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Optane Memory Explaination Alienware Area 51 R5
When I configured my Alienware Area 51 R5 computer I purchased it with a 2TB M.2 drive which turns out to be a Toshiba KXG50PNV2T04 Drive and a mix of Hyundai and Micron DDR4-2666 chips. Even though I did not order the computer with any spinners, shouldn't the Optane Accelerator be on the motherboard? The website sure makes it look like you are getting all of this Intel Technology when you purchased it. The only thing Intel is the Core i9 7980XE on a Alienware Motherboard. And for an Optane Accelerator to work wouldn't I need another M.2 Slot?
I have added an Optane 280GB Optane 900P U.2 and 2 WD Gold 12TB Drives to the system.
Why does Dell present this information on the Alienware Area 51 R5 Product Details and not any mention on the configuration page where you purchase? If I understand this correctly, you would put the Optane Accelerator in the M.2 Slot to improve performance of a spinner. But you can't configure the computer that way.
What am I missing?
Configuration of my new Area 51 R5 computer:
How Optane Memory Works To Make Pancakes
Thanks!
LinkRS
43 Posts
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May 21st, 2018 07:00
Hi viscott,
Intel is making things confusing... Intel Optane Memory is the spinning disk accelerator (note the word memory), and the Intel Optane 280GB 900P is a storage device (really fast SSD). They are not used the same way. Up until a week or so ago, the largest Intel Optane Memory module you could get was 32 GBs, they just released a 64 GB module. You use these instead of a storage SSD, and they plug into the same M.2 slot that your SSD would. In other words you use either an Optane Memory device OR a storage device. If you already have a fast storage device (like your 900P), there is no reason to use/enable Optane memory anyway.
Just in case you are curious, Optane Memory is a technique where a small (64 GB or less) very fast Intel Optane drive is used as a pseudo-RAID 0 device for booting and frequently used applications. When it is enabled (through the Intel Rapid Storage driver an control panel), your boot files and commonly accessed programs are copied to the Optane module, which is accessed first, greatly speeding access up (compared to the spinning disk). The algorithm monitors your usage and copies the files to the Optane module, swapping out older things for newer things. This is not a true RAID 0, as loss of the data on the Optane module does not make it lost on your spinning disk, and it can be re-built. It is a non-destructive RAID 0 experience.
To make a long post short, you don't want to enable Optane Memory with your setup, as is not needed.
Rich S.