NVDIMM and Intel Optane Persistent Memory
Persistent memory sits on the DIMM bus but keeps its contents through a power loss. NVDIMM-N modules pair DRAM with flash and a supercapacitor; Intel Optane Persistent Memory used 3D XPoint media in DIMM form on 2nd and 3rd Gen Xeon Scalable servers.
Intel ended the Optane line, so these deployments are now a maintenance question. Servers running SAP HANA or SQL Server on PMem still work, but replacements are finite and the next platform will use large DDR5 populations or CXL memory instead.
At a glance
| Types | NVDIMM-N (Dell 14G), Optane PMem 100 (Cascade Lake), PMem 200 (Ice Lake) |
|---|---|
| Modes | Memory Mode (transparent, volatile), App Direct (byte-addressable persistent) |
| Capacities | 128, 256, 512 GB per PMem module |
| Platforms | PowerEdge R740/R940 (PMem 100), R750/R650 (PMem 200), ThinkSystem SR650 V2 |
| Status | Optane discontinued; plan the exit |
What RackLedge does
- Health checks on existing PMem and NVDIMM-N deployments
- Spare sourcing and firmware alignment for in-service systems
- Migration planning to DDR5 or CXL-based platforms
How we work
A memory engagement starts with evidence, not a parts list. We pull utilization from your monitoring or hypervisor, confirm memory is the real constraint, and only then choose modules that keep every channel populated at full speed.
Firmware comes first. BIOS and BMC updates fix memory training bugs and unlock newer module types, so we baseline them before opening the chassis. Installation is scheduled in a maintenance window and validated with a memory test and an application check before the server goes back into rotation.
Parts are new or tested refurbished with a warranty, matched to the vendor's qualified list or an equivalent specification, and we keep a record of exactly what went where so the next upgrade starts from documentation rather than guesswork.
Related services
More on server memory
Frequently asked questions
Does my PowerEdge R760 support Optane PMem?
No. 4th Gen Xeon platforms dropped Optane support. High-memory configurations use 3DS DDR5 RDIMMs.
What replaces Memory Mode?
Larger DDR5 populations. A two-socket 16G server reaches multiple terabytes without PMem, at a lower price per gigabyte than PMem ever reached.
Need a hand with this?
Tell us what you are running and what is slowing you down. You get a straight assessment and a plan, with no obligation. Support desk is staffed 24/7.