AI and cloud systems are slowed by data bottlenecks. New PCIe 6 switches help move data faster, reduce delays and make scaling systems easier.
Data centers and AI developers face a growing challenge: moving massive amounts of data quickly between CPUs, GPUs, AI accelerators, and storage without creating bottlenecks. Delays in data transfer slow AI training, inference, and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads, limiting how effectively modern systems can scale.
Microchip Technology’s new Switchtec Gen 6 PCIe switches aim to solve this by providing a high-speed, low-latency interconnect for next-generation AI and cloud infrastructure. Built on a 3 nm process, these switches handle up to 160 PCIe lanes while consuming less power, enabling dense, high-performance AI systems without compromising efficiency.
The switches allow direct, simplified GPU interfaces within server racks, reducing signal loss and maintaining the speed AI workloads need. PCIe Gen 6 doubles bandwidth compared with PCIe 5.0 and introduces features like Flow Control Unit mode, lightweight error correction, and dynamic resource allocation, all improving reliability and throughput, especially for the small data packets common in AI tasks.
Security is also a focus. Switchtec Gen 6 includes a hardware root of trust, secure boot, and post-quantum safe cryptography that meets CNSA 2.0 standards, helping protect sensitive data in AI and HPC environments.
Designed for flexibility, the switches provide 20 ports, 10 stacks, and support hot- and surprise-plug controllers. They allow multiple host domains to connect or remain isolated through Non-Transparent Bridging (NTB), support multicast for one-to-many data distribution, and include advanced diagnostics and error containment. Integrated MIPS processors, x8 and x16 bifurcation options, and a range of I/O interfaces make the switches adaptable to varied high-performance system architectures.
“Rapid innovation in the AI era is prompting data center architectures to move away from traditional designs and shift to a model where components are organized as a pool of shared resources,” said Brian McCarson, corporate vice president of Microchip’s data center solutions business unit. “By expanding our proven Switchtec product line to PCIe 6.0, we’re enabling this transformation with technology that facilitates direct communication between critical compute resources and delivers the most powerful and energy efficient switch we’ve ever produced.”
