PCIe 8.0: Doubling the Speed for AI and Data Centers, but Not for Consumer Devices

The PCI-SIG organization has officially announced the PCI Express 8.0 specification, which is expected to double the bandwidth compared to PCIe 7.0 and provide up to 1 TB/s in x16 bidirectional mode.

This will be the next step in the evolution of the interface, which plays a key role in high-performance computing, including artificial intelligence tasks and data center operations.

Focus on Performance for AI Workloads

According to a PCI-SIG press release, PCIe 8.0 will offer data transfer speeds of up to 256 GT/s. This leap is necessary given the rapid growth of AI workloads, which require ever-higher bandwidth.

As noted by ABI Research analyst Riss Hayden, PCIe technology remains fundamental to the industry due to its scalability, energy efficiency, and compatibility with previous generations.

Main Objectives of PCIe 8.0 Development

The project's technical priorities include reducing latency, increasing reliability, improving transmission protocols, and considering new types of connectors. Developers are paying particular attention to reducing power consumption, which is especially important for scalable data centers. As in previous versions, backward compatibility with older generations of PCIe is ensured.

Commercial Launch — Not Before 2028

Despite ambitious technical goals, the mass adoption of PCIe 8.0 is a distant prospect. According to PCI-SIG plans, PCIe 8.0 will be released closer to 2028, which means that the first compatible devices will not be available until the end of the decade.