PCIe 7.0 specs released: 512GB/sec bandwidth total, next-gen PCIe 7.0 SSDs will pump 128GB/sec

PCI-SIG initially announced the next-generation PCIe 7.0 standard back in 2022, but now the organization behind the PCIe standards -- PCI-SIG, duh -- has announced version 0.5 of PCIe 7.0, now available for member review.

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PCIe 7.0 is gearing up for a full release in 2025, but don't think you'll see workstations or gaming motherboards with PCIe 7.0 connectivity when we don't have PCIe 6.0 in the consumer space just yet, and PCIe 5.0 is only penetrating that market now. We will be living with PCIe 5.0 for a while on the desktop and laptop before we see PCIe 6.0, let alone PCIe 7.0.

For now, the full specification of PCIe 7.0 were released by PCI-SIG, which include:

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

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PCIe 7.0 will offer ultra-massive bandwidth upgrades for data-intensive markets like AI, machine learning, hyperscale data centers, HPC, quantum computing, the cloud, and 800G Ethernet. A full-speed PCIe 7.0 x16 connector will offer a blistering 512GB/sec, while PCIe 7.0 x4 SSDs of the future will be able to enjoy a mind-boggling 128GB/sec.

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We recently saw PCIe 6.0 connectivity being tested on the floors of NVIDIA's recent GTC (GPU Technology Conference) event in San Josie, California. Aries' new PCIe 6.0 retimers were being tested with the PCIe 6.2 standard and new CLX 3.1 retimers. NVIDIA's GTC is a huge GPU-focused event, with NVIDIA unveiling its next-gen Blackwell B200 AI GPU, and plenty more at the show.

PCIe 7.0 is still a year away, but we should expect more details on future-gen products like next-gen AI GPUs in 2025 and beyond, riding the new PCIe 7.0 standard for high-speed interconnects of the future.