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Mum? Dad? Can I have a 3D XPoint disk for my birthday?

Why, yes, junior, now that Intel's released new models for mainstream PCs

Intel's launched new and low-ish end versions of its Optane solid state disks based on 3D XPoint non-volatile memory.

The new Optane SSD 800P comes in 58GB and 118GB variants, both in the M.2 2280 form factor and requiring an NVMe PCIe 3.0 x2 interface.

Intel's advised the product can be used "as a standalone SSD, in a dual drive setup or in a multiple SSD RAID configuration". Given the small capacities, The Register imagines the 800P will hardly ever be used alone, although perhaps the 118GB model could power a MacBook-Air-esque laptop as Apple ships that computer with just 128GB of flash storage.

The new products are also happy in the low-power states used by laptop computers, or Intel's own NUC mini-PCs.

Given the devices' keen prices - US$199 for 118 GB and and $129 for 58GB. - these new drives should make for some interesting new laptops once OEMs get to work.

Whatever the 800Ps land in, they'll offer speed: Intel's specs for the devices state sequential read up to 1450 MB/s, sequential writes up to 640 MB/s, random reads at up to 250,000 IOPS and random writes at the same speed. By way of comparison, conventional solid state disks hit around 500 MB/s and 75,000 IOPS. ®

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