Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Intel’s sale to SK hynix is complete. It closed in two stages: the SSD business and Dalian facility assets transferred on December 29, 2021, and the remaining NAND technology and manufacturing business transferred on March 27, 2025. The acquired SSD business became Solidigm. Intel kept its Optane business, which was excluded from the deal.
What Intel sold—and what it kept
The October 19, 2020 agreement covered Intel’s NAND solid-state drive (SSD) business, NAND components and wafers, and assets at its Dalian NAND manufacturing facility in China. The agreement excluded Optane, Intel’s separate memory business. Intel’s announcement described a proposed US$9 billion transaction.
The Dalian assets were transferred in the first phase, but that did not mean every part of the NAND business changed hands at once. Intel temporarily continued manufacturing NAND wafers at the facility while it retained certain NAND wafer manufacturing and design intellectual property pending the second closing.
How the two closing stages unfolded
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| October 19, 2020 | Intel and SK hynix announced the proposed transaction, covering the NAND SSD, component and wafer businesses and Dalian facility assets; Optane was excluded. |
| December 29, 2021 | The first closing transferred the SSD business, certain SSD-related intellectual property and employees, and Dalian facility assets to SK hynix. Intel stated consideration of US$7 billion for this phase. Intel continued wafer manufacturing at Dalian under a temporary arrangement. Intel’s first-closing announcement |
| March 27, 2025 | The second closing transferred Intel’s remaining NAND memory technology and manufacturing business. Intel reported approximately US$1.9 billion in net proceeds after certain adjustments; the NAND wafer manufacturing and sale agreement ended in connection with the closing. Intel’s SEC filing |
What is Solidigm?
Solidigm is the SK hynix subsidiary established to manage the SSD business acquired from Intel. SK hynix said Solidigm would manage product development, manufacturing and sales for that business. The brand’s creation was the practical next step for the SSD operation after the first closing—not a separate sale of Intel’s whole NAND business at that time. SK hynix’s first-phase announcement
#1 Best Overall
- Sequential read/write (MB/s) up to: 3400/2500
- Random read/write (IOPS) up to: 390K?420K
- Compatible with all systems that support M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4
Why the deal was announced as US$9 billion but the final phase was about US$1.9 billion
The US$9 billion figure was the headline value for the proposed transaction in 2020. The original structure called for US$7 billion at the first closing and US$2 billion at the second, subject to adjustments. In its 2025 filing, Intel reported approximately US$1.9 billion net of certain adjustments for the second closing. Those figures describe different stages and accounting terms; US$2 billion was not the exact final net amount reported as received at the second closing.
Intel’s 2020 announcement also said the NAND businesses had generated approximately US$2.8 billion in revenue and US$600 million in operating income during the six months ended June 27, 2020. These are historical figures for the business being sold, not current results. Intel’s 2020 announcement
Rank #2
- Capacity: 256GB
- Form Factor: M.2 2242 PCIe NVME SSD
- Key Type: M Key
- Hardware Requirements: M.2 slot
- Dimension: 22mm x 80mm x 2.38m
What happens next—and what is not established
With the second closing complete, SK hynix owns the remaining NAND technology and manufacturing business covered by the transaction, while Solidigm manages the acquired SSD operation. Intel’s temporary NAND wafer manufacturing arrangement at Dalian ended with the final closing. Optane remained outside the transaction.
Intel said in 2020 that it planned to invest the proceeds in differentiated technology and long-term priorities, including artificial intelligence, 5G networking and the intelligent autonomous edge. That was Intel’s stated rationale at the time; it does not by itself establish that the sale caused any later business result. The transaction sources establish the assets transferred and closing terms, but do not establish its causal effect on NAND market share, product prices or Intel’s later performance.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- STORAGE CAPACITY: High-performance 1TB internal solid state drive perfect for system upgrades and enhanced storage capabilities.
- FORM FACTOR: Standard 2.5-inch design measuring 100.5 mm x 69.9 mm x 7.0 mm, compatible with most laptops and desktop computers.
- INTERFACE: SATA III connection delivering reliable data transfer with read speeds up to 560MB/s and write speeds up to 510MB/s.
- PERFORMANCE: TLC (Triple-Level Cell) NAND flash memory technology ensures consistent and dependable performance for everyday computing tasks.
- COMPATIBILITY: Internal SSD designed for seamless integration with systems supporting 2.5-inch SATA storage devices.
Rank #3
- Ideal for high speed, low power storage
- Gen 4x4 NVMe PCle performance
- Up to 6,000MB/s read, 4,000MB/s write
- Includes Acronis cloning software
- 5-year limited warranty
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.
