Computex 2025 Day Four Wrap-Up: PCIe 6.0 SSD prototype, 321-layer 4D NAND, cheap 10 GbE controllers inbound

Today marks our fourth and final “official” day of Computex 2025 coverage. If today’s coverage isn’t enough for you, be sure to peruse our Day Zero, Day One, Day Two, and Day Three stories and look at the Tom's Hardware Computex 2025 hub.

PCIe 6.0 SSD Prototypes Take Center Stage, 976GB of External SSD Storage, SK hynix 321-layer 4D NAND

We’re settling into a groove with PCIe 5.0 SSDs, which are hovering around 14 GB/s read speeds. However, the hardware industry doesn’t sit still, meaning that the engineering skunkworks of many companies are already well, along with developing their PCIe 6.0 solutions.

Micron showed off a prototype of its 9650 Pro SSD, which uses a PCIe 6.0 x4 interface to deliver sequential reads and writes of 30.25 GB/s, effectively doubling the performance of today’s best SSDs. However, we’re still months away from when consumer (or even enterprise) PCIe 6.0 SSDs will enter the market. For starters, no current CPU platforms are available with PCIe 6.0 support. Nvidia’s Blackwell-based GPUs have native PCIe 6.0 x16 support, but that functionality is for naught without CPU support (and they have not passed interoperability tests). With that said, the first PCIe 6.0 devices officially certified by PCI-SIG will come later this year.

HighPoint dropped more than a few jaws with the RocketStor 6542AW, an external storage solution with eight hot-swap 2.5-inch NVMe bays. The unit on display was configured with eight 122TB PCIe 4.0 SSDs, offering a combined 976TB capacity. In a RAID array, the RocketStor 6542AW is capable of sequential reads of up to 28 GB/s.

SK hynix’s first UFS 4.1 storage solutions are expected to land in early 2026, with the first applications being smartphones. The company uses a 321-layer 4D NAND flash to power 512GB and 1TB storage units. According to SK hynix, its UFS 4.1 ICs can perform at up to 4,300 MB/s in chips that are 15 percent thinner while delivering a 7 percent uplift in power efficiency compared to the previous generation.

• PCIe 6.0 SSD with 30.25 GB/s speeds debuts at Computex, release date is still a long way off
• This 976TB external storage solution with 28 GB/s transfer speeds likely costs over $130,000
• SK hynix announces 321-layer, UFS 4.1 chips — TLC 4D NAND set to land in PCs and data centers

New Wireless and Wired Networking Product on the Horizon

Wi-Fi 7 is all the rage these days, and Asus is at the forefront with routers and client adapters covering various price points. The company’s latest Wi-Fi 7 offering is the ROG Strix GS-BE18000. As a member of the ROG family, performance is crucial, so Asus has fitted it with a 2GHz quad-core processor and a healthy 2GB of DDR4 memory.

Asus has wireless transmission covered, with up to 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. While 19,000 Mbps of combined throughput is impressive, the real claim to fame for the ROG Strix GS-BE18000 is that it has a staggering nine 2.5 GbE ports. Of that assortment, two are specifically optimized for gaming, while one is a dedicated WAN port. In case you’re wondering, it offers up to 3,300 square feet of coverage.

Sticking strictly with the wired side of networking, Realtek is bringing 10 GbE networking to the masses with its diminutive (9 mm x 9 mm) RTL8127 chip. The network controller operates over a PCIe 4.0 x2 interface and supports up to 10 Gbps operating speeds. At just $10, the RTL8127 should prove popular in laptops, motherboards, and add-in PCIe cards.

• Asus launches new ROG Wi-Fi 7 gaming router that comes with nine 2.5G ports
• Realtek's $10 tiny 10GbE network adapter is coming to motherboards later this year

The Best of the Rest

• Intel launches three new Xeon 6 P-Core CPUs, will debut in Nvidia DGX B300 AI systems
• Thermaltake brings enthusiast immersion liquid cooling closer to market with the IX700
  MSI’s new PinSafe Design motherboard promises no more pricked fingers
• 3,000W PSUs are taking over Computex — Seasonic and Superflower debut behemoth power supplies
• Maxsun shows off liquid-cooled RTX 50 series GPU covered in RGB lighting
• Super Flower shows off not one but two 3000W PSUs at Computex 2025
• Lian Li flexes new PSU with rotatable power outlet at Computex 2025
• Arctic shows off new air coolers and fans at Computex 2025, brings back PC cases to its lineup