There´s 2 ways to use Intel Optane NVMe 16/32GB.
Intel designed the Optane 16/32GB NVMe as a RAID Cache, instead of RAID 0 "Faster", Raid 1 "Safer", RAID 1+0 "Safer&Faster", Raid 3,5,etc...
its a New Class.
only works with intel 7th Gen CPUs or better, that have in the Bios a hidden RAID menu when Intel Optane 16/32GB is detected.
Also Needs DRIVERS, like a Normal RAID, Intel Only makes Drivers for Windows, also Drivers are only for Windows10 last time i checked.
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/35125/Memory-and-Storage
thats an effort from Intel / Microsoft to accelerate Windows8.1x64 obsolecense,
AMD also Does Not make Drivers for Windows8.1x64 RX 580 was the latest card.
that was the reasons i moved to OSX, i like Windows8.1 but i don Not like W10,
Windows also has programmed obsolecense so there is No reason to stay in Windows.
BUT...
when i was using Windows8.1 "No RAID Drivers" the Optane 16/32GB NVMe could be formatted as a NTFS Drive...
and the \TEMP folders, and the PageFile.sys aka. VirtualRAM could be moved to the Optane Memory, increasing speed of some things to incredible levels.--
but PageFile.sys maximum file size could Not be more than 50% the NVMe or becomes slower.
Chip memory Needs to Scrub/Refresh the Bits constantly, all SSD`s are like that, most SSD have a 1GB Cache, but Not for increasing speed like old HDDs, its to Refresh/Scrub all the Memory constantly, Reading & Writing "moving the data" to keep it fresh.
thats why some SSDs like Samsung have a software "Magician" with an option that can be enabled to use 1GB or 2GB of computer RAM as SSD Cache to increase speed.
i think, latest AMD boards also have that technology, that works with any SATA drive.
Using AMD / DataRAM RamDisk/RamDrive software and moving the PageFile.sys does Not work, because Windows load 1st the PageFile, THEN loads the RAMDrive drivers, having the PageFile in a RAMDrive becomes a Paradox and Fails, there is No easy way to change Windows Drivers Boot Order.
Also i had Windows Superfetch Disabled, that means Windows will Not automatically load all the most common softwares i use, so the HDD LED does Not blink for long periods of time when i Boot Windows.
= No Cheat.
i opened Opera or Firefox or Chrome with many pinned Tabs different websites, it takes alot of effort & memory to load lots of tabs.
i closed Opera waited 1 munute o 5 minutes, and opened again, Opens Instantly, things that are in the VirtualRam opens instantly, you can see the differente between the HDD & Virtual RAM, its incredible.
intel Optane NVMe has the same speed as the fastest Biggest NVMe drives from Samsung, at lower price & lower cappacity,
its designed to give maximum performance with smaller file sizes.
easy to see with HDTune for example, how file size affects the performance/speed of the drive.
speed is Not the same moving big files vs. small files.
Optane is very fast moving small files, thats the trick, as fast as the fastest biggest drives costing lots more.
a 16GB Optane can be used max with a 8GB VM file...
a 32Gb with 16GB capacity.
OSX also has a \Private\VAR\VM folder,
and a config file that can be changed.
but Drivers for NVMe does not seem to work.
http://www.macvidcards.com/nvme-driver.html
https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/os-x-driver-for-nvme-m-2-solid-state-drives-released.181387/
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patent...optane-memory-in-next-gen-macs-this-year.html
somewhere says that HighSierra includes Apple NVMe Drivers, i dont know i have Sierra.
but also somewhere says that HighSierra Update does Not create \VM folder.
= is slower, and needs a Clean install.
my OSX has a 1,07GB VM file, if i could move that to the Optane, OSX will fly. LOL.
im using a Startech PCIe x4 M.2 adatper, but the ASRock Quad M.2 PCIe x16 looks interesting.
Mac-Pro:~ $ vm_stat
Mach Virtual Memory Statistics: (page size of 4096 bytes)
Pages free: 18553.
Pages active: 299079.
Pages inactive: 279416.
Pages speculative: 408.
Pages throttled: 0.
Pages wired down: 156495.
Pages purgeable: 140.
"Translation faults": 12473508.
Pages copy-on-write: 630921.
Pages zero filled: 5204150.
Pages reactivated: 3482607.
Pages purged: 10803.
File-backed pages: 170686.
Anonymous pages: 408217.
Pages stored in compressor: 711639.
Pages occupied by compressor: 292475.
Decompressions: 1869859.
Compressions: 3224094.
Pageins: 732299.
Pageouts: 4320.
Swapins: 47859.
Swapouts: 66978.