We Ran INTEL Optane on an AMD CPU!!

The video investigates whether Intel Optane memory modules can be used on an AMD platform by leveraging AMD StoreMI, a tiered storage solution that combines a fast cache with a larger slow drive. The hosts explain the core ideas behind tiered storage, comparing Intel Optane caching on a controlled platform with AMD StoreMI, which can work with any SSD within certain capacity limits. They describe the step by step setup, including assigning drives to fast and slow tiers and using the same 32 GB Optane module for both testing environments. Early runs show inconsistent results as the caching software learns, including a few baffling issues like a drive appearing and disappearing across machines and even a Steam integrity check error. After troubleshooting, they observe that StoreMI can reach SSD-level performance on some workloads, but the process is slow and introduces notable limitations, such as requiring full reformatting to move caches between machines. The discussion then pivots to PrimoCache as an alternative caching layer, highlighting its flexibility, non-destructive caching, and clearer visibility into cache hits and usage. In the end, the hosts conclude that all three solutions (Intel Optane, AMD StoreMI, and PrimoCache) can achieve similar performance under certain conditions, but PrimoCache offers the most straightforward functionality and fewer side effects, albeit at an additional license cost. The video wraps with practical guidance on licensing, hardware choices, and a recap of the key takeaways for readers evaluating caching solutions on mixed hardware ecosystems.

Topics · technology · hardware · storage · performance · benchmarking · amd · intel · optane