Day Four Recap of Computex 2025: Prototype of PCIe 6.0 SSD, Development of 321-Layer 4D NAND, Anticipated Affordable 10 GbE Controllers
Final Day at Computex 2025: PCIe 6.0 SSDs on the Horizon, External Storage Solutions, and the Future of Networking
Day four of our Computex 2025 coverage is here! If you've missed our previous articles on Day Zero, Day One, Day Two, and Day Three, be sure to check them out and our dedicated Computex 2025 hub on Tom's Hardware.
PCIe 6.0 SSD Prototypes Take Center Stage, 976GB of External SSD Storage, SK hynix 321-layer 4D NAND
We're creeping closer to PCIe 5.0 SSDs becoming the norm, with read speeds hovering around 14 GB/s. But the tech world never stands still, and companies like Micron are already tinkering with PCIe 6.0 solutions.
Micron unveiled the 9650 Pro SSD prototype, showcasing impressive sequential read and write speeds of 30.25 GB/s using a PCIe 6.0 x4 interface. This performance leap effectively doubles that of today's best SSDs, but Sony's forthcoming consumer and enterprise PCIe 6.0 SSDs are still months away. Catch 22: No current CPU platforms support PCIe 6.0, and the required technology is still expensive.
HighPoint's RocketStor 6542AW was another star of the show. This external storage solution boasts eight hot-swap 2.5-inch NVMe bays and a staggering combined capacity of 976TB. Its RAID array can reach sequential read speeds of up to 28 GB/s. Note: The price tag? Sure to be north of $130,000.
SK hynix revealed its first UFS 4.1 storage solutions, due to arrive in early 2026. These little powerhouses are expected to be used in smartphones, with their 321-layer 4D NAND flash delivering up to 512GB and 1TB storage units capable of 4,300 MB/s performance. An impressive 15 percent thinner design while delivering a 7 percent uplift in power efficiency makes this a game-changer.
- Major strides towards PCIe 6.0 SSDs with Micron's 9650 Pro, SK hynix's 321-layer 4D NAND UFS 4.1 chips
- HighPoint's 976TB external storage solution with 28 GB/s transfer rates is a bank-breaker
New Wireless and Wired Networking Products on the Horizon
The hottest ticket in town? Wi-Fi 7! Asus stole the spotlight with the ROG Strix GS-BE18000 Wi-Fi 7 gaming router, sporting a 2GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of DDR4 memory, and a whopping 11,529 Mbps on the 6 GHz band, 5,765 Mbps on the 5 GHz band, and 688 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band. To make it even sweeter, the router boasts an impressive nine 2.5G ports (two for gaming, one for WAN).
Moving on to the wired side of networking, Realtek is set to bring its $10, diminutive 10 GbE network adapter to market later this year. This chip operates over a PCIe 4.0 x2 interface and supports up to 10 Gbps operating speeds, making affordable 10 GbE networking a reality for laptops, motherboards, and add-in cards.
- Asus launches Wi-Fi 7 gaming router with nine 2.5G ports
- Realtek's $10, tiny 10GbE network adapter is a steal
The Best of the Rest
- Intel unveils three new Xeon 6 P-Core CPUs for Nvidia DGX B300 AI systems
- Thermaltake brings liquid immersion cooling closer to the mainstream with the IX700
- MSI's new PinSafe Design motherboard promises no more pricked fingers
- 3,000W PSUs take center stage - Seasonic and Superflower introduce colossal power supplies
- Maxsun reveals liquid-cooled RTX 50 series GPU with RGB lighting
- Super Flower showcases not just one but two 3000W PSUs at Computex 2025
- Lian Li introduces a PSU with rotatable power outlet at Computex 2025
- Arctic presents new air coolers, fans, and PC cases
- Artificial Intelligence takes a step forward with Intel's new Xeon 6 P-Core CPUs for Nvidia DGX B300 AI systems
- Thermaltake brings Artificial Intelligence closer to the mainstream with the IX700 liquid immersion cooling technology
- MSI's new PinSafe Design motherboard promises a safer, error-free CPU socket installation process with its smart pin detection feature
- The rise of powerful PSUs: Seasonic and Superflower introduce 3,000W PSUs, offering an unprecedented power capacity for high-end systems
- Maxsun's liquid-cooled RTX 50 series GPU with RGB lighting brings aesthetics and cooling performance to new heights
- Super Flower showcases not just one but two 3000W PSUs at Computex 2025, catering to the increased power demands of high-end gaming and mining systems
- Lian Li's innovative PSU design with rotatable power outlets offers flexibility and convenience in managing cable routing and device placement
- Arctic takes a leap in cooling solutions with its new lineup of air coolers, fans, and PC cases, designed for optimum performance and stylish looks
- Smart gadgets push data-and-cloud-computing to the next level: Maxsun's liquid-cooled RTX 50 series GPU with its smart cooling algorithm and Arctic's lineup of intelligent air coolers and PC cases leveraging AI for optimal performance and energy efficiency
- The line between smartphones and wearables blurs as SK hynix's UFS 4.1 chips promise faster storage and increased capacity for both smartphones and wearables
- The future of smart-home-devices gets a boost with SK hynix's UFS 4.1 chips, allowing for smoother operation, quicker response times, and increased storage capacity in smart-home devices
