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Double Intel Optane 32GB drives as Level-2 Cache Storage with PrimoCache possible?
Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2020 6:57 am
by Shoonay
Got a cheap second 32GB stick of Intel Optane memory a while back thinking the official Intel Memory and Storage Management software is going to allow it, but it seems it can only utilize one.
Would it be possible with the PrimoCache software to use both as a single continuous L-2 cache storage?
Re: Double Intel Optane 32GB drives as Level-2 Cache Storage with PrimoCache possible?
Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2020 8:39 am
by Jaga
Seems like if you RAID 0 the two physical drives, that target would be valid.
Re: Double Intel Optane 32GB drives as Level-2 Cache Storage with PrimoCache possible?
Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2020 9:24 am
by Support
Yes, you may make them a hardware RAID0 or a software RAID0 (Windows Dynamic Disks). Then you can use this RAID as level-2 cache storage.
Re: Double Intel Optane 32GB drives as Level-2 Cache Storage with PrimoCache possible?
Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2020 1:35 pm
by Shoonay
Oh yeah, forgot about RAID - never tried it to be honest, only once to setup my NAS and that's it...
Do I have to turn off "Intel RST Premium With Intel Optane System Acceleration (RAID)" in BIOS or just disable Optane in the Optane Manager and everything can be done in Windows Disk Management?
Re: Double Intel Optane 32GB drives as Level-2 Cache Storage with PrimoCache possible?
Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2020 3:28 pm
by Support
It's better to turn off "Intel RST Premium With Intel Optane System Acceleration (RAID)" in BIOS since you use optane drives as general ssd drives.
Re: Double Intel Optane 32GB drives as Level-2 Cache Storage with PrimoCache possible?
Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2020 5:54 pm
by Shoonay
I don't get it, Spanned/Dynamic drives still showup as two.
EDIT: okay, I *think* it worked when I clicked to format Disk 5...
Is that it? It should work now after clicking [Start]?
EDIT2: okay, I think it works
Re: Double Intel Optane 32GB drives as Level-2 Cache Storage with PrimoCache possible?
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 2:40 am
by Support
Yes, it works. PrimoCache shows two because the volume is under two disks.
Re: Double Intel Optane 32GB drives as Level-2 Cache Storage with PrimoCache possible?
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 7:43 am
by Shoonay
Hmm, I don't know if I like that it still shows the disks in Task Manager/Perofrmance, but without the assigned letters. I mean I know *why* it doesn't show the letters, but when using the Optane manager it only showed the disk that's being cached and showed something like "Intel Optane + <name of the disk>". ALTHOUGH, now I can see when and how the drives are being used, so *maybe* that's better?
Here's another idea: I've got an extra 256GB SSD, my old main system one that I still have laying around and can't really find usage for. I'm not sure how do I use it now: do I marge it with the Intel Optane one's as one huge L-2 cache or do I make a huge pagefile on it that addsup to my 64GB's of RAM and use that as, let's say 64GB's of L-1 cache?
Re: Double Intel Optane 32GB drives as Level-2 Cache Storage with PrimoCache possible?
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 9:00 am
by Support
If you feel level-2 cache is not sufficient, you may merge it with Optane drives as a large L2 cache volume. I don't think it's a good idea to use up all system RAM.
Re: Double Intel Optane 32GB drives as Level-2 Cache Storage with PrimoCache possible?
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 9:14 am
by Shoonay
Yeah yeah, I know.
I'm asking how would PrimoCache use it that now I've got 64GB's of ram and with a 64GB pagefile that would be 128GB's, so that's how much would appear in Task Manager.
I fear that the much slower 256GB SATA SSD would not be a good idea as L-2 combined with Optane M.2's. Or would it?