HighPoint Technologies has announced a new lineup of PCIe Gen 5 and Gen 4 x16 adapters featuring MCIO (Mini Cool Edge IO) and SlimSAS (Serial Attached SCSI) connectors, aimed at expanding the I/O capabilities of modern workstations and servers. These adapters improve GPU scalability and unlock high-bandwidth NVMe storage configurations on platforms where PCIe lanes are limited or require efficient redistribution.
The newly launched adapter series includes the PCIe Gen 5 x16 Rocket 1628A and PCIe Gen 4 x16 Rocket 1528D, each providing up to four MCIO x4 or SlimSAS x4 channels. This makes it possible to split a single PCIe x16 slot into multiple high-speed connections, which is ideal for connecting multiple NVMe SSDs, GPUs, or other devices without sacrificing performance.
HighPoint’s PCIe Gen 5 adapters, in particular, seem to be a compelling option for AI workloads, GPU-heavy setups, and enterprise-grade storage solutions. MCIO connectors — a fairly new standard designed for high-density PCIe connectivity — position these adapters for future-proofed deployment in data centers and high-performance desktop environments.
Each adapter is said to be designed with minimal signal loss in mind, using advanced PCB layouts and high-quality components to maintain signal integrity at Gen 5 speeds. The Gen 4 SlimSAS variants target platforms that haven’t yet moved to Gen 5 but still need high-throughput options for storage expansion.
HighPoint is positioning these cards as cost-effective and flexible, particularly for system builders and prosumers looking to maximize the utility of existing PCIe slots. While primarily aimed at OEMs and enterprise users, enthusiasts working with compact systems or unconventional GPU/storage layouts may also benefit from these adapters’ modularity.
Last year, HighPoint made headlines by launching its SSD7540 RAID card, a PCIe Gen 4 x16 adapter capable of delivering transfer speeds up to 56 GB/s. That card featured eight M.2 NVMe slots and targeted high-performance storage arrays for data-intensive workloads.. The new MCIO and SlimSAS adapters build on this legacy by offering even more flexible connectivity options for modern systems, especially as Gen 5 adoption accelerates.
Though pricing hasn’t been announced, the new MCIO and SlimSAS x16 adapters will be available through HighPoint’s distribution channels soon. As more Gen 5-capable motherboards and processors enter the market, these innovative adapter solutions will become increasingly relevant for balancing bandwidth-hungry components in dense systems.
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