Conclusion, Pricing, and Final Thoughts

Conclusion

PROS

  • Outstanding responsiveness (low QD random performance).
  • Highest capacity Optane in an M.2 form factor to date.

CONS

  • Price is very high (see below).
  • Performance is held back by PCIe 3.0 x2 interface.
  • Capacities are smaller than many power users would desire.

Pricing

  • 58GB   – $129   ($2.22/GB)
  • 118GB – $199   ($1.69/GB)

SSD 900P figures added for perspective:

  • 480GB – $599   ($1.25/GB)
  • 280GB – $389   ($1.39/GB)

960 EVO / PRO figures added for perspective:

  • 960 EVO 250GB – $120 ($0.48/GB)
  • 960 PRO 512GB – $300 ($0.59/GB)

To put it bluntly, the cost is just too high here. The 800P should be starting at the cost/GB of the 900P at a maximum. A lower performing product should not be priced at a higher cost/GB, plain and simple.

Warranty and Endurance

The 800P 58GB and 118GB are both rated at 365TBW over 5 years. These are great figures and they beat most NAND parts out there, even with the smaller capacity (which typically results in lower TBW figures). Note that the 118GB model can likely handle double the rated writes – Intel can only rate based on what they can actually write within a reasonable amount of time, and it takes a while to write 365TB!

Want to know what makes 3D XPoint tick? Check out my how-it-works article here.

Final Thoughts

While I'm thrilled to see a higher capacity M.2 Optane SSD come from Intel, there are many compromises to consider before running out and buying an SSD 800P. First is the interface, which is limited to half the PCIe lanes of most other modern SSDs. Then we have the capacity – a lot of folks who desire a super responsive SSD would also very likely be cramped with only 118GB of space. Lastly, we have the price. Unless the M.2 form factor was specifically required, power users would be far better off opting for the 900P as it offers higher performance and capacities at a much lower cost/GB. In light of all of these gotchas, the 800P becomes a great performing product that only fits a very specialized/niche set of practical applications. At the listed price, there are just too many competitive options out there (even from Intel). That said, the 800P is the highest capacity 3D XPoint you can get in an M.2 form factor to date, so if that's your need/use case, then have at it!

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