hybrid drives cache things that are already being cached in the optane drive... Things should be fast, but definitely not the best way to achieve it.

You probably bought things in the wrong order and there really is no reason to have hybrid drives or Optane if you are going to have a large m.2 drive anyways.

When you eventually switch to a m.2 drive, any data that was cached on the optane drive should still exist on your hybrid drives, it will just be your job to move them over to your m.2 drive or you can leave them to be dealt with by the hybrid drives.

 

[popatim]

Optane only cache's 1 of your HDD's.
Since the Optane is the larger cache (your HDD's only have 8gb cache) it will cache most of your files rendering the HDD's cache useless. The HDD will still cache stuff but the optane will also already have cached it so it will intercept the data request and the HDD cache wont get used. When you get the M2 drive and break the external cache-relationship with the HDD then it's cache will be useful again.