Overview

• PCI-SIG has officially released the PCIe7.0 specification, doubling per-lane signaling to 16 GT/s and enabling up to 256 GB/s per direction on x16 links.
• An approved Optical Aware Retimer standard enables switches and devices to communicate over fiber with extended reach and minimal signal loss compared to copper.
• Pathfinding for PCIe8.0 is already underway, aiming to double transfer rates again to 256 GT/s, though formal specifications and timelines are still pending.
• Members plan PCIe7.0 interoperability testing in 2027, with the first compliant products expected to appear on integrator lists in 2028.
• Emerging use cases include 800G Ethernet, AI and machine learning workloads, high-performance computing and quantum systems that will leverage higher bandwidth and optical connectivity.