375GB Ram Possible With Intel Optane SSD

With computer software becoming more demanding in terms of processing power, the thought of a RAM that could go as high as 375GB is practically a necessity, at this point. Short of government supercomputers, however, this kind of muscle is difficult to obtain. Thanks to the new Optane SSD that Intel developed, this might not be the case for long.

The product’s official name is the Optane SSD DC P4800X, Ars Technica reports. It’s the first ever large memory storage tech under the Optane brand and is made using the 3D XPoint memory technology. With this being a relatively new venture for Intel, it’s to be expected that there may be a few issues that users might object to. However, with 375GB of high-speed memory that can also be used as the RAM, it’s a prospect worth thinking about.

First, there are a few notable aspects of the 3D XPoint system that users need to take into account. For starters, how it works or how it is made are still a mystery. However, it is said to be considerably more resistance to data corruption, which gives it plenty of appeal among hardcore users.

Looking at the specs, what stands out most would have to be the low latency, along with the considerable endurance of the Optane SSD. This makes it a great choice for caching needs or for use by database servers. Also, thanks to what Intel calls the "Memory Drive Technology," it can be turned into a RAM by pairing it with a Xeon processor and the right chipset.

As for the price, customers are looking at a hefty $1,520 for the SSD, PC World reports. This is only for the 375GB unit, though. Intel will also be releasing 750GB and 1.5TB models separately throughout the year. With Optane SSDs being touted as 10 times faster than conventional SSDs, perhaps the price tag might not be so unreasonable, after all.