SATA-IO announces 16Gb/s SATA 3.2 specification

[garuda]

I have recently been researching SSDs for PCIe buses, and discovered that the SATA-IO group and the PCI-SIG Group has been cooperatively working on specs for PCIe mounted hi-capacity SSD using the SATA-3.2 (16Gb/s) technology. Though not very recent, the Bit-Tech site had an article announcing this collaboration yielding a new spec that seems to have been released to hardware manufacturers. Some excerpts:

“SATA 3.2 introduces SATA Express, boosting the maximum theoretical throughput for storage devices from 6Gb/s to a whopping 16Gb/s. While SSDs that connect directly to a PCI Express bus already exist, the SATA 3.2 standard is about compatibility: a host compliant with the specification, SATA-IO explains, will be able to address storage over PCI Express or traditional SATA transparently. The group does, however, predict a future in which solid-state mass storage is exclusively connected via SATA Express over PCI Express, with traditional SATA ports being used purely for low-performance mechanical and optical drives.”

“SATA 3.2 isn't just about increased speed, however. The new specification also brings support for the Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF) defined by the PCI Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG). Now known as M.2, the ultra-compact cards will include the option of SATA connectivity for use as a storage form factor alongside Wi-Fi, WWAN, USB and PCI Express capabilities.”

Read more at Bit-Tech: http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2013/08/13/sata-32/1

 

[matts6887]

wow!: if they come out with something that quick; I cant begin to imagine how quick windows would load. It would just like..."that"!....snap yer fingers practically and windows would be loaded. 16gb/s is stupid fast!!!!.

 

[garuda]

wow! .... 16gb/s is stupid fast!!!!

I suspect that Intel will be using this SATAe technology on their new native-PCIe Series DC-P3700 2TB SSDs (2,800MB/s READ – 1,700MB/s WRITE) slated for release 2Q 2014. Only problem is, you’ll likely need a second mortgage on your Lamborghini to afford one of these Intel dynamos.

Image compliments of Myce.

 

[matts6887]

wow! .... 16gb/s is stupid fast!!!!

I suspect that Intel will be using this SATAe technology on their new native-PCIe Series DC-P3700 2TB SSDs (2,800MB/s READ – 1,700MB/s WRITE) slated for release 2Q 2014. Only problem is, you’ll likely need a second mortgage on your Lamborghini to afford one of these Intel dynamos.

Image compliments of Myce.

Yep! probably so...just like anything else computer related thats brand new to the public market....when something first comes out its "stupid" expensive....but give it time and price(s) will drop.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there

I suspect this type of stuff is destined for Cloud servers etc. I can't see the whole design of laptops changing very quickly in the next few years - especially in a declining market - I like the idea of mega fast storage as I've long been posting on these forums that usually the cause of poor computer performance is due to incredibly horrible slow disks.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[kbrady1979]

I believe the 16Gb/s speeds will be the theoretical limit of Sequential transfers, which have no real world value to most of us as we are limited to the speeds of HDD when transferring bulk data. Even still, the Random 4K read/write speeds should be faster, but in reality, how much quicker can Windows boot or programs open up?

 

[LMiller7]

There is more to boot time than just bus transfer rate. And there is more to boot time than just disk performance. With conventional hard drives the limiting factor is generally seek time. SSDs largely eliminate seek time as a factor and increase transfer rate as well. That is good, but there will always be a point of diminishing returns beyond which further increases in transfer rate do little for overall disk performance and boot time. At the present time there are few SSDs that can fully utilize the SATA 3 bus speed.

Specifications such as SATA 3.2 are usually well in advance of hardware that can fully utilize it.

 

[kbrady1979]

SSD's have hit the theoretical ceiling in sequential read/write speeds of SATA III........which does most of us absolutely no good. Random 4K read/write speeds and access times are what make SSD's "feel" lightning fast. Any program on my computer opens up in less than 2 seconds, and when I do reboot my PC(about once every other week) it takes about 24 seconds......what is left to gain? I want to see a continuing trend of higher capacities and lower prices.

 

[carwiz]

Wait for the new NVMe PCI standard to be implemented. The current controllers are basically one queue/one command per I/O. The new controllers will allow up to 64K queues with up to 64K commands per queue per I/O. And that's for each core. It's like having an entire terabyte+ SSD accessible all at once. Speeds will be able to out-pace current primary memory so look for improvements there too. SATA will stay around to support external drives and legacy hardware but they'll become as floppy disks did in the 90s--A slow and limited storage medium.

The breakout year for PC technology appears to be late 2015 or early 2016 and in time for Intel's "tick" processors in 14nm form factor with perhaps tri-layer transistors cubed. The real question is whether hardware manufacturers will be able to keep up. HDDs have already fallen below pre-flood prices and SSDs are dipping below $0.60/GB. SATA is quickly slipping into the hole with IDE.

 

[Britton30]

If history repeats itself again by the time hardware catches up with SATA 3.2 or NVMe PCI it will be two generations old with even faster interfaces to catch.

For fatser reboots the board makers need to somehow drop POSTing time to a couple of seconds.

 

[sygnus21]

but in reality, how much quicker can Windows boot or programs open up?

If I think it, it should be there, ready to go

 

[Britton30]

but in reality, how much quicker can Windows boot or programs open up?

If I think it, it should be there, ready to go

Or even before I know I want it. Neural interface.

 

[carwiz]

It will be so fast, it will tell you what you want.

 

[garuda]

Wait for the new NVMe PCI standard to be implemented. The current controllers are basically one queue/one command per I/O. The new controllers will allow up to 64K queues with up to 64K commands per queue per I/O. And that's for each core. It's like having an entire terabyte+ SSD accessible all at once. Speeds will be able to out-pace current primary memory so look for improvements there too. SATA will stay around to support external drives and legacy hardware but they'll become as floppy disks did in the 90s--A slow and limited storage medium.

The breakout year for PC technology appears to be late 2015 or early 2016 and in time for Intel's "tick" processors in 14nm form factor with perhaps tri-layer transistors cubed. The real question is whether hardware manufacturers will be able to keep up. HDDs have already fallen below pre-flood prices and SSDs are dipping below $0.60/GB. SATA is quickly slipping into the hole with IDE.

Well said! You have eloquently summarized essentially what I have gleaned from the NVMe, SATA-IO, PCIe, Intel, et al, industry from my last two weeks of research. I wish you would have posted this earlier so I could have taken longer naps.

However, when NVMe is firmly crystalized and board/case form factors remain essentially the same size -- it will be tough to cram multi-SLI cards and multi-SSD cards on the limited-slots of PCIe bus. The client enthusiasts may have to resort to external PCIe EXPANDER$. Cubix, etc - not cheap! Though SSD prices drop, Xpanders will likely increase; but I could be wrong. And we still keep going to the trough.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Hi there

I suspect this type of stuff is destined for Cloud servers etc. I can't see the whole design of laptops changing very quickly in the next few years - especially in a declining market - I like the idea of mega fast storage as I've long been posting on these forums that usually the cause of poor computer performance is due to incredibly horrible slow disks.

Cheers
jimbo

Don't be so sure the PC market will continue to decline. I've seen some predictions the market will increase as the EOL of XP looms closer. Time will tell.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Wait for the new NVMe PCI standard to be implemented. The current controllers are basically one queue/one command per I/O. The new controllers will allow up to 64K queues with up to 64K commands per queue per I/O. And that's for each core. It's like having an entire terabyte+ SSD accessible all at once. Speeds will be able to out-pace current primary memory so look for improvements there too. SATA will stay around to support external drives and legacy hardware but they'll become as floppy disks did in the 90s--A slow and limited storage medium.

The breakout year for PC technology appears to be late 2015 or early 2016 and in time for Intel's "tick" processors in 14nm form factor with perhaps tri-layer transistors cubed. The real question is whether hardware manufacturers will be able to keep up. HDDs have already fallen below pre-flood prices and SSDs are dipping below $0.60/GB. SATA is quickly slipping into the hole with IDE.

Well said! You have eloquently summarized essentially what I have gleaned from the NVMe, SATA-IO, PCIe, Intel, et al, industry from my last two weeks of research. I wish you would have posted this earlier so I could have taken longer naps.

However, when NVMe is firmly crystalized and board/case form factors remain essentially the same size -- it will be tough to cram multi-SLI cards and multi-SSD cards on the limited-slots of PCIe bus. The client enthusiasts may have to resort to external PCIe EXPANDER$. Cubix, etc - not cheap! Though SSD prices drop, Xpanders will likely increase; but I could be wrong. And we still keep going to the trough.

Manufacturers will just have to come up with boards with more PCI-e slots, cases with more slot openings, and CPUs that support more PCI-e lanes. Probably a new ATX standard will be needed.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there.

So now the CIA will be able to access 10 years worth of every email you ever sent or received in 3 ns flat instead of 5 MINUTES. -- of course the Police will still take finite time in having to physically find you and arrest you - and that technology won't change in the near future.

Servers etc will certainly make use of the new SSD technology -- I'm not so sure about other devices -- the smallest decently useful Human useable device has a screen size of around 5 inches -- any smaller than that and it gets unpleasant to use for long periods so a fast access device in the phone would be a waste of money - especially as any query could be directed to a cloud server which would have the technology and be able to return the answer to the mobile device.

Laptop / desktop computing is very rapidly changing - whether it makes sense to have this type of technology on individual consumer grade machines is still to be decided - it probably won't make sense as all the real compute power / query searches etc will be done by backend servers. Future laptops may well get SIMPLER in the mold of the chromebook.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[MilesAhead]

So now the CIA will be able to access 10 years worth of every email you ever sent or received in 3 ns flat instead of 5 MINUTES

J. Edgar Hoover had no problem dominating using 3x5 index cards and paper filing system he learned while working in the Library Of Congress.

The difference the computers will make is when you try to escape in your boat, plane, motor cycle or automobile the computer will say "Yeah right! You know you're wanted by the cops dude! You ain't goin' nowhere except to jail via auto-pilot!"

 

[lehnerus2000]

We need faster ways to bulk copy/transfer data.

I bought a new 2 TB HDD a few days before Christmas.
It took me 3 days to finish copying and redeploying the data (across 3 HDDs).

To be fair, I spent one entire afternoon trying to get Windows 7 and XP to boot, after I transferred them to a larger HDD (with "Advanced Format").
Miraculously, I was able to fix the boot problem by:

• Playing drive letter "Whack-A-Mole" with Diskpart
• Editing the Boot file with BCDedit

The difference the computers will make is when you try to escape in your boat, plane, motor cycle or automobile the computer will say "Yeah right! You know you're wanted by the cops dude! You ain't goin' nowhere except to jail via auto-pilot!"

Just like the pilot episode of the original "Knight Rider".

 

[MilesAhead]

Just like the pilot episode of the original "Knight Rider".

I never caught the start of that show. I didn't even see X-Files until it was syndicated on Fox. I'm a troglodyte in some ways.