Solid state drives (SSDs) are an essential component of any computer system today, because their memory chips are just so much faster than the spinning metal discs of the still current mechanical drives (HDDs).
Ridiculously so, in fact: with entry-level SSDs sporting read and write speeds over five times faster than even the fastest mechanical hard drives, having one in your system is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
Limitations of NAND
Most of the SSDs you’ll find in stores today are based on NAND flash memory. While this has worked well for the past few years, NAND’s physical limitations have become apparent: it degrades over time as it’s written to and erased and thus has a limited lifespan, and scaling challenges limit flash-based drives’ maximum capacities even after shifting to 3D NAND (a newer, denser memory technology).
3D XPoint (Cross-Point)
To address the issues raised by NAND, Intel worked together with another memory-manufacturer to create a completely new type of memory, called 3D XPoint. 3D XPoint memory is faster than NAND (According to Intel , up to 1000x theoretically, but in reality it’s more like 10x according to Computer World), it doesn’t degrade over time nearly as much as NAND does and is thus much more durable, and it’s far more dense: each die on a 3D XPoint module can store up to 128GB of data.
Speed isn’t 3D XPoint’s unique selling point, however, as today’s NAND flash-based SSD’s are capable of read and write speeds in the 2000MB/s range (which is only just behind that of 3D XPoint SSDs).
Where 3D XPoint excels is in its 500k to 550k Inputs/Outputs Per Second (IOPS) and random 4K reads and writes, both of which are exceptional for consumer-aimed SSD’s and brilliant for accelerating datacentre workloads. It also boasts lower latencies and higher durability than NAND drives which makes it much faster than NAND based SSD’s.
What is Optane, and who is it for?
Optane is Intel’s branding for all of its 3D XPoint-based solid-state drives. The initial Optane products were boot-drive boosting 16GB and 32GB M.2 drives that functioned as fancy caches, but today, it’s possible to buy high-capacity Optane-branded NVMe SSDs that are aimed squarely at enthusiasts, creators, and business users alike.
These newer drives offer maximum storage performance, low latencies, and exceptional endurance for any individual system, as well as businesses looking to boost their datacentres’ storage array performance.
For Enthusiasts
Intel’s 900P SSD range covers enthusiasts. These blazing-fast drives come in 280GB and 480GB capacities, and to sweeten the deal further for the hardcore gaming crowd, Intel has thrown in space combat/trading/conquest game Star Citizen and a free Raven starship to go with it. Star Citizen is known to demand a lot from the systems that run it, and the 900P is, according to Intel, the ideal companion as it offers “…fast load times, rich content, and smooth gaming” – exactly the kind of performance Star Citizen players will appreciate.
For Business
On the business side, there’s the Intel Optane DC P4800X range of SSDs, designed specifically for datacentres. Available in 375GB and 750GB capacities, DC P4800X drives accelerate applications, reduce transaction costs for latency-sensitive workloads, and improve overall data center TCO.
Throw in a generous five-year warranty, and these SSDs provide a lot of value and peace of mind for end users and businesses alike.
Pricing and Availability
Naturally, exceptional performance does not come cheap: South Africans can expect to pay R7,000 and up for the 900P series, and more than R28,000 for the DC P4800X locally.
Intel Optane SSDs are available now through Rebeltech, WebAntics, Wootware and Loot.
