HighPoint adaptors boost PCIe slots for GPU scalability
HighPoint has introduced the PCIe Gen5/Gen4 MCIO and SlimSAS x16 Adapter Series, powered by its robust PCIe switching architecture to address the limited availability of PCIe slots in demanding AI and autonomous driving applications.
The rapid advancements in AI, autonomous driving systems, and high-performance computing (HPC) have created an insatiable demand for GPU accelerators, high-speed storage, and advanced I/O. This surge in demand has revealed a critical bottleneck due to the limited availability of PCIe lanes and expansion slots. Even the most sophisticated server-grade motherboards, which offer up to 128 PCIe lanes, struggle to meet the connectivity requirements of modern workloads, especially for applications that need multiple GPUs per system. Each GPU requires a substantial number of PCIe lanes, quickly depleting available resources and limiting overall system performance and scalability.
The HighPoint adapters significantly enhance system connectivity by adding up to eight PCIe devices or supporting four additional x8 GPUs per single adapter. This greatly boosts expansion capacity without compromising signal integrity or bandwidth, effectively overcoming the limitations of conventional motherboard designs.
This series includes two flagship adapter products, the PCIe Gen5 x16 Rocket 1628A and PCIe Gen4 x16 Rocket 1528D.
HighPoint’s PCIe Switching Architecture offers several advantages over traditional options that rely on passive riser cards. Configurable PCIe lane counts enable customers to optimise data flow and/or transfer performance to facilitate seamless integration of NVMe media into various storage architectures and workloads. Compliant with industry backplane specifications, the adapters support UBM (Universal Backplane Management), VPP (Voltage Protection Profile) and real-time storage health and connectivity monitoring.
With support for SMBus, I2C, and advanced Out-of-Band protocols like MCTP and SMC, HighPoint NVMe Switch Adapters provide extensive communication options to enhance storage administration across various hardware environments
HighPoint also provides a comprehensive range of fully validated cabling that complements the R1628A and R1528D adapters. By expanding system capabilities to support up to four additional GPUs via a single PCIe slot and ensuring optimal performance, HighPoint empowers organisations to unlock the full potential of AI, ADAS, and HPC applications.
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