Intel is shutting down its Optane memory business TechRadar Skip to main content TechRadar is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. Intel is shutting down its Optane memory business By Will McCurdy published 29 July 2022 Intel streamlines its operations as revenues disappoint (Image credit: Intel) Audio player loading… Intel is set to shut down its Optane memory business, suffering a $559 million inventory write-off in the process. Optane is a type of memory system designed to boost the performance of hard disk drives (HDDs) and slower SATA SSDs by bridging storage and RAM. Intel chief executive Pat Gelsinger attributed the decision to shut down Optane to a wider industry shift towards Compute Express Link (CXL) architectures. The announcement came alongside a disappointing set of quarterly results; the semiconductor giant's Q2 revenue fell 17% to $15.3 billion. Closing down Optane The Optane business isn't the only one Intel is getting out of. In December 2020, Intel sold its SSD business to South Korean hardware firm SK Hynix. The company has also divested its drone interests, selling more than 9,000 drones to Elon Musk's brother Kimbal Musk, which will be used to start a new light show company Nova Sky Stories. Unfortunately, the impacts of all this streamlining may not be felt by the end consumer any time soon. It was confirmed to The Register register that Intel plans to raise prices (opens in new tab) for "the majority of its microprocessors and peripheral chip products", and that these price rises may be as much as 10% to 20%.READ MORE: > Is this the first glimpse of new Intel Sapphire Rapids workstations? > Apple has now officially ditched Intel silicon for good > Our guide to the best RAM on the market "We continue to rationalize our portfolio in support of our IDM 2.0 strategy," an Intel spokesperson told our sister site Tom's Hardware (opens in new tab). "This includes evaluating divesting businesses that are either not sufficiently profitable or not core to our strategic objectives". "After careful consideration, Intel plans to cease future product development within its Optane business." He added: "We are committed to supporting Optane customers through the transition."Want to get the best performance which you possibly can? Checkout our guide to the best business laptops? Will McCurdyWill McCurdy has been writing about technology for over five years. He has a wide range of specialities including cybersecurity, fintech, cryptocurrencies, blockchain, cloud computing, payments, artificial intelligence, retail technology, and venture capital investment. He has previously written for AltFi, FStech, Retail Systems, and National Technology News and is an experienced podcast and webinar host, as well as an avid long-form feature writer. See more Computing news Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to theTechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. MOST POPULARMOST SHARED1I tried the weirdest-looking Bluetooth speaker in the world, and I utterly adore it2You may not have to sell a body part to afford the Nvidia RTX 4090 after all3My days as a helpful meat shield are over, thanks to the Killer Klown horror game4100% on Rotten Tomatoes: 7 new critically-acclaimed dramas you may have missed5I won't buy the Google Pixel 7 unless it fixes these three Pixel 6 problems1We finally know what 'Wi-Fi' stands for - and it's not what you think2Best laptops for designers and coders 3The iPhone 14 Pro is made of the wrong stuff; the Pixel 7 proves that to me4Miofive 4K Dash Cam review5Logitech's latest webcam and headset want to relieve your work day frustrations Technology Magazines (opens in new tab)● (opens in new tab)The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviewsFrom$12.99 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)