The newest iteration of Intel’s Optane Memory SSD caching is right here. The new Optane Memory H20 is 2 NVMe drives in a single, combining a 1TB QLC drive (derived from their latest 670p) with an up to date 32GB Optane cache drive, all on one M.2 card. We’re additionally having a look on the Enmotus FuzeDrive SSD, a special tackle the two-drives-in-one concept that augments its QLC with a devoted pool of quick SLC NAND flash. Each of those drives is paired with software program to intelligently handle information placement, placing heavily-used information on the sooner, higher-endurance storage media. The general objective of the 2 merchandise is similar: to mix the inexpensive capability of QLC NAND with the high-end efficiency and write endurance of SLC NAND or 3D XPoint reminiscence.
SSD Caching History
There is a protracted historical past behind the overall concept of mixing quick and gradual storage units into one pool of storage that does not require finish customers to manually handle information placement. Caching of information in RAM is ubiquitous with CPUs having a number of ranges of cache, and exhausting drives and a few SSDs additionally having their very own RAM caches, however all of these are short-term by nature. Persistent caches utilizing a sooner type of non-volatile storage has by no means been fairly as pervasive, however there have been loads of examples over time.
In the patron house, caching was of nice curiosity when SSDs first began to go mainstream: they have been far sooner than exhausting drives, however not but giant sufficient for use as an entire substitute for exhausting drives. Intel applied Smart Response Technology (SRT) into their Rapid Storage Technology (RST) drivers beginning a decade in the past with the Z68 chipset for Sandy Bridge. Hard drive producers additionally launched hybrid drives, however with such pitifully small NAND flash caches that they weren’t of a lot use.
More lately, the migration of SSDs to retailer extra bits of information per bodily reminiscence cell has led to shopper SSDs implementing their very own clear caching. All shopper SSDs utilizing TLC or QLC NAND handle a cache layer that operates a portion of the storage as SLC (or sometimes MLC)—much less dense, however sooner.
Optane Memory
Intel made one other large push for SSD caching with their first Optane units to hit the patron market: tiny M.2 drives outfitted with the promising new 3D XPoint reminiscence, and reasonably confusingly branded Optane Memory as in the event that they have been DRAM options as a substitute of NVMe SSDs. Intel initially pitched these as cache units to be used in entrance of exhausting drives. The implementation of Optane Memory constructed on their RST work, however got here with new platform necessities: motherboard firmware had to have the ability to perceive the caching system with the intention to correctly load an working system from a cached quantity, and that firmware assist was solely offered on Kaby Lake and newer platforms. The Optane + exhausting drive technique by no means noticed big success; the persevering with transition to TLC NAND meant SSDs that have been sufficiently big and quick sufficient grew to become extensively inexpensive. Multiple-drive caching setups have been additionally a poor match for the scale and energy constraints of notebooks. Optane caching in entrance of TLC NAND was attainable, however not likely value the associated fee and complexity, particularly with SLC caching working fairly nicely for mainstream single-drive setups.
QLC NAND offered a brand new alternative for Optane caching, resulting in the Optane Memory H10 and the brand new Optane Memory H20 we’re reviewing right now. These squeeze Intel’s shopper QLC drives (660p and 670p respectively) and one in all their Optane Memory cache drives onto a single M.2 card. This requires a considerably non-standard interface; most methods can’t detect each units and can be capable to entry both the QLC or the Optane facet of the drive, however not each. Some Intel shopper platforms beginning with Coffee Lake have the potential…
