PCI-SIG announces CopperLink cables for PCIe 5.0 and PCIe 6.0 devices

PCI-SIG, the organization that provides specs for all PCIe developments, has announced a new CopperLink naming scheme for upcoming PCIe internal and external cables at the SC23 event dedicated to high performance computing, networking, and storage solutions. The new type of cable will interconnect PCIe 5.0 and 6.0 devices, with the final specifications expected to release in Q1 2024.

As suggested by the announcement itself, this type of cable appears to be targeted at HPC solutions. Apparently, the OCulink (Optical Copper Link) cables offered by PCI-SIG may prove to be insufficient for PCIe 5.0 and 6.0 speeds, since these have a maximum bandwidth of 63 Gbps. CopperLink should offer increased speeds, most likely similar to Thunderbolt 5 specs, so up to 120 Gbps. However, Videocardz points out that PCI-SIG is also working on providing specs for fiber-based cables with even higher speeds, yet these will not be ready before the adoption of optical motherboard connectors.

Due to the lack of specs for the new CopperLink cables, there is some speculation that PCI-SIG may be looking to provide an alternative for the 12VHPWR Gen 5.0 standard that connects GPUs to PSUs. Even if this is the case, such cables may not hit the consumer market too soon, as PCI-SIG is focusing on the HPC sector for now and the first PCIe 5.0 GPUs from Nvidia and AMD are still 1 year away.

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