Intel Optane was developed to provide a more efficient and cheaper alternative to solid-state drives and HDDs but recently, Intel revealed that it is only compatible with 7th gen Core processors. Aside from this heart-breaking news, the Optane sticks will not be able to support older CPUs like Pentium and Celeron.

The memory sticks come in 16GB and 32GB sizes and were reported to increase performance of hard disk drives (HDD) and solid state drives (SDD). Intel Optane works with Intel Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 chips but the latest Core Y-series CPUs remain unsupported. Intel may have only created Intel Optane sticks for their most updated and most expensive lineup of processors, Digital Trends reported.

While the Intel Optane may be the best choice for people with 7th gen Core processors, those that are looking into creating a budget-friendly PC powered by a Celeron or a Pentium may be better off with an SSD or a slower HDD.

Intel describes Optane as "transformative technology" which will change the way people build and use PCs. From the Intel official site for Optane, it said that this technology will provide unmatched combination of "high throughput, low latency, high quality of service and high endurance." Intel Optane is smart memory, able to adapt or accelerate with PCs with 7th Gen Intel Core processor. Users can expect improved system responsiveness especially for large storage devices and therefore could make computing faster, smoother and easier.

Aside from the current Intel drives, Intel Optane solid state drives are also available for computers with a variety of sizes, capacities and form factors. There is Optane built for technology and data center solutions with faster caching and easy storage features. For anyone building a new PC, taking note of the limitations of an Intel Optane may help create a better and more efficient system.

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