Breaking the PCIe Bottleneck: HighPoint’s PCIe Switch Adapters Redefine System Scalability

yuetianqi
9 hours ago
3 min read

For data intensive AI/ML training workloads and high-performance computing (HPC), the limited number of PCI Express (PCIe) lanes provided by the host CPU has long been a source of performance bottlenecks. Once a system’s PCIe slots are fully utilized, performance scaling typically comes to a standstill.

HighPoint Technologies groundbreaking PCIe Switch Adapters are engineered to eliminate such bottlenecks, and can transform a single PCIe x16 slot into a powerful high-speed expansion platform capable of hosting multiple GPUs, FPGAs, NVMe SSDs, and high-bandwidth networking devices.

The Heart of the Architecture: Broadcom PCIe Switch Integration

Industry-leading PCIe Switch ICs reside within the heart of every HighPoint Expansion Adapter.

· Broadcom PEX88048 — 48-Lane PCIe Gen4 Switch

· Broadcom PEX89048 — 48-Lane PCIe Gen5 Switch

The innovative hardware architecture ensures that dedicated, non-blocking PCIe bandwidth is allocated between the host and each downstream device. The result: Uncompromised full-lane performance for every hosted device — without resource sharing, latency penalties, or driver dependencies.

Dedicated Bandwidth for Ultimate Scalability

HighPoint’s design philosophy is simple but powerful: expansion should never come at the cost of performance.Each MCIO or Slim-SAS port provides x8 dedicated PCIe lanes, allowing a single adapter to host multiple high-speed devices simultaneously — while maintaining full Gen4 or Gen5 bandwidth per connection.

Product	Switch Chip	Gen/Lanes (Host)	External Ports	Lane Allocation (Per Port)	Primary Use Case
Rocket 1528D	PEX88048	Gen4 x16	4x SlimSAS x8	Dedicated Gen4 x8	4x NVMe / GPU / Accelerator Expansion
Rocket 1628D	PEX89048	Gen5 x16	4x MCIO x8	Dedicated Gen5 x8	4x Gen5 NVMe / GPU / Accelerator Expansion
Rocket 1624A	PEX89048	Gen5 x16	2x MCIO x8	Dedicated Gen5 x8	Dual PCIe x8 Slot Expansion

The dedicated bandwidth ensures linear scalability, deterministic latency, and true isolation between connected devices.

Hybrid Connectivity for AI/ML Workflows: The Rocket 7638D

HighPoint Rocket 7638D represents the next evolution of PCIe switch architecture — delivering hybrid internal and external connectivity within a single adapter:

· Dual Internal MCIO x8 Ports: Support up to 16x NVMe drives, for ultra-low-latency, high-density storage arrays.

· 1x External CDFP x16 Port: Enables a direct connection to an external GPU or PCIe enclosure via a dedicated Gen5 x16 interface.

This hybrid design allows peer-to-peer data communication between compute and storage devices, enabling GPU-Direct Storage (GDS) to bypass CPU intervention, minimize latency, and dramatically accelerate the feed of data for AI, inference, and simulation workloads.

Complementary PCIe Expansion Ecosystem

To maximize flexibility, HighPoint offers a complete expansion ecosystem that seamlessly integrates with its Switch Adapter family.

Internal Expansion: MCIO-PCIEx16-G5 Bridge Card

The MCIO-PCIEx16-G5 converts MCIO x8 links back into a standard PCIe x16 slot, enabling the target computing platform to host additional GPUs, FPGAs, or I/O cards internally.

Key Features:

· Dedicated Bandwidth: Each MCIO x8 connection provides full Gen5 x8 throughput.

· Scalable Design:

o One MCIO x8 → one Gen5 x8 slot

o Two MCIO x8 → two Gen5 x8 slots (ideal for GPUs or accelerator cards)

This bridge card’s flexible architecture is ideal for system architects designing GPU-dense or FPGA-based compute nodes.

2. External Expansion: RocketStor eGPU Enclosures

For applications requiring external compute density or modular scalability, the Rocket 7638D CDFP x16 port can directly host RocketStor 8000 series eGPU enclosures.

Enclosure Model	Connection	Gen/Bandwidth	Application
RocketStor 8631D	1x CopprLink/CDFP x16	Dedicated Gen5 x16	Top-Tier PCIe Gen5 GPUs and Accelerators
RocketStor 8631C	1x CopprLink/CDFP x16	Dedicated Gen5 x16	High-performance external GPU / PCIe card expansion
RocketStor 8531C	1x CDFP x16	Dedicated Gen4 x16	High-bandwidth external GPU / PCIe expansion for Gen4 systems

These enclosures ensure near-native GPU and accelerator performance, extending full-lane PCIe connectivity beyond the system chassis — perfect for compact workstations and high-density server environments.

Redefining PCIe Scalability

By integrating Broadcom’s advanced PCIe switch technology, HighPoint’s PCIe Switch Adapters eliminate the long-standing limitations of CPU lane count, transforming industry standard PCIe slots into a scalable, multi-device expansion platforms.

· Plug-and-Play Compatibility: Detected natively as a PCI-to-PCI bridge; no driver required.

· Dedicated Bandwidth: Non-blocking PCIe paths for every downstream port.

· Universal Connectivity: Support for NVMe, GPU, FPGA, NIC, and I/O devices.

· Optimized for AI/HPC: Peer-to-peer GPU and storage communication reduces latency and boosts compute efficiency.

HighPoint Technologies empowers data centers, AI research labs, and HPC integrators with the lane density, flexibility, and bandwidth demanded by next-generation computing.