Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
In May 2019, Intel was reportedly holding back on adding NAND manufacturing capacity while considering a China-based production route for a future generation of 3D XPoint. Those were separate decisions: the report did not say Intel was stopping memory production, nor did it establish that 3D XPoint production was transferred to China.
What Intel’s 2019 memory plan actually meant
The shortened headline can be misleading because it leaves out the word “NAND.” AnandTech’s May 14, 2019 report concerned two distinct plans: no new NAND capacity, and a possible move of future 3D XPoint production to China. Its original headline was “Intel Memory Plans: No New NAND Capacity, Wants to Move 3D XPoint Production to China.”
The China element was a proposal under consideration, not a confirmed completed relocation. A contemporary secondary report identified Intel’s Fab 68 site in China as a possible location, but that does not prove the site was converted or that it began manufacturing 3D XPoint. DonanımHaber’s report described a potential production option, not a new fab announcement.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsWhy Intel was reassessing 3D XPoint production
Intel and Micron had jointly developed 3D XPoint and shared a manufacturing relationship through IMFT. In 2019, that arrangement and Intel’s relationship to the Utah facility were changing, creating a reason for Intel to consider another manufacturing route for the technology used in Optane products. The available contemporary discussion links the issue to the changing Intel-Micron relationship, but does not establish every transaction detail or show that Intel had secured a replacement source.
#1 Best Overall
- INTEL OPTANE H10 32GB + 512GB SSD M.2
- Compatible devices: Desktop
- Memory storage capacity: 512.0
- Package Dimensions: 1.8 L x 13.4H x10.6W(centimeters)
The distinction matters: maintaining a product roadmap does not require a company to own every fab that supplies it. A China option could have been a way to retain access to production capacity while reducing reliance on the Utah arrangement; that is a plausible strategic interpretation, not a stated guarantee about future Optane supply.
Why NAND and 3D XPoint were not interchangeable
NAND flash
NAND is nonvolatile flash memory used widely in SSDs and other storage products. Capacity investment is shaped by cost per gigabyte, process improvements, market pricing and competition. Intel’s reported decision not to add new NAND capacity was a restraint on expansion at that time—not an announcement that it would stop making or selling NAND.
Rank #2
- EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE: Fanxiang S500 Pro M.2 SSD adds graphite heat dissipation stickers to provide effective heat dissipation control for internal ssd, improve its performance and service life, up to 160TBW (TeraBytes Written)
- HIGH-SPEED TRANSMISSION: Accelerate the reading performance of solid-state hard drives through intelligent SLC cache technology, up to 3000MB/s(actual speed varies depending on host interface, testing software, and other environmental factors), greatly improving the speed of booting, program opening, game loading, file saving and transmission, etc
- Preferred Chip: Fanxiang S500 Pro ssd NVMe uses 3D NAND technology and high-quality TLC particles, which further improves product life and stability. There is no internal mechanical mechanism, good shock resistance, and high data security
- WIDELY COMPATIBLE: Internal SSD is compatible with Windows7, 8, 10, 11, Mac OS10.9, and later. Compatible with laptops, desktops, and all-in-one computers (computer motherboard must be equipped with M.2 interface). The SSD must be formatted before first use.
- 3-YEAR QUALITY ASSURANCE: Fanxiang is committed to providing high-quality products to global business partners and provides a 3-year quality assurance service (the product packaging includes mounting screws and screwdrivers)
3D XPoint and Optane
3D XPoint was a separate nonvolatile-memory technology developed jointly by Intel and Micron and marketed by Intel in products under the Optane brand. It was positioned for performance and persistence uses distinct from ordinary NAND storage, including SSDs and data-center persistent-memory modules. Calling it simply “faster NAND” obscures why Intel could limit NAND capacity investment while still seeking a production path for 3D XPoint.
Recommended Free Tools
Why Intel was not adding NAND capacity
The 2019 report described a cautious NAND strategy amid falling prices and strong competition. Adding a large amount of manufacturing capacity in a weak pricing environment can expose a producer to high capital costs and pressure on returns. Restraint therefore did not necessarily mean abandoning the technology: a company can pursue process or product improvements and use existing capacity without committing to a major new fab build.
Rank #3
- Intel SSD DC P4800X PCIe
- 375GB SSD
- SSD Type : TLC
- PCI-Express-v3-x4 - HHHL
- IOPS : 550K
DonanımHaber reported that Intel was moving from 64-layer toward 96-layer 3D NAND while avoiding a comparable capacity expansion. That detail is secondary reporting and should not be mistaken for proof that Intel had stopped investing in NAND technology.
Why Fab 68 in China was discussed
Fab 68 was described in secondary coverage as an existing Intel site associated with NAND production. One possible scenario was repurposing some capacity for a later generation of 3D XPoint. Reusing an existing facility would differ from announcing and building an entirely new fab, and could potentially provide Intel another route after the Utah manufacturing relationship changed.
Rank #4
- Upgrade your laptop or desktop computer and feel the difference with super-fast OS boot times and application loads
- Exceptional performance offering up to 535MB/s seq. Read and 500MB/s seq. Write speeds
- Superior performance as compared to traditional hard drives (HDD)
- Ultra-low power consumption
- Backwards compatible with SATA II 3GB/sec
“3D XPoint to China” referred to a possible manufacturing location. It did not mean that all Optane products were destined for Chinese customers, that the entire technology program would move there, or that fabrication, packaging, testing and design would necessarily occur in one place. The available reports do not establish whether Intel executed the proposal.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Potential benefits and risks of the proposal
What Intel could gain
- A further manufacturing option for 3D XPoint rather than dependence on one joint-venture facility.
- Possible reuse of existing semiconductor infrastructure instead of a greenfield fab project.
- Greater control over a future Optane supply route, if the site could be qualified and production ramped successfully.
- A way to consider specialized memory production without making a broad NAND-capacity expansion.
These are strategic implications of the reported option, not confirmed company objectives or outcomes.
What could make it difficult
- Yield and qualification: A repurposed line would need to support a technically distinct product and reach acceptable yields.
- Opportunity cost: Assigning capacity to 3D XPoint could reduce flexibility for NAND production in a competitive market.
- Geopolitical exposure: A China-based manufacturing route could create new trade-policy and supply-chain risks even as it reduced reliance on another facility.
- Technology protection: Contemporary commenters raised intellectual-property and security concerns. Those were stakeholder worries, not evidence that a breach occurred or that such concerns drove Intel’s decision.
- Demand risk: Specialized manufacturing would need enough sustained demand for Optane products to justify the capacity.
Contemporary forum discussion also raised tariffs, but it does not establish how particular tariffs would have applied or that they were a decisive factor. The discussion records reaction to the proposal; it is not proof of Intel’s motives or of the plan’s execution.
What the report does—and does not—establish
The defensible historical takeaway is limited to the 2019 plan as reported: Intel was not planning additional NAND capacity at that point and was reportedly considering China for future 3D XPoint production. The cited coverage does not establish that Fab 68 was converted, that Intel mass-produced 3D XPoint there, or that the proposal guaranteed Optane supply. Nor does it establish that the China proposal caused later Optane product decisions.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →
