Intel Optane persistent memory

Intel Optane persistent memory provides an alternative to DRAM with capacity of up to 512 GB. The product offers high performance and efficiency, helping to support applications such as in-memory databases, analytics and content delivery networks.

Persistent memory modules provide designers and developers with access to large memory capacity that can act as either volatile memory or a persistent, high-performance data tier. To simplify integration, the modules are DDR4 socket compatible and operate on the same bus/channels as DDR4 DRAM, enabling design flexibility when working with conventional DDR4 DRAM DIMMs on the same platform. The system’s administrator can configure the persistent memory to operate as volatile memory capacity indistinguishable from DRAM from a software perspective, or as non-volatile memory that retains its data like an SSD, but with 225 times faster data access than a typical NAND-based drive.

The memory modules are available in capacities of 128, 256 and 512 GB and are compatible with the 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processor family, allowing the development of up to eight-socket systems with up to 24 TB of system memory. The modules are said to enable higher system performance with larger memory with much higher endurance than NAND SSDs for write-intensive workloads.

The versatile device features two operating modes — App Direct Mode and Memory Mode — allowing users to tailor their persistent memory solutions to specific workloads. Operating at the intersection of memory and storage, the product supports the development of data-intensive use cases, while also driving infrastructure consolidation by maximising processor performance.