WD Demonstrates First PCIe Hard Drives

WD is demonstrating the first PCI Express hard drives at Computex Taipei, which takes place on June 3^rd through the 4^th. WD’s prototype introduces the new SATA Express interface, a form of PCI Express technology, which is available on the recently launched Intel series-9 chipset motherboards. The SATA Express interface offers a path to improved speeds, lower power consumption, and increased flexibility for future OEM designs.

WD is demonstrating the first PCI Express hard drives at Computex Taipei, which takes place on June 3^rd through the 4^th. WD’s prototype introduces the new SATA Express interface, a form of PCI Express technology, which is available on the recently launched Intel series-9 chipset motherboards. The SATA Express interface offers a path to improved speeds, lower power consumption, and increased flexibility for future OEM designs.

Above: Dual Drive Configuration with SSD and HDD

The move to PCI Express allows the industry to unite the world’s most popular storage bus with the world’s most popular computer bus, making way for a solid growth path to innovate new capability, all the while preserving the ability to plug legacy SATA drives into new SATA Express based computers. In addition, SATA Express allows for cheaper cable connections by removing the PCI Express Sync line through SRIS (Separate RefClock with Independent SSC), lowering the overall cable cost.

Taking place at Computex, this new SATA Express interface is being demonstrated in systems from WD’s key partners to show the operational interface with their new platforms. The new SATA Express infrastructure also allows customers to work with SSDs, SSHDs, and HDDs on a single common bus.

WD’s demonstration prototype uses standard AHCI drivers and is compatible with all known, currently supported client operating system releases.

Discuss This Story