Micron and Astera demo first PCIe 6.0 SSD, delivering 27GBps sequential read speeds
Micron and Astera achieve 27GBps with first PCIe 6.0 SSD demo at DesignCon 2025.
Micron Technology and Astera Labs presented an impressive demonstration of their latest technological innovations during DesignCon 2025, showcasing what is believed to be the first PCIe 6.0 SSD with notable sequential read speeds of 27GBps. According to Alfonso Maruccia, this demonstration marked a significant milestone in storage technology, highlighting the ongoing pursuit of faster and more efficient data transfer methods. This accomplishment comes just a year after Micron's initial promise of delivering substantial bandwidth rates with their PCIe 6 SSDs.
The demonstration involved a collaboration between the Micron 'Data Center' SSD and Astera's Scorpio P-Series Fabric Switch, which is designed to maximize the capabilities of PCIe 6.0 technology. This switch boasts 64 PCIe 6.x lanes and a 4-port architecture, facilitating swift handling of data flows for GPU, CPU, SSD, and NIC configurations. From Maruccia's report, it appears that this setup not only meets but surpasses the anticipated 26GBps sequential read speeds claimed by Micron in 2024, showcasing the SSD's superior performance.
Astera Labs underscores the necessity of PCIe 6.x technology for the development of AI and cloud infrastructures. A standout feature of the demonstration was Nvidia's Magnum IO GPUDirect Storage which was utilized to create a direct data pathway between the GPU and the SSDs. This integration allows for smoother and faster data transfer, a critical demand in AI workloads. The companies involved highlight PCIe 6.x's potential to double PCIe 5.0’s bandwidth, achieving 256 GB/s bidirectional data rates per x16 lane.
Despite the promising results, Maruccia points out that there are challenges in deploying PCIe 6.x technology broadly. One primary issue is managing the heat generated by the increased speeds, which could lead to throttling if not addressed. Nonetheless, the successful demo indicates readiness for integration into data centers, though widespread adoption in consumer products, such as PCs, may take longer.
The impact of this technology extends beyond immediate speed improvements. It signifies a crucial step forward in handling data-intensive applications critical in modern AI research and cloud applications. The demo’s success suggests that while challenges remain, PCIe 6.0 can provide the high-speed, low-latency architecture needed to support the data throughput required by next-gen AI applications.
Sources: TechSpot, PCI Special Interest Group, Nvidia, Astera Labs, Micron Technology