Intel’s newest SSD blends low-latency Optane reminiscence with QLC NAND

Intel is mixing Optane reminiscence with QLC 3D NAND flash right into a single strong state M.2 drive. The Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage – henceforth often known as Intel H10 as a result of I’m lazy – is focusing on customers that want the responsiveness of Optane however the capability of QLC flash.

It’s an attention-grabbing combo, and one that only a few different producers have the flexibility to duplicate. Intel and Micron introduced 3D XPoint again in 2015, the reminiscence tech on the core of Intel Optane, which they touted as being a revolutionary new reminiscence class able to low-latency functions. Since then it’s made its manner into some diddy HDD supercharger drives and expensive high-performance skilled SSDs.

Nowadays Micron and Intel have determined to go it alone, with Micron taking full custody of their shared reminiscence fabs. But Intel remains to be dedicated to the tech, a minimum of in the intervening time, packaging it with high-capacity QLC for a extra inexpensive drive. QLC is near-enough the polar reverse of Optane, a four-bit, low value SSD NAND flash that’s slower and fewer dependable than its TLC, MLC, and SLC siblings, however is ready to provide excessive cell density for affordable.

So Intel’s H10 drive is break up proper down the center. On one aspect you’ve bought the Intel Optane reminiscence and controller, and on the opposite QLC flash and its personal bespoke controller. Each with entry to half the bandwidth of the PCIe x4 connection.

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Intel’s H10 drive is obtainable in three capacities: 16GB Optane + 256GB QLC, 32GB Optane + 512GB QLC, and 32GB Optane + 1TB QLC.

And Intel’s highlighting low queue depth efficiency with the H10. Queue depth is a reasonably easy idea: the variety of I/O operations pending on a drive. Some drives are optimised for top queue depths, however Intel’s personal in-house benchmarking suggests roughly 90% of functions function at a queue depth of 1 – 2 to your common consumer. Hence, it’s hoping that chunk of Intel Optane reminiscence will show helpful to the consumer market.

But there are just a few caveats. As with all Optane reminiscence merchandise, these are Intel ecosystem exclusives. That means you will want an Intel Coffee Lake chip, eighth or ninth Gen, with appropriate 300-series motherboard to function an Intel H10 drive. Intel has additionally confirmed “upcoming platform support planned”, which seemingly means these drives will help future ninth gen chips and probably Intel Comet Lake.

It’s additionally an M.2 2280 single-sided drive, so that you’ll want a spare PCIe slot, rated to PCIe 3.zero x4, out there in your board.

But we don’t but have a value for Intel’s H10 drive. OEMs will start transport product with programs beginning Q2, 2019, so we should wait and see what kind of value premium Intel’s OEMs will connect to this hybrid drive as soon as they begin transport. Hopefully then we may give this drive a whirl for ourselves and see how that touted system responsiveness and low-latency shapes up in opposition to the best SSDs in gaming.