Evaluate whether Intel's 32 GB Optane is a good investment based on your needs and budget.
Evaluate whether Intel's 32 GB Optane is a good investment based on your needs and budget.
I was exploring using Optane to boost my existing hard drive, which contains everything from the operating system. Instead of purchasing a bigger SSD and swapping my HDD, I considered Optane as an option. My setup includes an Asus PRIME-Z270-A motherboard with an i7-7700k processor, so I believe it should work. Do you have any firsthand experience or know someone who has tried it? Would the cost of around $80 be justified? Also, are there other performance enhancers worth investigating besides Optane? Thanks!
Purchase a 500GB NVMe M.2 SSD, install the operating system and applications on it. Retain the HDD for storage. Spending $80 on 32GB is unnecessary.
I've experimented with boosting a game storage HD, but it wasn't worth the time or effort. The issue is similar to other caching systems—it's too small unless you repeatedly access the same data. In this case, switching to an OS SSD would be more beneficial for everyday use. You could easily purchase a 480-525GB class SSD, and it would extend to around 1TB. This setup lets you store performance-sensitive apps/data on the SSD while keeping the HD available for bulk storage. I haven't tried it myself, but a larger regular SSD from Primocache could be another choice if you want to avoid reinstalling.
I own a 16GB Optane drive in my laptop, paired with a 1TB hard disk. While it feels faster than regular hard drives, it’s still slower than a NVMe SSD. The choice is clear: you can store important files on the SSD and keep big files like games on the HDD (many people do this, but personal use isn’t ideal), or invest in an Optane module with a budget SSD like Performane for your 2TB drive. Unless you rely heavily on the full 2TB, Optane offers limited benefits.
Thanks for the feedback, it's good to know I came here before making a big purchase. Enjoy your shopping!