Intel to discontinue Optane SSDs for consumer desktop PCs

Intel has stopped shipping consumer SSDs for desktop PCs such as the 900P, the company has confirmed. The manufacturer will continue to supply Optane Memory H20 for consumer laptops.

Intel has published several Product Discontinuence documents for Optane products, including for the Optane 800P and 905P (pdf). In its end-of-life statement for the 905P, Intel stated, “Intel will not ship a new large-scale Optane Memory SSD as a transition product for the client market.” Subsequently, Intel announces that it will target Optane Memory H20 for the consumer market.

Intel announced the Optane Memory H20 in late 2020. This is an SSD with up to 1TB of qlc-nandflash, with a cache of 32GB of Optane memory. The SSD will be available for laptops in the second half of this year.

Intel will therefore continue to supply products with Optane memory for consumer laptops, but will stop with components for desktop PCs. In practice, this means that the delivery of the Optane Memory M10, 800P, 900P and 905P will stop. The last delivery from manufacturers will take place at the end of February.

In addition, Intel continues to focus on the enterprise market with Optane. Last year, Intel introduced its second-generation 3D Xpoint memory for Optane products. This memory consists of four layers as opposed to two layers of the first generation. Intel uses the next generation for its Alder Stream Optane SSDs for the enterprise market, of which the P5800X is the first product.

Intel does not provide any further explanation for the stop. Intel co-developed 3D Xpoint memory with Micron. In 2018, the companies announced that they would each go their own way in further development. Micron took over the joint venture’s plant, but Intel said it would not affect its Optane products. Last year, Intel sold its nand memory division to SK Hynix, but the Optane SSDs were not part of that sale.