Micron's experimental PCIe 6.0 SSD reaches an impressive 30.25 GB/s, but it's not ready for your rig yet

Micron's PCIe 6.0 SSD hits 30.25 GB/s, doubling the speed but not ready for consumer PCs.

: Micron unveiled an experimental PCIe 6.0 SSD at Computex 2025, showcasing incredible speeds of 30.25 GB/s, double that of existing consumer drives. This prototype, named the Micron 9650 Pro, is currently intended for data centers and AI platforms due to lack of broader consumer compatibility. The SSD's showcase at Astera Labs' booth highlighted next-gen PCIe 6.0 switches that allow direct communication between GPUs and SSDs, bypassing the CPU. However, its availability for desktops remains distant, pending complete ecosystem support and certification expected by late 2025.

Micron has recently revealed an exciting development in storage technology with its experimental PCIe 6.0 SSD. This prototype was prominently featured at Computex 2025 and boasted sequential read and write speeds of an impressive 30.25 GB/s. This speed is nearly double the throughput of the current top-performing consumer SSDs based on PCIe 5.0. The model, known as the Micron 9650 Pro, however, is still very much in the testing phase and not ready for general consumer use.

The 9650 Pro is currently designed more for specialized applications like data centers and artificial intelligence (AI) platforms. It is not physically suited for everyday consumer PCs or gaming rigs, partly due to its design and the lack of consumer-level PCIe 6.0 support in current hardware ecosystems. The SSD was housed in a bulky metal case and connected via a PCIe 6.0 expansion card during its showcase. Though it represents a significant leap in data transfer capabilities, it was attached to a booth via what appeared to be makeshift means.

During the demo at Astera Labs’ booth, the device showcased capabilities with cutting-edge PCIe 6.0 switches and software that potentially allow devices like GPUs to communicate directly with SSDs, bypassing the need for CPU mediation. This capability could revolutionize data transfer technologies, resulting in efficient workflows especially important in AI and other high-data environments. Unfortunately, the fact that no current CPUs support PCIe 6.0 means that the broader market will have to wait for this technology to become mainstream.

The development process for such high-end hardware involves several stages, and the Micron 9650 Pro is currently in the EVT3 stage, which means it is being fine-tuned for performance and compatibility. It still needs to pass through stages like Design Validation Testing (DVT) and Production Validation Testing (PVT), indicating a relatively long road to consumer release. Micron's earlier demonstrations, such as the one that achieved 27 GB/s at DesignCon, also signal the significant potential PCIe 6.0 holds for future technologies.

Current estimations predict that we may not see these kinds of SSDs in consumer devices until late 2025 or beyond, as the necessary infrastructure, including new CPUs and motherboards that support PCIe 6.0, must also be developed and certified. Until then, the 9650 Pro remains a thrilling tech demo representing the next potential leap forward in storage technology.

Sources: TechSpot, Tom's Hardware

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