The RocketAIC 7608AW is currently available for $1,999.00 with the ability to take up to eight PCIe 5.0 SSDs for a maximum bandwidth potential of at least 56,000 MB/s. If this sounds familiar, it’s because we reviewed a similar solution in the HighPoint Rocket 1608A last year. Back then, we were dealing with PCIe 4.0 drives, specifically the 2TB Samsung 990 Pro . It would have been nicer to have had the 4TB 990 Pro , a drive that remains the best 4TB PCIe 4.0 drive on the market, but 2TB was more accessible at the time. Samsung and HighPoint have learned from that, potentially, as today we have the AIC filled with 8TB Samsung 9100 Pros . The 9100 Pro is the first 8TB PCIe 5.0 consumer SSD we’ve tested and is therefore perfect for showing off what this AIC can do. Mind you, the AIC will cost you $500 more this time around, in what is a bit of a revamp.
The AIC has eight tool-less M.2 slots with up to x4 PCIe 5.0 lanes per slot, ready to take drives from 2230 to 2280. 22110 would have been a tall order, but some users may have liked that option. You can only fit so much on a standard AIC. In any case, this means a total of x32 downstream lanes with up to x16 PCIe 5.0 lanes upstream. Theoretically, this could hit 64 GB/s, but the AIC is listed as up to 60 GB/s, technically, with only 56 GB/s fully promised. This is still very fast, and the throughput efficiency reflects diminishing returns.
The AIC has a host of features that help set it apart from your typical multi-drive cards. It supports hardware RAID 0, 1, and 10, with Hardware Secure Boot and hardware encryption (SED) via TCG Opal. The drives can be easily and fully monitored to ensure everything stays healthy, under Windows or Linux, with WebGUI and CLI access. The hardware is kept cool with an aluminum heatsink, generous two-layer thermal padding, and an active fan. We recommend visiting HighPoint’s website for a full reading of supported features.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) Unlike most of the storage products we review, HighPoint actually has some noteworthy software for the RocketAIC 7608AW. This isn’t surprising given that this is a serious RAID solution that will cost you a pretty penny. Also, unlike other products, Linux is supported. HighPoint offers specific downloads for the Rocky Linux, Red Hat, Ubuntu, and Debian distributions, as well as a way to build the drive module for custom Linux kernels. We’re using Windows and accessing the software through a browser, though.
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Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/highpoint-rocketaic-7608aw-review#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.