Best PCIe SSD: Intel Optane SSD DC 4800X Series – Product Overview and Insight

Enterprise Storage Forum content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

See our full list of 7 Best and Fastest SSDs

Bottom Line:

The Intel Optane SSD DC P4800X is best for buyers who require fast caching and fast storage to increase scale per server and reduce transaction costs for latency sensitive workloads.

For those with high write environments, the Optane can withstand intense write traffic that is typically demanded of memory. This includes online transaction processing (OLTP), high performance computing (HPC), write caching and logging. The Western Digital PC SN720 just beats it for raw throughput, but the enterprise credentials of the 4800X make it the best choice for enterprise storage workloads.

Product Description:

The Intel Optane SSD helps eliminate storage bottlenecks to enable bigger, more affordable data sets. It can accelerate applications, reduce transaction costs for latency-sensitive workloads, and improve overall data center TCO. The P4800X is a single port device. It is compatible with PCIe Gen3 x4 speeds. It is the only product on the market that utilizes 3D Xpoint technology and offers latency as low as 10 microseconds.

Based on 64-layer Intel 3D NAND TLC, it accelerates read-intensive workloads at higher service levels and improves overall system reliability and flexibility. SATA firmware adds compatibility with existing SATA arrays to make upgrades easy. Capacity ranges from 240 GB up to 7.68 TB in a standard 2.5-inch form factor. At the same time, these SSDs offer high performance and low power consumption. Those choosing to upgrade their storage arrays from HDDs to these SSDs can add hundreds of times more IOPS.

The flex workload feature of the Optane enables a common drive type to cover more workloads with flexible capacity, flexible endurance, and flexible power-efficient performance. Additionally, end-to-end data protection helps keep data safe regardless of power loss.

best ssd, intel optane

Features:

  • Form Factor: AIC and U.2 form factors
  • Capacity: 375 GB, 750 GB, and 1.5 TB
  • Random Read/Write: 550K IOPS
  • Throughput: 2.5 GB/s
  • Endurance: 160 Petabytes
  • Lifespan: Five years 
  • Data Protection: T10 DIF and TCG Opal 2.0
  • Data Management: QoS
  • NVMe: Supports NVMe 1.0

Key Markets and Use Cases:

The Intel Optane SSD DC P4800X is ideal for enterprise storage workloads that require fast read and write caching or a superfast storage tier to cope with the demands of OLTP and HPC operations.

Enterprises looking to replace Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) can turn to these efficient Intel SSDs as a way to reduce storage operating costs, accelerate read-intensive workloads. Those with aging arrays who wish to gain further value from them can swap out HDDs easily due to the SATA firmware which solves compatibility issues. Once the SSDs are installed, the firmware completes updates without reset in order to minimize downtime.

Another use case is applications that need high performance and low power consumption. With capacities topping out at 7.68TB in a 2.5-inch form factor, the drives consume up to 6 times less power and 6x less cooling requirements than 2.5-inch HDDs.

Warranty:

Five years.

Pricing:

Starting at $2,235.

Intel Optane 4800X PCIe

Product
Capacity 375 GB to 1.5 TB
Random Reads 550k
Random Writes 550k
Throughput 2.5 GB/s
Lifespan 160 PB, 5 years
Price $2,235
Category Best PCIe SSD
Key differentiator High read/write rates
Drew Robb
Drew Robb
Drew Robb is a contributing writer for Datamation, Enterprise Storage Forum, eSecurity Planet, Channel Insider, and eWeek. He has been reporting on all areas of IT for more than 25 years. He has a degree from the University of Strathclyde UK (USUK), and lives in the Tampa Bay area of Florida.

Get the Free Newsletter!

Subscribe to Cloud Insider for top news, trends, and analysis.

Latest Articles

15 Software Defined Storage Best Practices

Software Defined Storage (SDS) enables the use of commodity storage hardware. Learn 15 best practices for SDS implementation.

What is Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE)?

Fibre Channel Over Ethernet (FCoE) is the encapsulation and transmission of Fibre Channel (FC) frames over enhanced Ethernet networks, combining the advantages of Ethernet...

9 Types of Computer Memory Defined (With Use Cases)

Computer memory is a term for all of the types of data storage technology that a computer may use. Learn more about the X types of computer memory.