Thunderbolt to PCI-Express: it happens

The Thunderbolt was launched by Apple early year and apart from a few disks hard external to the professional world, the most interesting announcement is that of... Sony offers external graphics in Thunderbolt, but without using the connector proposed by Apple.

Fortunately, finally, move with two interesting solutions. The first is quite specific, it is a 1U rack to integrate a Mac mini in a Bay to the servers. With the Mac mini 2011 "Server" and its processor with four cores, is the (power) level of a 2006 Xserve... But the interesting point is that Sonnet has integrated Thunderbolt in his device: PCI-Express x 4 connector has been integrated into the chassis and it uses the Thunderbolt connector to connect to the computer.

The alternative, more general public, is that of Magma: ExpressBox 3 T is an external enclosure that offers three slots PCI-Express 2.0 internally (without indicating the number of rows for each port) and power 220 W, which is enough for three expansion cards. In view of the food and the lack of information on the subject, only the graphics Basic, requiring no connector (s) power PCI-Express, will be part.

In both cases, the price is unknown and a second port allows chaining devices, one of the advantages of the Thunderbolt.

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Gigabyte announces its PCI-Express 3.0 and Ivy Bridge compatible motherboards

Known Ivy Bridge, which will be the next generation of Intel processor with the 22 nm, will be compatible with Socket 1155 via a bios update. Gigabyte publishes a list revealing its motherboards series 6 compatible with Ivy Bridge as well as with the standard PCI-Express 3.0.

Support for the PCI-Express 3.0 standard is unique since it depends on the used processor. The Sandy Bridge integrates current processors a controller, which manages 16 lines PCI-Express 2.0 used for graphics cards. Unlike Ivy Bridge will handle sixteen lines PCI-Express 3.0 standard. Slots PCI-Express 3.0 and 2.0 being the same, a switch on the motherboard will then allow following the processor installed to use one or the other.
Course according to the number of adapters installed sixteen lines PCI-Express 3.0 will be spread over one or two ports PCI-Express.Here is the list of motherboards Gigabyte compatible PCI-Express 3.0 and Ivy Bridge via a bios update:

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ASRock Unveils in turn of PCI-Express 3.0 and Ivy Bridge compatible motherboards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ASRock Unveils him also of socket 1155 motherboards supporting the standard PCI-Express 3.0 and therefore Ivy Bridge, which will be the next generation of Intel processor with the 22 nm.

ASRock has made available a mini site dedicated to the standard PCI-Express 3.0 unveiling new motherboards. They are easily differentiated other models of manufacturing with the addition of the GEN3 concept. However, although its motherboards are listed as compatible with the PCI-Express 3.0 standard, this will depend on the used processor.

Indeed current processors Sandy Bridge incorporates a controller, who only manage sixteen lines PCI-Express 2.0. It will be a processor Ivy Bridge, which includes managing sixteen lines PCI-Express 3.0, located on the motherboard socket for the switch ports PCI-Express 3.0. Of course because the processor manages only sixteen lines PCI-Express 3.0 following the number of connected graphics cards they will be spread over one or two ports PCI-Express.

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PCI-Express x 2 for Intel?

Intel, according to our colleagues, would like the PCI-Express x 2 democratizes and is actually available, whereas only x 1, x 4, x 8 and x 16 connectors are standardized. Indeed, the standard allows in theory also use x 2, x 12 and x 32, even if no one uses.Intel problem is linked to its chipsets: whether on Atom or Core ix, the number of PCI-Express lines available is low. On Atom, there are 4 PCI-Express lines at 250 MB/s, on the other chipsets, it was either 8 lines at 250 MB/s (series 5) or 8 lines at 500 MB/s (series 6). And the whole is therefore little flexible: for devices that need bandwidth, there is for example not solutions on Atom, because it is impossible to reserve 4 lines for a single controller, other devices (such as Wi - Fi) in need of a line. And even on platforms above range, be forced to book 4 lines for a controller is a problem.

In fact, the absence of PCI-Express x 2 problems: either controllers are underexploited as connected USB 3.0 chips on the PCI-Express x 1 to 250 MB/s, or there is an additional cost to solve the problem. Indeed, some manufacturers use chips that will aggregate two PCI-Express lines at 250 MB/s to get a single 500 MB/s, for example. For SATA 6 GB/s controllers, should be ideally two lines at 500 MB/S and 4 lines are not needed.

Remains that for the moment there is no is standardized and PCI-Express 3.0 (which runs to 1 GB/s line) and the integration of some functions in the chipset (such as USB 3.0) will reduce the magnitude of the problem. Pending the next standard request bandwidth.

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3WARE 9650SE-2LP Internal Sata II Hardware Raid Controller Card. Pci-express X1,

3 Ware 9650SE SATA II hardware RAID controllers deliver industry-ieading RAID 6 and RAID 5 performance, robust fault tlerance, and multi-terabyte capacities. A PCI Express host interface, Multi-lane connectivity, StorSwitch architecture, and sophisticated SATA II features drive this unrivaled performance. The 3ware 9650SX offers the most comprehensive line of PCI Express controllers, available in both low profile and full height footprints with 2,4,8,12,16 and 24 port configurations. All 4 port and above models feature 3 Ware is award-winning Multi-lane connectivity. The 9650SE supports RAID levels 0,1,5,6,10,50,Single Disk and JBOD.

Price: $276.61

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