PCI Express 4.0 Promises 16GT/s, Twice the Throughput of PCIe 3.0

The next generation of the widely adopted PCI Express (PCIe) industry-standard input/output (I/O) technology, PCIe 4.0, will offer a bit rate of 16 gigatransfers per second (GT/s) -- twice the throughput of today's PCIe 3.0.


as the bit rate for the next generation of PCIe architecture, PCIe 4.0. This decision comes after the PCI-SIG completed a feasibility study on scaling the PCIe interconnect bandwidth to meet the demands of a variety of computing markets.


PCI-SIG, the organization responsible for developing the standard, said its analysis of I/O requirements determined that 16 GT/s on copper is technically feasible at approximately PCIe 3.0 power levels. The data also confirms that a 16GT/s interconnect can be manufactured in mainstream silicon process technology and can be deployed with existing low-cost materials and infrastructure, while maintaining compatibility with previous generations of PCIe architecture. In addition, the PCI-SIG will investigate advancements in active and idle power optimizations, key issues facing the industry.


"The PCI Express architecture has become the de facto I/O technology within the industry, in large part due to PCI-SIG's dedication to I/O innovation and the insight of those who defined earlier versions in such an extensible manner," said Nathan Brookwood, research fellow at Insight 64. "Like its predecessors, the PCIe 4.0 architecture is well positioned to preserve the industry's investments in earlier generations of PCI Express specifications while extending the technology in a manner that enables new applications and usage models."http://www.pcisig.com