The new PCIe 7.0 specification doubles the bandwidth to 128.0 GT/s and targets applications such as AI, cloud infrastructure, and 800G Ethernet.
The organization behind the PCI standards, PCI-SIG, has released the final version of the PCI Express 7.0 specification to its members. The new standard doubles the raw bit rate to 128.0 GT/s and enables a maximum bidirectional throughput of 512 GBps via an x16 connection.
Not yet for Consumers
PCIe 7.0 focuses on cloud and data centers with quantum computing. It will take some time before that standard even appears on the markets, writes The Verge. There’s no talk of implementing the standard in GPUs or SSDs for consumer PCs. Even PCIe 5.0 from 2022 is currently quite uncommon and was only used in consumer hardware five years after its launch.
Preview of PCIe 8.0
According to PCI-SIG president Al Yanes, the organization continues its tradition of doubling I/O bandwidth every three years. He emphasizes that PCIe 7.0 is designed to meet the requirements of large-scale AI applications, data centers, high-performance computing, and specialized sectors such as defense and the automotive industry.
The industry is already actively responding to the new standard. Analysts indicate that many chip developers and IP suppliers are already working on integrating PCIe 7.0 into their product plans. Meanwhile, the first steps towards PCIe 8.0 have already been taken to continue meeting the increasing needs of hardware suppliers and IT infrastructures in the long term.