PCIe 7.0 standard launches in 2025: 512GB/sec on x16 port, next-gen Gen7 SSDs enjoy 128GB/sec

The Peripheral Component Interconnect Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG) has just announced the release of version 0.7 of the PCIe 7.0 specifications for the approval of PCI-SIG members.

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PCI-SIG is the body that sets the standards for the interface that billions of computers use on their motherboards to connect to devices like GPUs, super-fast SSDs, and more. PCI-SIG has plans to finalize the PCIe 7.0 specifications later this year, in order to keep up with its new standards being unleashed every 3 years.

PCIe 7.0 will be an incredible upgrade in bandwidth, offering double what PCIe 6.0 will offer -- which offers double what PCIe 5.0 is capable of -- with 128GT/s raw bit rate, which works out to a bi-directional transfer speed of 512GB/sec on an x16 connection. PCIe 7.0 will also use Pulse Amplitude Modulation with 4 levels (PAM4) signaling, something that was introduced with PCIe 6.0, allowing it to encode two bits of data per clock cycle, effectively doubling the data rate versus the signaling tech inside of PCIe 5.0 and PCIe 4.0 standards.

PCI-SIG technical workgroups will be developing the PCIe 7.0 specification with the following feature goals:

• Delivering 128 GT/s raw bit rate and up to 512 GB/s bi-directionally via x16 configuration
• Utilizing PAM4 (Pulse Amplitude Modulation with 4 levels) signaling
• Focusing on the channel parameters and reach
• Continuing to deliver the low-latency and high-reliability targets
• Improving power efficiency
• Maintaining backwards compatibility with all previous generations of PCIe technology

Al Yanes, PCI-SIG President and Chairperson said: "With the forthcoming PCIe 7.0 specification, PCI-SIG continues our 30-year commitment to delivering industry-leading specifications that push the boundaries of innovation. As PCIe technology continues to evolve to meet the high bandwidth demands, our workgroups' focus will be on channel parameters and reach and improving power efficiency".