Inspiron 3670, Add SSD, already with Optane

You might want to read this for starters:  Inspiron 3670, are any M.2 NVME SSD's compatible?

Yes, those are your options.

It is answered here:

https://www.dell.com/community/Inspiron-Desktops/Inspiron-5680-M-2-SSD-or-Intel-Optane/td-p/6048001

For example, what if you had only this installed:
- a real PCIe/NVMe 512gb SSD
- 1gb spinning HDD

Would 512gb hold all your Windows, all Apps & Programs, and 3 favorite games? If so, all that can be very-very fast ... and the 1tb-HDD will just run at normal speed (for other large games, data files, and whatever) normal .

Ron: Thank you — very helpful for a rusty folk like me... really appreciate it  

Tesla 1856: Thank you. I don’t know how I missed this (maybe because I’m using a tablet or phone before I get my PC set up.). This is exactly my dilemma. I think I’m going to go with a 500G NVMe and ditch Optane From what I’ve read it’s faster and it sounds like installing a 2.5” is a bit of a PITA anyway (need to buy cables.). But I hate the idea of trashing Optane before it is even used!

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@Dave NY wrote:

1. I think I’m going to go with a 500G NVMe and ditch Optane

2. From what I’ve read it’s faster

3. and it sounds like installing a 2.5” is a bit of a PITA anyway (need to buy cables.).

4. But I hate the idea of trashing Optane before it is even used!

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1. Yeah, I think I would.

2. Right

3. Not really

4. So try it. Run Crystal DiskMark on it and see how fast it is.

I don't play with Oplame, but this is interesting now.

https://www.legitreviews.com/intel-optane-memory-tested-with-secondary-hard-drive_205254

But do we know this motherboard will support using Optane with a secondary hard drive?

Read this from Intel:  Secondary/Data SATA Drive Acceleration with Intel Optane Memory

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@RoHe wrote:

But do we know this motherboard will support using Optane with a secondary hard drive?

 

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No, I was just providing a link. And as I said, I don't play with Oplame.

Someone with this model (that wants this unusual config) will have to verify.

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@Tesla1856 wrote:

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@RoHe wrote:

But do we know this motherboard will support using Optane with a secondary hard drive?

 

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No, I was just providing a link. And as I said, I don't play with Oplame.

Someone with this model (that wants this unusual config) will have to verify.

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Wasn't meant to offend... I was just asking a question that anyone wanting to use Optane with a secondary SATA drive needs to investigate.

I'm not aware of any user on these forums who is using Optane with a secondary drive. Probably will need a BIOS update from Dell...

And the plot thickens... one more reason to abandon the Optane card.

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@RoHe wrote:

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@Tesla1856 wrote:

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@RoHe wrote:

But do we know this motherboard will support using Optane with a secondary hard drive?

 

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No, I was just providing a link. And as I said, I don't play with Oplame.

Someone with this model (that wants this unusual config) will have to verify.

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Wasn't meant to offend... I was just asking a question that anyone wanting to use Optane with a secondary SATA drive needs to investigate.

I'm not aware of any user on these forums who is using Optane with a secondary drive. Probably will need a BIOS update from Dell...

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I have the Inspiron 3670 i5-8400, 8 Gb ram, which came with the 1 Tb hard drive + 16 Gb Optane Memory cache. I installed a 500 Gb Samsung 860 Evo ssd for the boot drive and am using the 1 Tb hdd as the data drive. So it appears that my Optane Memory card is no longer being utilized to any effect. I posed the question about using the Optane card to support the secondary drive to Dell technical support, and was told that it would not work. But I emailed him the link provided by RoHe and asked him about it, and will report back. The following link states that the Optane Memory card will only support the boot drive.

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@RoHe wrote:
It may be motherboard specific, but Intel says it can support a secondary HDD. It can also support a primary SSD too, though the speed enhancement for an SSD is less than for a HDD.

How to Determine System Acceleration is Active with Intel® Optane™ Memory
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000023991/memory-and-storage/intel-optane-memory.html

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Thanks for the link RoHe. Interestingly, when I follow method 1 in the link, I see "Intel Optane + 932 Gb hdd" listed under disk drives in Device Manager, which is my secondary drive. "Samsung SSD 860 Evo 500 Gb" is listed second (my boot drive) and my external hard drive is listed third.  According to the link, this implies that, contrary to what I assumed and had been told, the Optane Memory cache is supporting the secondary hdd, even though I did not set that up. I had thought that I would need to install either the Intel Optane Memory user interface or the Intel Rapid Storage Technology user interface before I could direct the Optane card to the secondary drive. I went to try the next two methods listed in the link but was unable to find the user interfaces on my computer.

I have been thinking of installing the Rapid Intel Storage F6 drivers to support AHCI nd switching from the current RAID Sata controller configuration in order to take advantage of native command queuing for the ssd. However, if the Optane Memory is enhancing the secondary hdd, that would be a reason for sticking with the current RAID configuration, since Optane Memory requires RAID. I sent the link RoHe provided earlier about using Optane Memory to support a secondary hdd to the Dell technical support rep that I've been speaking with. He thanked me for it and said that this was new information for him. I'll report back on any new information I learn about this.

Don't have any hands-on with Optane, but if the secondary HDD is being supported without you having configured it that way, I wonder if Optane automatically defaults to supporting the HDD.

And it that case, you might have specifically configure it to support a boot SSD while performing a clean Win 10 installation on that SSD. 

Why not just leave it the way it is and get on with using it, instead of pouring lots of time into a black box. :Idea:

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@RoHe wrote:

Don't have any hands-on with Optane, but if the secondary HDD is being supported without you having configured it that way, I wonder if Optane automatically defaults to supporting the HDD.

And it that case, you might have specifically configure it to support a boot SSD while performing a clean Win 10 installation on that SSD. 

Why not just leave it the way it is and get on with using it, instead of pouring lots of time into a black box. :Idea:

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I think that the information that Optane Memory only supports the boot drive is wrong. On systems like mine, the hdd was meant to be the boot drive and is supported by the Optane Memory card. When I installed the ssd, I disconnected the hdd, connected the ssd to the sata data port originally connected to the hdd, installed the OS, rebooted to the ssd, and eventually reconnected the hdd to another sata data port. I think you're right that the Optane Memory card remained "connected" to the hdd. And now that I'm convinced that the Optane cache is serving a useful purpose, and since the system is running nicely, I'm going to leave the sata controller configuration in RAID, and yes, get on with using the computer for all the reasons I got it for! Thanks again for the help.

You may have needed to break the "RAID" between the HDD and Optane, before you installed the SSD etc. But since you didn't, Optane stayed linked to the HDD.

Anyway, enjoy the new toy, and please mark this thread "Answered" if your questions have been solved.

I have a question for all of you....I have the Inspiron 15 5582 2-in-1. It has Optane Memory (M.2 slot). Can i swap that out for an M.2 SSD?