I forgot to make a video about this $150,000 server
TLDRThe video script discusses the discovery of a high-end server with Intel's Optane technology during a studio's spring cleaning. It delves into the features and benefits of Optane, including its use as persistent memory modules that function between traditional memory and storage. Despite its advantages, such as low latency and high endurance, the script explains the reasons behind Optane's discontinuation, including its late arrival in the market, pricing issues, and competition from AMD. The video also highlights the challenges faced in configuring the technology and presents a demonstration comparing Optane's latency with traditional SSDs.
Takeaways
- 🚀 The video discusses a $15,000 Intel server with impressive specs including two CPUs, eight SSDs, and 6.3 terabytes of Intel Optane persistent memory modules.
- 📦 Intel Optane was a technology that promised to bridge the gap between traditional RAM and SSD storage, offering low latency and high storage capacity.
- 💡 Intel's Optane business was unfortunately closed in June 2022, marking the end of a technology that had potential but faced several challenges.
- 🔄 Optane modules could be used in memory mode, app direct mode, and storage mode, offering flexibility in how they were utilized in a system.
- 🔧 The video highlights the difficulties in configuring the Intel motherboard's BIOS, which was poorly organized and made setting up the Optane modules challenging.
- 💻 The server's use of Optane persistent memory allowed for nearly 12 high bit rate float plane exclusives to be stored solely in system memory.
- 📊 A comparison between Optane and traditional NVMe SSDs showed Optane's significantly lower latency, which can be advantageous for certain applications.
- 💰 Intel Optane faced issues with pricing, market timing, and compatibility, which contributed to its eventual discontinuation.
- 📈 Despite its discontinuation, Optane technology can still be found in the market with some retailers offering closeout deals on the remaining inventory.
- 🔄 The video also discusses the potential benefits of using Optane in a DIY network appliance or NZ (New Zealand) setup due to its endurance and cost-effectiveness.
- 🤔 The video ends with a reflection on the future of Optane technology and a question about whether Intel might consider reviving it in the future.
Q & A
What did the team find during their Spring cleaning at the studio?
-The team discovered a $15,000 server with two CPUs, eight SSDs, and 6.3 terabytes of RAM, which they had received from Intel three years prior.
What is unique about the RAM modules in this server?
-The RAM modules in the server are actually Intel Optane Persistent Memory modules, which combine the characteristics of both storage and memory.
Why was the Intel Optane business shut down in June 2022?
-The business was shut down due to a combination of factors, including its late arrival in the market, high costs compared to traditional RAM, and competition from other technologies like AMD's EPYC processors.
What is the main advantage of using Intel Optane in memory mode?
-In memory mode, Intel Optane modules appear as a large amount of RAM to the operating system, providing very low latency and the ability to automatically move data between Optane and traditional RAM without special coding.
What is the downside of using Intel Optane in memory mode?
-Every time an Optane module in memory mode is restarted, it generates a new cryptographic key, effectively wiping all the data it contained. However, Optane can handle many more wipes than regular SSDs, making this less of a concern.
What are the other modes in which Intel Optane can be utilized?
-Apart from memory mode, Intel Optane can be used in App Direct mode, which exposes the Optane directly to the application, and Storage mode, which presents the Optane as an SSD with super low latency.
What is the recommended ratio of Optane to RAM for optimal performance?
-Intel recommends a ratio of 4 to 1, with Optane being 1 part and RAM being 4 parts.
What is the main reason for the high cost of the server mentioned in the script?
-The high cost is primarily due to the 12 Intel Optane Persistent Memory modules, each with 512 GB of storage, which were priced at $675 per module in 2019.
How does the latency of Intel Optane compare to traditional NVMe SSDs?
-Intel Optane has significantly lower latency than traditional NVMe SSDs, making it more responsive and beneficial for certain applications.
What is the significance of the BIOS configuration for using Intel Optane in Storage mode?
-The BIOS configuration is crucial for setting up Storage mode, as it allows the system to present the Optane as an SSD. However, the process was challenging due to the poorly organized BIOS on the Intel motherboard.
What is the mixed mode configuration for Intel Optane?
-Mixed mode allows a portion of the Optane to be used as storage and the rest as RAM, providing a balance between cost-effective RAM and low-latency storage.
Outlines
🌟 Unveiling the $15,000 Server with Optane Technology
The video begins with the exciting discovery of a high-end server, gifted by Intel three years prior, featuring two CPUs, eight SSDs, and an impressive 6.3 terabytes of RAM. The focal point is the Intel Optane technology, which was unfortunately discontinued in 2022. The video promises an in-depth exploration of Optane's unique features and the reasons behind its discontinuation. Additionally, the script introduces a sponsorship by UGREEN, highlighting their new NAS sync DXP 4800 Plus, touted as a powerful NAS device under $500.
💡 Understanding Optane's Versatility and Its Modes of Operation
This paragraph delves into the versatility of Intel's Optane technology, explaining its range of products from inexpensive hard drive accelerators to high-performance storage solutions. It clarifies the unique position of Optane, functioning between conventional memory and storage devices. The explanation continues with how Optane modules, appearing as normal SSDs and DDR4 memory sticks, actually contain 3D XPoint chips with significantly lower latency. The video also discusses Optane's memory mode, where the modules are used as RAM, and the downside of data loss upon restart. It contrasts this with the benefits of automatic data management between Optane and RAM without special coding requirements.
🛠️ Exploring the Practical Application of Optane in Professional Simulations
The script presents a practical scenario of using Optane in SolidWorks flow simulation. It highlights the generation of a 3D mesh for fluid interaction with an object, such as air and a heat sink. While the task doesn't require extensive RAM, the video suggests that for more complex simulations, the terabytes of memory could drastically reduce processing time. The discussion touches on the limitations of Optane's latency compared to traditional memory and the idea of removing actual RAM to force Optane usage, which is not feasible due to Intel's requirement of pairing Optane with RAM.
🚀 Alternative Uses for Optane and the Challenges of BIOS Configuration
The script explores alternative uses for Optane, such as App Direct mode, which allows applications direct access to Optane as storage or memory, and Storage mode, presenting Optane as an SSD with ultra-low latency. The video also discusses the challenges of configuring BIOS on the Intel motherboard, which stalled the project for months. It highlights the industry-wide issue with inconsistent BIOS organization across different manufacturers. The script then demonstrates how Storage mode can be set up to present Optane as an SSD, with options for different performance levels and data mirroring, concluding with the mixed mode, which offers a balance of RAM and low-latency storage.
📉 The Decline and Discontinuation of Optane Technology
The paragraph discusses the reasons behind the decline and eventual discontinuation of Optane technology. It mentions the delayed arrival of Optane, its incompatibility with certain applications due to memory bandwidth trade-offs, and the global DRAM shortage in 2017. The high cost of Optane modules compared to RAM and the requirement of pairing with RAM for functionality are also cited as factors. The script further discusses the competition from AMD's EPYC Rome and Milan processors, which offered more cores and memory channels at a lower price. Finally, it touches on the continued availability of Optane, despite its discontinuation, due to Intel's large inventory from 2022.
🔍 Reflections on Optane's Legacy and Sponsor Spotlight on Data Privacy
The final paragraph reflects on the potential lessons for the industry from Optane's story and poses a question to Intel about the remaining inventory. It transitions into a sponsorship spotlight on DeleteMe, a service dedicated to protecting personal data online. The script emphasizes the importance of data privacy and the peace of mind offered by DeleteMe, which actively searches for and removes personal information from the internet. The video concludes with an invitation to use a discount code for a subscription to DeleteMe and a nod to a previous video featuring the initial unveiling of the Optane server.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Spring cleaning
💡Intel Optane
💡Persistent Memory
💡3D XPoint
💡Memory mode
💡App Direct mode
💡Storage mode
💡Mixed mode
💡Latency
💡Market viability
💡Product lifecycle
Highlights
Spring cleaning at the studio led to the discovery of a $15,000 server with impressive specs.
The server includes two CPUs, eight SSDs, and a massive 6.3 terabytes of RAM.
The RAM in question is actually Intel Optane persistent memory modules, which were discontinued in June 2022.
Intel's Optane products ranged from hard drive accelerators to low-latency storage for high-performance servers.
Optane devices function between conventional memory and storage, offering unique benefits.
The server's Optane modules provide 512 GB each, for a total of 6 TB, enough to store large amounts of data in system memory.
Using Optane in memory mode presents it as additional RAM to the operating system, with the CPU's memory controller managing data movement.
Memory mode has a downside as it generates a new cryptographic key on restart, wiping all data in the module.
Optane can withstand many more wipes than regular SSDs, mitigating concerns about data loss.
The server's Optane modules can also be used in app direct mode, exposing the Optane directly to applications for various uses.
Storage mode allows the Optane to function like an SSD with super low latency, a significant improvement over traditional NAND flash.
Mixed mode offers a combination of storage and RAM, providing the benefits of both low-latency storage and cost-effective RAM.
Intel's Optane technology faced challenges, including arriving two years late and being priced higher than anticipated.
Competition from AMD with more cores and memory channels, and cheaper pricing, contributed to Optane's lack of market success.
Despite its discontinuation, Optane can still be purchased due to Intel's remaining inventory from 2022.
Optane's unique capabilities and endurance make it a valuable option for specific applications, such as network appliances and systems requiring comprehensive logs.
The server's hardware, despite being powerful, is starting to show its age with Optane running at a quarter of the speed of modern drives.
The video explores the potential future of Optane technology and its impact on the industry.