HighPoint Launches Rocket 1624A: Next-Generation PCIe Gen 5 Switch Adapter

HighPoint Technologies, Inc., a recognized leader in high-performance PCIe storage and connectivity solutions, has introduced the Rocket 1624A, a compact and efficient addition to its acclaimed PCIe Switch Solutions lineup. Building on the success of the Rocket 1628A, the new Rocket 1624A delivers advanced PCIe Gen 5 x16 switching capabilities in a streamlined, cost-effective form factor, designed to meet the evolving needs of modern data centers and high-performance computing environments.

Redefining PCIe Gen 5 Scalability and Flexibility

The Rocket 1624A is engineered to maximize the potential of PCIe Gen 5 connectivity, offering dedicated NVMe storage support alongside full-bandwidth PCIe expansion for GPUs, network cards, and specialized accelerators. This innovative approach enables system integrators, data center administrators, and solution providers to enhance both the versatility and value of their computing platforms without compromising on performance or scalability.

Key Features of the Rocket 1624A

  • True PCIe Bus Expansion: Powered by a Broadcom PCIe Gen 5 Switch IC, the Rocket 1624A functions as a PCIe slot expander. Its dual MCIO x8 ports can be paired with HighPoint’s MCIO-PCIEX16-G5 expansion bridge cards, creating either two additional Gen 5 x8 slots or a single x16 slot for high-performance GPUs or I/O cards. This is particularly valuable for compact systems requiring robust expansion options.
  • Dual MCIO x8 Ports for Maximum Flexibility: Each MCIO x8 port delivers a dedicated PCIe Gen 5 x8 (64 Gb/s) connection. This allows IT professionals to design flexible hardware topologies, supporting direct connectivity for up to four U.2/U.3 or E3.S NVMe SSDs—or up to 16 drives when integrated with UBM storage backplanes and custom firmware. The dual-port MCIO configuration, utilizing industry-standard SFF-TA-1016 / 9402 connectors, ensures optimal signal integrity and scalability for both internal and external PCIe Gen 5 infrastructures.
  • Peripheral Expansion: The Rocket 1624A supports the addition of a single x16 or up to two x8 GPUs, NICs, DPUs, or FPGA accelerators, making it ideal for compute-intensive and networking workloads.
  • Uncompromised Gen 5 Bandwidth: With a PCIe 5.0 x16 host interface, the adapter provides up to 64 GB/s aggregate throughput, ensuring sustained, real-world performance for AI, machine learning, and data-intensive applications.
  • Native OS NVMe Driver Support: The Rocket 1624A requires no proprietary drivers, enabling seamless plug-and-play integration with Windows, Linux, and VMware platforms.
  • Flexible Deployment: Suitable for both storage and compute expansion, the Rocket 1624A adapts to a wide range of deployment scenarios.

Optimized for Software-Defined Storage and Enterprise Infrastructure

The switch-based architecture of the Rocket 1624A provides direct NVMe drive visibility at the operating system level, making it an ideal foundation for Software-Defined Storage (SDS) environments. It is fully compatible with leading SDS platforms such as ZFS, Microsoft Storage Spaces, Linux mdadm, TrueNAS, and Proxmox. Target applications include cloud and edge storage nodes, virtual machine hosting, scalable enterprise data centers, and AI/ML compute clusters.

Pricing and Availability

The HighPoint Rocket 1624A PCIe Gen 5 Switch Adapter is now available through HighPoint’s global distribution and reseller network, with a competitive price of $899.