PCI-SIG has released version 0.3 of the PCIe 8.0 specification to its members, following an initial announcement made last month. The next-generation standard is being developed for intensive computing workloads and has a targeted completion date of 2028.
The PCIe 8.0 standard is not intended for immediate consumer or gaming use. Its design is specifically tailored for super-intensive workloads, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, high-speed networking, edge computing, and quantum computing. Current standards such as PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 5.0 provide bandwidth that already exceeds the requirements of modern GPUs and gaming applications. For storage, existing Gen4 SSDs deliver speeds over 7GB/sec, while Gen5 SSDs offer more than 14GB/sec, which is sufficient for most mainstream users and gamers.
A primary feature objective for the PCIe 8.0 specification is a raw bit rate of 256.0 GT/s. This performance level is designed to enable up to 1.0 TB/s of bidirectional bandwidth through an x16 configuration. The standard will continue to utilize Pulse Amplitude Modulation 4-level (PAM4) signaling. This technology is also a component of the preceding PCIe 6.0 and PCIe 7.0 specifications, providing a consistent technical foundation across recent generations.
Development goals for the new specification extend beyond raw speed. PCI-SIG is reviewing new connector technologies to handle the increased performance demands. The group is also working to confirm that latency and Forward Error Correction (FEC) targets can be achieved while ensuring reliability targets are met. A key commitment of the standard is maintaining full backwards compatibility with all previous generations of PCIe technology.
Further objectives include developing protocol enhancements to improve bandwidth efficiency and a continued emphasis on techniques for reducing power consumption despite higher performance. In the broader market, wider adoption of the Gen5 standard is expected to continue for some time, as the PCIe 6.0 standard is not anticipated to arrive until after 2030.
