Can Intel Optane memory compensate for less RAM?
I currently have a laptop that is about two years old, and has 8 GB of RAM. I use my laptop for internet browsing, productivity applications, and programming, including data science within Spyder or RStudio.
I usually sit around 65% memory usage, or 5 GB roughly.
I recently purchased, but haven't yet received, a laptop which has 4 GB of standard RAM, and 16 GB of Intel Optane memory. The laptop was marketed as having 20 GB of RAM, but after reading more about Optane memory, it seems that it serves more as a low-latency cache than as RAM.
For the purpose of running several memory-intensive programs simultaneously (e.g. browser with many tabs, data science IDEs) which average 5 GB of RAM usage, will decreasing RAM from 8 GB to 4 GB but adding 16 GB of Optane memory cause a performance slowdown?
Here's a snapshot of my current memory profile if it's helpful:
windows-10 memory hardware-rec optane
asked yesterday
N4v
23936
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|
show 5 more comments
I currently have a laptop that is about two years old, and has 8 GB of RAM. I use my laptop for internet browsing, productivity applications, and programming, including data science within Spyder or RStudio.
I usually sit around 65% memory usage, or 5 GB roughly.
I recently purchased, but haven't yet received, a laptop which has 4 GB of standard RAM, and 16 GB of Intel Optane memory. The laptop was marketed as having 20 GB of RAM, but after reading more about Optane memory, it seems that it serves more as a low-latency cache than as RAM.
For the purpose of running several memory-intensive programs simultaneously (e.g. browser with many tabs, data science IDEs) which average 5 GB of RAM usage, will decreasing RAM from 8 GB to 4 GB but adding 16 GB of Optane memory cause a performance slowdown?
Here's a snapshot of my current memory profile if it's helpful:
windows-10 memory hardware-rec optane
asked yesterday
N4v
23936
New contributor
N4v is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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4
I'm no expert, but your question made me curious, so thanks! There's a helpful article about this here. It suggests to me that 4gb RAM + 16gb Optane memory wouldn't be ideal as compared to 8gb RAM.
– Steve Rindsberg
yesterday
1
That's a really interesting question. However, 4GB of RAM seems to be not enough. I would expect from an answer to explain how a semi-cache memory like Optane improves performance in relation to the RAM size.
– zx485
yesterday
1
My Dell W7 64 bit workstation has 8 cores and 16GB of DDram. It is overkill for most office apps, but when using LabVIEW as a video editor or even Photoshop I can use up 6 to 10GB very fast, mostly as buffers for compositing frames. If you plan to work with video, get at least 16 to 32GB of DDram.
– Sparky256
13 hours ago
1
From reading on how it works, Optane makes sense if your machine don't use SSD but your workload needs to do a lot of disk access. If your workload needs a lot of RAM, then Optane will be much slower compared to adding real RAM. AFAICS, Optane is meant to fill a gap for budget systems that don't use SSD but requires the performance of SSD. I'd suggest that if you're going to reinstall a new system on a new hard-disk but thinks that going full SSD is too expensive for your storage requirement, you might as well get a Hybrid SSD+HD, it's simpler and have much of the same benefits.
– Lie Ryan
11 hours ago
1
@Maw Arrghh. Sorry, here's the new improved here: howtogeek.com/317294/what-is-intel-optane-memory
– Steve Rindsberg
3 hours ago
|
show 5 more comments
I currently have a laptop that is about two years old, and has 8 GB of RAM. I use my laptop for internet browsing, productivity applications, and programming, including data science within Spyder or RStudio.
I usually sit around 65% memory usage, or 5 GB roughly.
I recently purchased, but haven't yet received, a laptop which has 4 GB of standard RAM, and 16 GB of Intel Optane memory. The laptop was marketed as having 20 GB of RAM, but after reading more about Optane memory, it seems that it serves more as a low-latency cache than as RAM.
For the purpose of running several memory-intensive programs simultaneously (e.g. browser with many tabs, data science IDEs) which average 5 GB of RAM usage, will decreasing RAM from 8 GB to 4 GB but adding 16 GB of Optane memory cause a performance slowdown?
Here's a snapshot of my current memory profile if it's helpful:
windows-10 memory hardware-rec optane
asked yesterday
N4v
23936
New contributor
N4v is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I currently have a laptop that is about two years old, and has 8 GB of RAM. I use my laptop for internet browsing, productivity applications, and programming, including data science within Spyder or RStudio.
I usually sit around 65% memory usage, or 5 GB roughly.
I recently purchased, but haven't yet received, a laptop which has 4 GB of standard RAM, and 16 GB of Intel Optane memory. The laptop was marketed as having 20 GB of RAM, but after reading more about Optane memory, it seems that it serves more as a low-latency cache than as RAM.
For the purpose of running several memory-intensive programs simultaneously (e.g. browser with many tabs, data science IDEs) which average 5 GB of RAM usage, will decreasing RAM from 8 GB to 4 GB but adding 16 GB of Optane memory cause a performance slowdown?
Here's a snapshot of my current memory profile if it's helpful:
windows-10 memory hardware-rec optane
windows-10 memory hardware-rec optane
asked yesterday
N4v
23936
New contributor
N4v is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked yesterday
N4v
23936
New contributor
N4v is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 4 hours ago
asked yesterday
N4v
23936
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asked yesterday
N4v
23936
asked yesterday
N4v
23936
23936
New contributor
N4v is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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New contributor
N4v is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
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Check out our Code of Conduct.
4
I'm no expert, but your question made me curious, so thanks! There's a helpful article about this here. It suggests to me that 4gb RAM + 16gb Optane memory wouldn't be ideal as compared to 8gb RAM.
– Steve Rindsberg
yesterday
1
That's a really interesting question. However, 4GB of RAM seems to be not enough. I would expect from an answer to explain how a semi-cache memory like Optane improves performance in relation to the RAM size.
– zx485
yesterday
1
My Dell W7 64 bit workstation has 8 cores and 16GB of DDram. It is overkill for most office apps, but when using LabVIEW as a video editor or even Photoshop I can use up 6 to 10GB very fast, mostly as buffers for compositing frames. If you plan to work with video, get at least 16 to 32GB of DDram.
– Sparky256
13 hours ago
1
From reading on how it works, Optane makes sense if your machine don't use SSD but your workload needs to do a lot of disk access. If your workload needs a lot of RAM, then Optane will be much slower compared to adding real RAM. AFAICS, Optane is meant to fill a gap for budget systems that don't use SSD but requires the performance of SSD. I'd suggest that if you're going to reinstall a new system on a new hard-disk but thinks that going full SSD is too expensive for your storage requirement, you might as well get a Hybrid SSD+HD, it's simpler and have much of the same benefits.
– Lie Ryan
11 hours ago
1
@Maw Arrghh. Sorry, here's the new improved here: howtogeek.com/317294/what-is-intel-optane-memory
– Steve Rindsberg
3 hours ago
|
show 5 more comments
4
I'm no expert, but your question made me curious, so thanks! There's a helpful article about this here. It suggests to me that 4gb RAM + 16gb Optane memory wouldn't be ideal as compared to 8gb RAM.
– Steve Rindsberg
yesterday
1
That's a really interesting question. However, 4GB of RAM seems to be not enough. I would expect from an answer to explain how a semi-cache memory like Optane improves performance in relation to the RAM size.
– zx485
yesterday
1
My Dell W7 64 bit workstation has 8 cores and 16GB of DDram. It is overkill for most office apps, but when using LabVIEW as a video editor or even Photoshop I can use up 6 to 10GB very fast, mostly as buffers for compositing frames. If you plan to work with video, get at least 16 to 32GB of DDram.
– Sparky256
13 hours ago
1
From reading on how it works, Optane makes sense if your machine don't use SSD but your workload needs to do a lot of disk access. If your workload needs a lot of RAM, then Optane will be much slower compared to adding real RAM. AFAICS, Optane is meant to fill a gap for budget systems that don't use SSD but requires the performance of SSD. I'd suggest that if you're going to reinstall a new system on a new hard-disk but thinks that going full SSD is too expensive for your storage requirement, you might as well get a Hybrid SSD+HD, it's simpler and have much of the same benefits.
– Lie Ryan
11 hours ago
1
@Maw Arrghh. Sorry, here's the new improved here: howtogeek.com/317294/what-is-intel-optane-memory
– Steve Rindsberg
3 hours ago
4
4
I'm no expert, but your question made me curious, so thanks! There's a helpful article about this here. It suggests to me that 4gb RAM + 16gb Optane memory wouldn't be ideal as compared to 8gb RAM.
– Steve Rindsberg
yesterday
I'm no expert, but your question made me curious, so thanks! There's a helpful article about this here. It suggests to me that 4gb RAM + 16gb Optane memory wouldn't be ideal as compared to 8gb RAM.
– Steve Rindsberg
yesterday
1
1
That's a really interesting question. However, 4GB of RAM seems to be not enough. I would expect from an answer to explain how a semi-cache memory like Optane improves performance in relation to the RAM size.
– zx485
yesterday
That's a really interesting question. However, 4GB of RAM seems to be not enough. I would expect from an answer to explain how a semi-cache memory like Optane improves performance in relation to the RAM size.
– zx485
yesterday
1
1
My Dell W7 64 bit workstation has 8 cores and 16GB of DDram. It is overkill for most office apps, but when using LabVIEW as a video editor or even Photoshop I can use up 6 to 10GB very fast, mostly as buffers for compositing frames. If you plan to work with video, get at least 16 to 32GB of DDram.
– Sparky256
13 hours ago
My Dell W7 64 bit workstation has 8 cores and 16GB of DDram. It is overkill for most office apps, but when using LabVIEW as a video editor or even Photoshop I can use up 6 to 10GB very fast, mostly as buffers for compositing frames. If you plan to work with video, get at least 16 to 32GB of DDram.
– Sparky256
13 hours ago
1
1
From reading on how it works, Optane makes sense if your machine don't use SSD but your workload needs to do a lot of disk access. If your workload needs a lot of RAM, then Optane will be much slower compared to adding real RAM. AFAICS, Optane is meant to fill a gap for budget systems that don't use SSD but requires the performance of SSD. I'd suggest that if you're going to reinstall a new system on a new hard-disk but thinks that going full SSD is too expensive for your storage requirement, you might as well get a Hybrid SSD+HD, it's simpler and have much of the same benefits.
– Lie Ryan
11 hours ago
From reading on how it works, Optane makes sense if your machine don't use SSD but your workload needs to do a lot of disk access. If your workload needs a lot of RAM, then Optane will be much slower compared to adding real RAM. AFAICS, Optane is meant to fill a gap for budget systems that don't use SSD but requires the performance of SSD. I'd suggest that if you're going to reinstall a new system on a new hard-disk but thinks that going full SSD is too expensive for your storage requirement, you might as well get a Hybrid SSD+HD, it's simpler and have much of the same benefits.
– Lie Ryan
11 hours ago
1
1
@Maw Arrghh. Sorry, here's the new improved here: howtogeek.com/317294/what-is-intel-optane-memory
– Steve Rindsberg
3 hours ago
@Maw Arrghh. Sorry, here's the new improved here: howtogeek.com/317294/what-is-intel-optane-memory
– Steve Rindsberg
3 hours ago
|
show 5 more comments
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
Intel Optane "memory" is a misnomer. It is just a cache memory card that can turn
a simple hard disk into a hybrid disk, by adding a RAM cache that can work at the
speed of an SSD disk.
Optane memory isn’t a random-access computer memory, or RAM.
Instead, it's meant to work as a cache memory bridge between RAM and storage,
allowing for faster data transfer between the memory, storage, and processor.
As such, it's magnitudes faster than a spinning hard drive and can work at the
speed of a budget SSD. And like SSD, it doesn’t erase itself when powered off.
Conclusion: You did make a mistake by falling for a commercial hype.
In addition, 4 GB of RAM is ridiculously low in our current state of hardware
and software. I would advise canceling the order for this laptop,
if you still can.
answered yesterday
harrymc
253k12263564
1
@BloodPhilia: What part don't you agree with?
– harrymc
yesterday
10
@BloodPhilia: Like what?
– harrymc
yesterday
3
Good answer. +1. Additionally, I would like to suggest this article, which compares access speeds to human reference scale, from 1 clock cycle -> 1 second, RAM -> 4 minutes and Optane -> 7 hours. This really shows how much scale difference there is between for example L1 cache and disk access speeds...
– agtoever
yesterday
3
It's not actually a misnomer, since there's a version that uses DDR4 interface and replaces actual RAM arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/05/…
– phuclv
17 hours ago
3
@iBug It is. For a new device, which is what this question is about. Especially if, as in this case, the older laptop had twice as much RAM.
– Kakturus
11 hours ago
|
show 5 more comments
The other answers cover the gist of the situation but I'd like to add some context.
For a long time, RAM has been often called 'memory' in laptops targeted at the layperson. This is usually helpful and hasn't caused issues, until recently. The same companies that started this practice are now lumping Optane cache and RAM under the same name 'memory' with the intention of tricking you into thinking that the laptop has more RAM than it actually has. Optane technology is still relatively new and unknown so this deception is very easy to fall for. Looking deeper into a product listing will usually reveal the truth.
Optane cache doesn't, and wasn't meant to, replace RAM. They both help speed up a computer, but operate differently and in different situations. Having Optane won't alleviate the heavy slowdown of only having 4GB of RAM when normal use requires at least 5GB.
You've fallen victim to intentionally deceptive marketing. I recommend purchasing a different laptop (with 8GB or more of RAM) to satisfy your use case. Perhaps one from a more upfront manufacturer.
answered 17 hours ago
sm9sn1
1113
New contributor
sm9sn1 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
Only 4 GB? I hate to break it to you, but to the full extent of my knowledge (which isn't much) Intel Optane is not like memory aka RAM; it's like an SSD that takes the applications you use most and puts them on a faster drive so they load faster.
So an Intel Optane drive might eliminate the need for an SSD (please feel free to correct me on this). Your manufacturer probably put an Optane drive in your laptop and marketed it as RAM because 20 GB of Intel Optane is cheaper than 20 GB of RAM*, but maybe you can manually change the RAM to 8 GB for about $80.
*24 GB of laptop RAM $182
24 GB of laptop RAM
4 GB of laptop RAM and 16 GB of Intel Optane memory $87
laptop RAM
Intel Optane memory
edited 14 hours ago
iBug
2,36941739
answered 20 hours ago
rpi-noob
301
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3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
Intel Optane "memory" is a misnomer. It is just a cache memory card that can turn
a simple hard disk into a hybrid disk, by adding a RAM cache that can work at the
speed of an SSD disk.
Optane memory isn’t a random-access computer memory, or RAM.
Instead, it's meant to work as a cache memory bridge between RAM and storage,
allowing for faster data transfer between the memory, storage, and processor.
As such, it's magnitudes faster than a spinning hard drive and can work at the
speed of a budget SSD. And like SSD, it doesn’t erase itself when powered off.
Conclusion: You did make a mistake by falling for a commercial hype.
In addition, 4 GB of RAM is ridiculously low in our current state of hardware
and software. I would advise canceling the order for this laptop,
if you still can.
answered yesterday
harrymc
253k12263564
1
@BloodPhilia: What part don't you agree with?
– harrymc
yesterday
10
@BloodPhilia: Like what?
– harrymc
yesterday
3
Good answer. +1. Additionally, I would like to suggest this article, which compares access speeds to human reference scale, from 1 clock cycle -> 1 second, RAM -> 4 minutes and Optane -> 7 hours. This really shows how much scale difference there is between for example L1 cache and disk access speeds...
– agtoever
yesterday
3
It's not actually a misnomer, since there's a version that uses DDR4 interface and replaces actual RAM arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/05/…
– phuclv
17 hours ago
3
@iBug It is. For a new device, which is what this question is about. Especially if, as in this case, the older laptop had twice as much RAM.
– Kakturus
11 hours ago
|
show 5 more comments
Intel Optane "memory" is a misnomer. It is just a cache memory card that can turn
a simple hard disk into a hybrid disk, by adding a RAM cache that can work at the
speed of an SSD disk.
Optane memory isn’t a random-access computer memory, or RAM.
Instead, it's meant to work as a cache memory bridge between RAM and storage,
allowing for faster data transfer between the memory, storage, and processor.
As such, it's magnitudes faster than a spinning hard drive and can work at the
speed of a budget SSD. And like SSD, it doesn’t erase itself when powered off.
Conclusion: You did make a mistake by falling for a commercial hype.
In addition, 4 GB of RAM is ridiculously low in our current state of hardware
and software. I would advise canceling the order for this laptop,
if you still can.
answered yesterday
harrymc
253k12263564
1
@BloodPhilia: What part don't you agree with?
– harrymc
yesterday
10
@BloodPhilia: Like what?
– harrymc
yesterday
3
Good answer. +1. Additionally, I would like to suggest this article, which compares access speeds to human reference scale, from 1 clock cycle -> 1 second, RAM -> 4 minutes and Optane -> 7 hours. This really shows how much scale difference there is between for example L1 cache and disk access speeds...
– agtoever
yesterday
3
It's not actually a misnomer, since there's a version that uses DDR4 interface and replaces actual RAM arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/05/…
– phuclv
17 hours ago
3
@iBug It is. For a new device, which is what this question is about. Especially if, as in this case, the older laptop had twice as much RAM.
– Kakturus
11 hours ago
|
show 5 more comments
Intel Optane "memory" is a misnomer. It is just a cache memory card that can turn
a simple hard disk into a hybrid disk, by adding a RAM cache that can work at the
speed of an SSD disk.
Optane memory isn’t a random-access computer memory, or RAM.
Instead, it's meant to work as a cache memory bridge between RAM and storage,
allowing for faster data transfer between the memory, storage, and processor.
As such, it's magnitudes faster than a spinning hard drive and can work at the
speed of a budget SSD. And like SSD, it doesn’t erase itself when powered off.
Conclusion: You did make a mistake by falling for a commercial hype.
In addition, 4 GB of RAM is ridiculously low in our current state of hardware
and software. I would advise canceling the order for this laptop,
if you still can.
answered yesterday
harrymc
253k12263564
Intel Optane "memory" is a misnomer. It is just a cache memory card that can turn
a simple hard disk into a hybrid disk, by adding a RAM cache that can work at the
speed of an SSD disk.
Optane memory isn’t a random-access computer memory, or RAM.
Instead, it's meant to work as a cache memory bridge between RAM and storage,
allowing for faster data transfer between the memory, storage, and processor.
As such, it's magnitudes faster than a spinning hard drive and can work at the
speed of a budget SSD. And like SSD, it doesn’t erase itself when powered off.
Conclusion: You did make a mistake by falling for a commercial hype.
In addition, 4 GB of RAM is ridiculously low in our current state of hardware
and software. I would advise canceling the order for this laptop,
if you still can.
answered yesterday
harrymc
253k12263564
answered yesterday
harrymc
253k12263564
answered yesterday
harrymc
253k12263564
answered yesterday
harrymc
253k12263564
253k12263564
1
@BloodPhilia: What part don't you agree with?
– harrymc
yesterday
10
@BloodPhilia: Like what?
– harrymc
yesterday
3
Good answer. +1. Additionally, I would like to suggest this article, which compares access speeds to human reference scale, from 1 clock cycle -> 1 second, RAM -> 4 minutes and Optane -> 7 hours. This really shows how much scale difference there is between for example L1 cache and disk access speeds...
– agtoever
yesterday
3
It's not actually a misnomer, since there's a version that uses DDR4 interface and replaces actual RAM arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/05/…
– phuclv
17 hours ago
3
@iBug It is. For a new device, which is what this question is about. Especially if, as in this case, the older laptop had twice as much RAM.
– Kakturus
11 hours ago
|
show 5 more comments
1
@BloodPhilia: What part don't you agree with?
– harrymc
yesterday
10
@BloodPhilia: Like what?
– harrymc
yesterday
3
Good answer. +1. Additionally, I would like to suggest this article, which compares access speeds to human reference scale, from 1 clock cycle -> 1 second, RAM -> 4 minutes and Optane -> 7 hours. This really shows how much scale difference there is between for example L1 cache and disk access speeds...
– agtoever
yesterday
3
It's not actually a misnomer, since there's a version that uses DDR4 interface and replaces actual RAM arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/05/…
– phuclv
17 hours ago
3
@iBug It is. For a new device, which is what this question is about. Especially if, as in this case, the older laptop had twice as much RAM.
– Kakturus
11 hours ago
1
1
@BloodPhilia: What part don't you agree with?
– harrymc
yesterday
@BloodPhilia: What part don't you agree with?
– harrymc
yesterday
10
10
@BloodPhilia: Like what?
– harrymc
yesterday
@BloodPhilia: Like what?
– harrymc
yesterday
3
3
Good answer. +1. Additionally, I would like to suggest this article, which compares access speeds to human reference scale, from 1 clock cycle -> 1 second, RAM -> 4 minutes and Optane -> 7 hours. This really shows how much scale difference there is between for example L1 cache and disk access speeds...
– agtoever
yesterday
Good answer. +1. Additionally, I would like to suggest this article, which compares access speeds to human reference scale, from 1 clock cycle -> 1 second, RAM -> 4 minutes and Optane -> 7 hours. This really shows how much scale difference there is between for example L1 cache and disk access speeds...
– agtoever
yesterday
3
3
It's not actually a misnomer, since there's a version that uses DDR4 interface and replaces actual RAM arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/05/…
– phuclv
17 hours ago
It's not actually a misnomer, since there's a version that uses DDR4 interface and replaces actual RAM arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/05/…
– phuclv
17 hours ago
3
3
@iBug It is. For a new device, which is what this question is about. Especially if, as in this case, the older laptop had twice as much RAM.
– Kakturus
11 hours ago
@iBug It is. For a new device, which is what this question is about. Especially if, as in this case, the older laptop had twice as much RAM.
– Kakturus
11 hours ago
|
show 5 more comments
The other answers cover the gist of the situation but I'd like to add some context.
For a long time, RAM has been often called 'memory' in laptops targeted at the layperson. This is usually helpful and hasn't caused issues, until recently. The same companies that started this practice are now lumping Optane cache and RAM under the same name 'memory' with the intention of tricking you into thinking that the laptop has more RAM than it actually has. Optane technology is still relatively new and unknown so this deception is very easy to fall for. Looking deeper into a product listing will usually reveal the truth.
Optane cache doesn't, and wasn't meant to, replace RAM. They both help speed up a computer, but operate differently and in different situations. Having Optane won't alleviate the heavy slowdown of only having 4GB of RAM when normal use requires at least 5GB.
You've fallen victim to intentionally deceptive marketing. I recommend purchasing a different laptop (with 8GB or more of RAM) to satisfy your use case. Perhaps one from a more upfront manufacturer.
answered 17 hours ago
sm9sn1
1113
New contributor
sm9sn1 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
The other answers cover the gist of the situation but I'd like to add some context.
For a long time, RAM has been often called 'memory' in laptops targeted at the layperson. This is usually helpful and hasn't caused issues, until recently. The same companies that started this practice are now lumping Optane cache and RAM under the same name 'memory' with the intention of tricking you into thinking that the laptop has more RAM than it actually has. Optane technology is still relatively new and unknown so this deception is very easy to fall for. Looking deeper into a product listing will usually reveal the truth.
Optane cache doesn't, and wasn't meant to, replace RAM. They both help speed up a computer, but operate differently and in different situations. Having Optane won't alleviate the heavy slowdown of only having 4GB of RAM when normal use requires at least 5GB.
You've fallen victim to intentionally deceptive marketing. I recommend purchasing a different laptop (with 8GB or more of RAM) to satisfy your use case. Perhaps one from a more upfront manufacturer.
answered 17 hours ago
sm9sn1
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The other answers cover the gist of the situation but I'd like to add some context.
For a long time, RAM has been often called 'memory' in laptops targeted at the layperson. This is usually helpful and hasn't caused issues, until recently. The same companies that started this practice are now lumping Optane cache and RAM under the same name 'memory' with the intention of tricking you into thinking that the laptop has more RAM than it actually has. Optane technology is still relatively new and unknown so this deception is very easy to fall for. Looking deeper into a product listing will usually reveal the truth.
Optane cache doesn't, and wasn't meant to, replace RAM. They both help speed up a computer, but operate differently and in different situations. Having Optane won't alleviate the heavy slowdown of only having 4GB of RAM when normal use requires at least 5GB.
You've fallen victim to intentionally deceptive marketing. I recommend purchasing a different laptop (with 8GB or more of RAM) to satisfy your use case. Perhaps one from a more upfront manufacturer.
answered 17 hours ago
sm9sn1
1113
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The other answers cover the gist of the situation but I'd like to add some context.
For a long time, RAM has been often called 'memory' in laptops targeted at the layperson. This is usually helpful and hasn't caused issues, until recently. The same companies that started this practice are now lumping Optane cache and RAM under the same name 'memory' with the intention of tricking you into thinking that the laptop has more RAM than it actually has. Optane technology is still relatively new and unknown so this deception is very easy to fall for. Looking deeper into a product listing will usually reveal the truth.
Optane cache doesn't, and wasn't meant to, replace RAM. They both help speed up a computer, but operate differently and in different situations. Having Optane won't alleviate the heavy slowdown of only having 4GB of RAM when normal use requires at least 5GB.
You've fallen victim to intentionally deceptive marketing. I recommend purchasing a different laptop (with 8GB or more of RAM) to satisfy your use case. Perhaps one from a more upfront manufacturer.
answered 17 hours ago
sm9sn1
1113
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answered 17 hours ago
sm9sn1
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answered 17 hours ago
sm9sn1
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answered 17 hours ago
sm9sn1
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Only 4 GB? I hate to break it to you, but to the full extent of my knowledge (which isn't much) Intel Optane is not like memory aka RAM; it's like an SSD that takes the applications you use most and puts them on a faster drive so they load faster.
So an Intel Optane drive might eliminate the need for an SSD (please feel free to correct me on this). Your manufacturer probably put an Optane drive in your laptop and marketed it as RAM because 20 GB of Intel Optane is cheaper than 20 GB of RAM*, but maybe you can manually change the RAM to 8 GB for about $80.
*24 GB of laptop RAM $182
24 GB of laptop RAM
4 GB of laptop RAM and 16 GB of Intel Optane memory $87
laptop RAM
Intel Optane memory
edited 14 hours ago
iBug
2,36941739
answered 20 hours ago
rpi-noob
301
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Only 4 GB? I hate to break it to you, but to the full extent of my knowledge (which isn't much) Intel Optane is not like memory aka RAM; it's like an SSD that takes the applications you use most and puts them on a faster drive so they load faster.
So an Intel Optane drive might eliminate the need for an SSD (please feel free to correct me on this). Your manufacturer probably put an Optane drive in your laptop and marketed it as RAM because 20 GB of Intel Optane is cheaper than 20 GB of RAM*, but maybe you can manually change the RAM to 8 GB for about $80.
*24 GB of laptop RAM $182
24 GB of laptop RAM
4 GB of laptop RAM and 16 GB of Intel Optane memory $87
laptop RAM
Intel Optane memory
edited 14 hours ago
iBug
2,36941739
answered 20 hours ago
rpi-noob
301
New contributor
rpi-noob is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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Only 4 GB? I hate to break it to you, but to the full extent of my knowledge (which isn't much) Intel Optane is not like memory aka RAM; it's like an SSD that takes the applications you use most and puts them on a faster drive so they load faster.
So an Intel Optane drive might eliminate the need for an SSD (please feel free to correct me on this). Your manufacturer probably put an Optane drive in your laptop and marketed it as RAM because 20 GB of Intel Optane is cheaper than 20 GB of RAM*, but maybe you can manually change the RAM to 8 GB for about $80.
*24 GB of laptop RAM $182
24 GB of laptop RAM
4 GB of laptop RAM and 16 GB of Intel Optane memory $87
laptop RAM
Intel Optane memory
edited 14 hours ago
iBug
2,36941739
answered 20 hours ago
rpi-noob
301
New contributor
rpi-noob is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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Only 4 GB? I hate to break it to you, but to the full extent of my knowledge (which isn't much) Intel Optane is not like memory aka RAM; it's like an SSD that takes the applications you use most and puts them on a faster drive so they load faster.
So an Intel Optane drive might eliminate the need for an SSD (please feel free to correct me on this). Your manufacturer probably put an Optane drive in your laptop and marketed it as RAM because 20 GB of Intel Optane is cheaper than 20 GB of RAM*, but maybe you can manually change the RAM to 8 GB for about $80.
*24 GB of laptop RAM $182
24 GB of laptop RAM
4 GB of laptop RAM and 16 GB of Intel Optane memory $87
laptop RAM
Intel Optane memory
edited 14 hours ago
iBug
2,36941739
answered 20 hours ago
rpi-noob
301
New contributor
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edited 14 hours ago
iBug
2,36941739
edited 14 hours ago
iBug
2,36941739
edited 14 hours ago
iBug
2,36941739
2,36941739
answered 20 hours ago
rpi-noob
301
New contributor
rpi-noob is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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answered 20 hours ago
rpi-noob
301
answered 20 hours ago
rpi-noob
301
301
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add a comment |
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4
I'm no expert, but your question made me curious, so thanks! There's a helpful article about this here. It suggests to me that 4gb RAM + 16gb Optane memory wouldn't be ideal as compared to 8gb RAM.
– Steve Rindsberg
yesterday
1
That's a really interesting question. However, 4GB of RAM seems to be not enough. I would expect from an answer to explain how a semi-cache memory like Optane improves performance in relation to the RAM size.
– zx485
yesterday
1
My Dell W7 64 bit workstation has 8 cores and 16GB of DDram. It is overkill for most office apps, but when using LabVIEW as a video editor or even Photoshop I can use up 6 to 10GB very fast, mostly as buffers for compositing frames. If you plan to work with video, get at least 16 to 32GB of DDram.
– Sparky256
13 hours ago
1
From reading on how it works, Optane makes sense if your machine don't use SSD but your workload needs to do a lot of disk access. If your workload needs a lot of RAM, then Optane will be much slower compared to adding real RAM. AFAICS, Optane is meant to fill a gap for budget systems that don't use SSD but requires the performance of SSD. I'd suggest that if you're going to reinstall a new system on a new hard-disk but thinks that going full SSD is too expensive for your storage requirement, you might as well get a Hybrid SSD+HD, it's simpler and have much of the same benefits.
– Lie Ryan
11 hours ago
1
@Maw Arrghh. Sorry, here's the new improved here: howtogeek.com/317294/what-is-intel-optane-memory
– Steve Rindsberg
3 hours ago