Revolution in data transfer: Silicon Motion is working on a 128 GB/s PCIe 7.0 SSD

Silicon Motion, a global leader in data storage technology, has begun developing next-generation SSD controllers for enterprise systems that support the PCIe 7.0 interface. This technology is expected to push data transfer speeds to unprecedented levels, opening new horizons for modern servers and AI systems. This is reported by Ixbt.com reports .

According to Alex Chou, head of the company's enterprise division, the base architecture for the new controller, dubbed Gen7, has already been defined. According to the plan, the first samples of the new device will be presented in the second half of 2027. However, before transitioning to the PCIe 7.0 standard, the company must finalize the PCIe 6.0 generation. Currently, the PCIe 6.0 controller is being tested on an FPGA platform, and its finished chips are expected to hit the market in 2026.

PCIe 7.0 capabilities and technical specifications

The PCIe 7.0 specification, approved by the PCI-SIG organization in June 2025, doubles the bandwidth compared to the previous generation. According to ixbt.com, the new standard provides a speed of 128 GB/s per lane. For example, in an x16 connection, which is typical for graphics cards, the total bandwidth reaches 512 GB/s, while in an x4 connection, widely used in SSDs, the theoretical limit is 64 GB/s.

It is worth noting that the real speed of SSD devices does not depend solely on the interface. Silicon Motion experts explain that the final performance is directly influenced by the controller itself, the type of NAND memory, the number of channels, power consumption, and the efficiency of the cooling system. Therefore, memory chips must also be improved alongside the new controllers.

Solutions for AI and enterprise systems

Silicon Motion sees AI systems as the primary application area for the new technology. The company links this project to NVIDIA's Storage Next initiative. This initiative aims to minimize latency between data storage and graphics processors (GPU). For AI workloads, not only sequential read speed is important, but also stable performance when accessed simultaneously by many users and virtual machines.

The company expects future drives to reach tens of millions of IOPS (input/output operations per second). While the 100-200 million IOPS figure previously estimated by industry experts was considered somewhat unrealistic for the coming years, the 50 million IOPS level has been set as an achievable goal for Silicon Motion.

For now, PCIe 7.0 technology is intended for large server infrastructures and data centers, not for ordinary home computers. For this standard to become mainstream, an ecosystem of motherboards and processors that support it must be formed, not just SSDs. In the Uzbekistan market, such high-tech solutions will remain relevant primarily for cloud services and large corporate clients.