Micron Shows SSD with PCIe 6.0 Interface — Up to 30 GB/s and Already the Third Version of the Board
The exhibition Computex 2025 Micron Unveils PCIe 9650 x6.0 SSD 4 Pro Engineering Sample, capable of achieving read and write speeds up to 30,25 GB/s. Despite the fact that a mass launch of the new product is not planned yet, the drive itself is already actively used as a demonstration platform in tests and development of solutions for AI.
The SSD 9650 Pro was a key element of the Astera Labs booth, where it was used for demonstration PCIe 6.0 Switch Scorpio 4x16, the Aries Bandwidth-matching Gearbox software bus and other components of the infrastructure of future data centers. Engineering prototype is at the EVT3 (Engineering Validation Test) stage — is the third revision of a hardware build, which typically includes a near-final design and is used for testing performance, thermals, and compatibility.
Although GPU NVIDIA Blackwell series already have PCIe 6.0 x16 support, processor vendors have not yet offered full-fledged platforms with this standard. However, with the help of PCIe 6.0 switches, it is possible to implement a direct connection between GPU and SSD, bypassing CPU, which is extremely important for AI systems. In addition, using Astera Gearbox can reduce the number of lanes required to connect to hosts with PCIe 5.0 - just four PCIe 6.0 lanes provide bandwidth equivalent to PCIe 5.0 x8.
PCI-SIG Official Certification of PCIe 6.0 Devices Has Been Delayed to the Second Half of 2025, so even though they are technically ready, none of the products have yet undergone formal compatibility tests. However, the current version of the 9650 Pro can be used in these tests and demonstrates real progress in the field of ultra-fast data storage.
The storage device still has at least two more phases ahead of it: DVT (Design Validation Test) и PVT (Production Validation Test), after which it will be able to enter the market. The question is whether Micron will wait for PCI-SIG certification or start qualifying on the basis of EVT3 with interested customers - for example, in the field of AI and cloud platforms.
