PCIe 5.0 technology has been applied on desktop PC platforms, but there are still no matching PCIe 5.0 products. Recently, SSD manufacturers have begun prototyping and sampling the next generation of PCIe 5th generation SSD controllers, including Qunlian PHISON-E26, Samsung and InnoGrit (IG5666).
Silicon Motion confirmed on a recent earnings call that it will take the lead in launching the first PCIe Gen 5 SSD master for enterprises, and the sample time is expected later this year. In terms of product plans, Huirong will launch SM8366 master control for enterprises in 2023, AND SM2508 high-end SSD master control and SM2507 mainstream master control for consumers at the end of 2022 and 2024 respectively.
According to Wallace Koi, President and CEO of Huirong, they expect to prototype their first PCIe Gen 5 master, SM8366, designed for the enterprise division, starting in the second half of 2022, entering mass production in the first half of 2023, and continuing to support the next generation of enterprise-class SSDs. In addition to enterprise-level master control, Huirong Technology also plans to introduce PCIe Gen 5 into the PC consumption field, and Huirong is already developing a new SM2507 Gen 5 master control, which is expected to be launched in 2024; But the more high-end SM2508 Gen 5 master will be launched later this year, and the first brand to use should be Weigang.
At present, PCIe 4.0 has not yet been widely popularized, and the next few years will be the world of PCIe Gen4. Huirong developed a PCIe 4.0 generation variant (3rd generation) for this purpose and transitioned to PCIe 5th generation the following year. However, I believe that more users will care about the launch of PCIe 5.0 master, so that users can get a more cost-effective PCIe 5.0 SSD.
Editor's comments: At present, the mainstream SSD is still stuck in the PCIe 3.0 stage, Intel and AMD platforms are also based on PCie 4.0, even if the 12th generation Core supports PCIe5.0, but there is no direct CPU connection channel, the use also needs to go through the South Bridge, in contrast, PCIe 4.0 will be more practical.