There will be PCIe 5.0 SSDs with 25mm width
The M.2 slot is a common interface on motherboards in the past few years. In addition to storage, it can also access expansion devices such as Wi-Fi/Bluetooth modules.
M.2 slots are currently available in various sizes, with widths of 12mm, 16mm, 22mm, and 30mm, and lengths of 16mm, 26mm, 30mm, 42mm, 60mm, 80mm, and 110mm. Generally, the length of the M.2 interface on the motherboard varies from 30mm to 110mm, but the width is 22mm. The most typical M.2 SSD is the 2280 specification. In addition, the motherboard may also have a 2230 specification for Wi-Fi/Bluetooth modules, and some high-end motherboards may also have a 22110 specification M.2 slot for access to high-performance SSDs.
Recently, Twitter user @hms1193 shared the design of some X670 motherboards. These products will be available in the next few months and support PCIe 5.0 SSD. The novelty is that these motherboards will support PCIe 5.0 SSDs in the 25110 specification, which means an increase of 3mm in width compared to the existing 22mm. The larger size can accommodate more parts, and at the same time can help heat dissipation, allowing manufacturers to use larger heat sinks.
PCI-SIG seems to have formulated a wider 25mm specification for M.2 SSDs at the end of 2020, but it has not been mentioned since. For motherboards with ATX specifications, it is not a big problem to support the 25110 M.2 slot. However, for some devices with larger size restrictions, such as ITX motherboards or laptops, the new M.2 slot may not be suitable, so SSD manufacturers may have reservations about the new specifications.
Apacer has released the world’s first consumer-grade PCIe 5.0 SSD. The continuous read and continuous write speeds have reached 13,000 MB/s and 12,000 MB/s respectively, and the performance is very powerful, but the manufacturer did not specify whether the width is 22mm or 25mm. Next, let’s see which manufacturer will launch a PCIe 5.0 SSD with the 25110 specifications, and pay attention to whether the new specification will bring other benefits.
