optane vs ssd hd combo

[nyhcbri]

given the choice for a gaming laptop is there any benefit one over the other
1 TB 7200 rpm SATA; 16 GB PCIe NVMe Intel Optane
1 TB 7200 rpm SATA; 128 or 256 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD

 

[USAFRet]

given the choice for a gaming laptop is there any benefit one over the other
1 TB 7200 rpm SATA; 16 GB PCIe NVMe Intel Optane
1 TB 7200 rpm SATA; 128 or 256 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD

Option 2, the "1 TB 7200 rpm SATA; 128 or 256 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD"

Why?
The 256GB SSD will hold all your applications, and be fast across the whole 256GB space.
Most of the things that end up on your 1TB HDD won't benefit from the speed increase of the 16GB Optane cache.

 

[nyhcbri]

given the choice for a gaming laptop is there any benefit one over the other
1 TB 7200 rpm SATA; 16 GB PCIe NVMe Intel Optane
1 TB 7200 rpm SATA; 128 or 256 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD

Option 2, the "1 TB 7200 rpm SATA; 128 or 256 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD"

Why?
The 256GB SSD will hold all your applications, and be fast across the whole 256GB space.
Most of the things that end up on your 1TB HDD won't benefit from the speed increase of the 16GB Optane cache.

understood. so in this case the optane option is included and it would be 50$ for the 128 option and 210$ for the 256 option. im not sure why the jump is so significant from 128 to 256 and dont seem worth it but i assume after windows and a few game installs im certainly going to need the 256. i was hoping the optane would be speed wise the same and i can use the 1tb no problem. i just cant see adding 210$ being an upgrade for a chip that prob cost -100$

 

[USAFRet]

Yes, a 256GB NVMe drive costs around $100 currently (Fall 2018)
https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-970-EVO-250GB-MZ-V7E250BW/dp/B07BN5FJZQ

A 16GB Optane chip is significantly cheaper.


But...it is a significant difference in overall performance.
The Optane is siply a cache for the HDD. Whatever blocks (not files or applications) are used the most, end up in that 16GB cace space.
All else reads off the HDD at notmal slow HDD speeds.

For instance, going into a new game level. Read at standard HDD speed. Subsequent reads of those same blocks of data are read at the faster Optane speed. Until you go into a new level, which is again read at standard HDD speed.

The 256GB SSD is fast across the whole 256GB space. OS, applications, and a game or two will fit in that.

Solution?
Buy the laptop with only a 1TB HDD. Add your own 256GB NVMe drive later for $100.
That's what I would do.