HighPoint RocketAIC 7608AW Review: 56 GB/s Speed Unleashed
▼ Summary
– The HighPoint RocketAIC 7608AW is the fastest storage solution tested, delivering up to 56 GB/s bandwidth with eight PCIe 5.0 SSDs.
– It includes the first 8TB PCIe 5.0 SSD, the Samsung 9100 Pro, and features active cooling and thermal padding for management.
– This product is ideal for AI, content creation, and SOHO server tasks but is not cost-effective for everyday users due to its $1,999 price and high power consumption.
– The AIC supports hardware RAID 0, 1, and 10, hardware encryption, and comprehensive monitoring via WebGUI, CLI, and UEFI on Windows and Linux.
– It uses a Broadcom PEX89048 PCIe switch with 48 lanes for high performance and includes NOR flash memory and a PCIe buffer for reliability and signal integrity.
For professionals pushing the limits of data transfer, the HighPoint RocketAIC 7608AW delivers unprecedented performance with bandwidth reaching up to 56 GB/s. This single add-in card accommodates eight PCIe 5.0 SSDs, offering a staggering potential capacity of 64TB while fitting into a standard x16 PCIe slot. It stands as the fastest storage solution tested to date, largely thanks to its integration of Samsung’s groundbreaking 8TB 9100 Pro SSDs, the first consumer PCIe 5.0 drives of this capacity. Despite its immense power, the card remains manageable with effective cooling and robust software support.
HighPoint equips the RocketAIC 7608AW with an actively cooled aluminum heatsink and dual-layer thermal padding to maintain optimal temperatures. A comprehensive software suite allows direct monitoring and management of drives or arrays. Achieving this level of bandwidth in a single PCIe slot is extraordinary, rivaling even large hard drive arrays. While power consumption is notable, SSDs remain relatively efficient, making this solution ideal for demanding applications like AI development, high-end content creation, and SOHO server environments.
However, the RocketAIC isn’t suited for everyday computing. Users with less intensive needs can achieve satisfactory results with smaller, more affordable SSDs. The card’s $1,999 price tag, combined with the cost of high-performance SSDs, positions it firmly outside the mainstream market. For around $10,000, a fully configured system becomes possible, a justifiable investment for specialized setups, especially given current NAND flash supply constraints.
Specifications for the RocketAIC 7608AW include eight NVMe slots, each supporting x4 PCIe 5.0 lanes, with a tool-less design compatible with 2242, 2260, and 2280 form factors. It provides up to x32 downstream and x16 upstream PCIe 5.0 lanes, promising bandwidth up to 56,000 MB/s. Hardware RAID 0, 1, and 10 are supported, along with hardware encryption via TCG Opal and Secure Boot. Comprehensive health monitoring is available through WebGUI, CLI, and UEFI interfaces, with OS support for both Windows and Linux.
Compared to last year’s Rocket 1608A, which used PCIe 4.0 drives like the 2TB Samsung 990 Pro, the new model represents a significant upgrade. Now populated with 8TB Samsung 9100 Pro SSDs, the card demonstrates what peak PCIe 5.0 performance looks like. Although the AIC itself costs about $500 more, the revamp brings substantially higher capacity and speed.
Key features distinguishing the RocketAIC include hardware-based RAID, encryption, and secure boot capabilities. The integrated aluminum heatsink, thermal padding, and active fan work together to prevent overheating. For a complete list of supported functionalities, HighPoint’s official website is the best resource.
HighPoint’s accompanying software is notably advanced, offering real-time drive health tracking, logging, and alerts through an intuitive WebGUI. CLI and UEFI-HII access are also available, catering to users familiar with systems like Unraid, TrueNAS, or Webmin. Linux support extends to Rocky Linux, Red Hat, Ubuntu, and Debian, with options for custom kernel builds.
A closer examination of the card reveals two important integrated circuits on the rear. A Winbond 25Q256JWFQ NOR flash chip provides 256Mbit of memory for firmware storage, offering greater reliability than NAND flash, a benefit for RAID controllers. Another IC, the 9ZXL1251EIL, acts as a PCIe buffer to maintain signal integrity across 48 lanes, crucial for timing and performance in RAID setups. This controller also reduces the load on the host CPU, offering an advantage over DIY configurations.
The top of the card houses the RAID controller and eight M.2 slots, each populated with an 8TB Samsung 9100 Pro. A PCIe power connector and status LEDs are conveniently placed. The Broadcom PEX89048 switch manages 48 PCIe lanes, typically allocating 32 lanes downstream and 16 upstream. Built on a dual-core ARM A15 architecture, it draws about 23.7W, more than a typical SSD controller but efficiently cooled due to its large surface area. With a latency of 115ns, the switch adds minimal delay, as most access latency occurs at the flash media level.
(Source: Tom’s Hardware)
