Intel's 100 Series Chipsets: A New Era in High-Speed I/O Lanes

Intel's 100 series chipsets have high-speed i/o lanes that are almost entirely addressable by the motherboard vendor. This allows for more differentiation between products and enables manufacturers to create unique configurations. One of the key features of these chipsets is the presence of HS io lanes, which can be assigned to devices such as GB-E SATA, PCIe, or PCIe-enabled devices.

The z170 chipset, in particular, boasts 26 HS i/o lanes that can be used for a variety of purposes. These lanes are a significant improvement over previous generations of Intel chipsets and offer manufacturers the flexibility to create custom configurations that meet specific needs. The presence of these high-speed i/o lanes also enables the use of newer interfaces such as U2 and M.2, which are becoming increasingly popular in the world of storage.

U2: A New Interface for Faster Storage

The U2 interface was originally designed for server-side applications but has since been repurposed for consumer markets. It connects directly to PCIe lanes on the motherboard, providing a faster and more efficient way to transfer data compared to traditional SATA interfaces. The U2 interface has a maximum theoretical throughput of 4 gigabytes per second on Gen 3, making it one of the fastest storage interfaces currently available.

The pinout of the U2 interface resembles that of SAS connectors, but with additional pins reserved for signaling and power control. This allows for a more efficient transfer of data and reduced latency. The U2 interface is also capable of supporting multiple PCIe lanes, enabling users to stack multiple 2.5-inch SSDs on a single motherboard. This makes it an attractive option for users who require high storage capacities.

SATA Express: A Dead End?

In contrast, SATA Express has been largely ignored by the industry and is expected to become a dead end. This interface uses two PCIe lanes on the motherboard but only communicates at a maximum theoretical throughput of 2 gigabytes per second on Gen 3. The primary limitation of SATA Express is its inability to communicate through four PCIe lanes, which limits its performance capabilities.

In comparison, U2 and M.2 interfaces can handle four PCIe lanes, providing faster data transfer rates and increased bandwidth. While SATA Express may still be used in certain applications, it is unlikely to remain a viable option in the future as manufacturers move towards more modern and efficient storage interfaces.

M.2: A New Standard for Storage

M.2 is an interface that allows for four PCIe lanes on the motherboard, providing a maximum theoretical throughput of 4 gigabytes per second on Gen 3. This makes it comparable to U2, but with some key differences. M.2 takes up more space on the motherboard and limits users to stacking only one 2.5-inch SSD.

Despite this limitation, M.2 has become increasingly popular due to its compact design and flexibility. Users can also purchase adapters that convert M.2 ports to U2 or other interfaces, enabling them to use faster storage technologies such as U2 SSDs. This makes M.2 a viable option for users who require high storage capacities but may not need the full range of features offered by U2.

Conclusion

Intel's 100 series chipsets offer a new era in high-speed i/o lanes, providing manufacturers with more flexibility and customization options. The U2 interface is a prime example of this, offering faster data transfer rates and increased bandwidth compared to traditional SATA interfaces. As the industry moves towards more modern storage technologies, it will be interesting to see how these newer interfaces continue to evolve and improve performance.

In the meantime, users who require high storage capacities and fast data transfer rates may want to consider using U2 or M.2 SSDs. These newer interfaces offer a range of benefits, including faster speeds, increased bandwidth, and compact designs that make them easier to integrate into modern systems. As manufacturers continue to innovate and improve their offerings, we can expect to see even more exciting developments in the world of storage technology.

Adapters for U2 Interface

One of the key advantages of the U2 interface is its ability to be adapted to existing motherboard configurations. Users who do not have M.2 slots on their system can purchase adapters that convert these ports to U2, enabling them to use faster storage technologies such as U2 SSDs.

These adapters are becoming increasingly popular among users who require high storage capacities but may not need the full range of features offered by U2. By using an adapter, users can take advantage of the faster data transfer rates and increased bandwidth offered by U2 without having to modify their existing system.

Overall, the use of adapters for U2 interfaces is a convenient solution that enables users to upgrade their storage technology while minimizing disruptions to their existing systems. As the industry continues to evolve, we can expect to see more innovative solutions like this become available, making it easier than ever to access fast and reliable storage.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enaccessed heralded a strong re-emergence of another storage interface this time it's the you to interface that we saw on gigabytes unreleased Broadwell eat motherboards and this interface has been out for a little bit but it's finally coming to consumer markets on mass this TLDR video recaps the difference between you two and m2 storage devices as quickly as we can with some additional information on SATA Express like where it's gone before that this packed content is brought to you by cyber PowerPC or did readers choice by PC Magazine for gaming desktops first up an extremely abbreviated recap of current chipsets Intel's 100 series chipsets have high-speed i/o lanes that are almost entirely addressable by the motherboard vendor this allows for more differentiation between products and these are called HS io lanes z170 has 26 HS i/o lanes that can be assigned to gb e SATA PCIe or PCIe enabled devices and you - and m dot - are among those PCIe enabled devices but what is u2 u2 is an interface that was originally called s FF 86 39 and it was mostly for server-side use but it has been renamed for the consumer market the u dot to interface connects directly to PCIe lanes on the motherboard and this is as opposed to going through the SATA interface which makes u2 and expansion sort of on SATA Express u dot T's pinout allows the use of for total PCIe lanes and as such its maximum theoretical throughput on Gen 3 is 4 gigabytes per second the u dot 2 pin out resembles the SAS connector if you know those but with way more pins for the lanes on the top of the connector and several the pins are reserved for the ref clock lanes 0 to 3 the SM bus and dual port the remainder of the pins are used for signaling power control and the other ref clock on the motherboard u2 is a double-decker connector that receives a similarly double-decker cable from the SSD on the other end a much wider cable plugs into the SSD for the U dot 2 multi Lane interface with an additional cable for power this is the fastest 2.5 inch SSD interface currently available to consumers but that doesn't mean that the drives are inherently faster more on that Carolee SATA Express meanwhile communicates maximally through two PCIe lanes on the motherboard limiting the interface to two gigabytes per second on gen 3 that's half of you two SATA Express will become a dead end abandoned standard in short order as the industry continues to ignore its existence and moves fully to m dot 2 and u dot two interfaces along with normal PCIe SSD S the SATA Express standard cannot communicate through four PCIe lanes and that is its primary limitation and weakness for reference SATA the normal interface the l-shaped one has a maximum theoretical throughput of 600 megabytes per second which comes down to about 550 per second after the overhead it is accounted for SATA does not utilize PCIe which is a small advantage for anyone maxing out their chipsets laying count but keep in mind that chipset storage lanes are not the same as GPU lanes so even multi-gpu configurations may not conflict with nvme or PCIe SSD is it does depend on your configuration though and it depends on what platform you're using in the future MDOT 2 then is the most comparable to you - it's capable of the same four-lane throughput for storage devices but takes a significantly larger footprint on the motherboard physically and limits users purely by physical space on the board you two interests us because it can be stacked we're current - SATA connectors our PCIe lanes allowing any way and you could theoretically run several 2.5 inch UDOT - SSDs where MDOT - may not allow one quick note on MDOT to interface ports though on motherboards you can actually buy an adapter that adapts them to you - so this is useful if you have m2 slots on the board that you're not using or if you want to use a 2.5 inch SSD rather than an m2 form-factor SSD the reason you might want to do that is because some of the UDOT - SSDs already have faster controllers or NAND on them making them more capable of just pushing a higher throughput through the actual interface and because MDOT - technically supports the same 4 Lane allowance as the U dot 2 interface does adapting it should work just fine for these 2.5 inch SSDs if you prefer those now as for the speed of the SSDs themselves this is just the interface we're talking about so even if your SSD is is hitting the 550 megabyte per second limit of SATA it might not really make use of the UDOT to 4 gigabytes per second throughput allowance maybe it gets a couple more megabytes per second it comes down to the controller and then and used on the SSD and unless your SSD is rated for higher speeds it won't actually make use of these higher speed interfaces but these are important because they allow for higher speed SSDs to be made in the future and moving forward with new controllers and NAND technology so that is all for this quick video hit the patreon link to post all video to helps out directly or check out our other pax content linked in the post role thank you for watching I'll see you all next timeaccessed heralded a strong re-emergence of another storage interface this time it's the you to interface that we saw on gigabytes unreleased Broadwell eat motherboards and this interface has been out for a little bit but it's finally coming to consumer markets on mass this TLDR video recaps the difference between you two and m2 storage devices as quickly as we can with some additional information on SATA Express like where it's gone before that this packed content is brought to you by cyber PowerPC or did readers choice by PC Magazine for gaming desktops first up an extremely abbreviated recap of current chipsets Intel's 100 series chipsets have high-speed i/o lanes that are almost entirely addressable by the motherboard vendor this allows for more differentiation between products and these are called HS io lanes z170 has 26 HS i/o lanes that can be assigned to gb e SATA PCIe or PCIe enabled devices and you - and m dot - are among those PCIe enabled devices but what is u2 u2 is an interface that was originally called s FF 86 39 and it was mostly for server-side use but it has been renamed for the consumer market the u dot to interface connects directly to PCIe lanes on the motherboard and this is as opposed to going through the SATA interface which makes u2 and expansion sort of on SATA Express u dot T's pinout allows the use of for total PCIe lanes and as such its maximum theoretical throughput on Gen 3 is 4 gigabytes per second the u dot 2 pin out resembles the SAS connector if you know those but with way more pins for the lanes on the top of the connector and several the pins are reserved for the ref clock lanes 0 to 3 the SM bus and dual port the remainder of the pins are used for signaling power control and the other ref clock on the motherboard u2 is a double-decker connector that receives a similarly double-decker cable from the SSD on the other end a much wider cable plugs into the SSD for the U dot 2 multi Lane interface with an additional cable for power this is the fastest 2.5 inch SSD interface currently available to consumers but that doesn't mean that the drives are inherently faster more on that Carolee SATA Express meanwhile communicates maximally through two PCIe lanes on the motherboard limiting the interface to two gigabytes per second on gen 3 that's half of you two SATA Express will become a dead end abandoned standard in short order as the industry continues to ignore its existence and moves fully to m dot 2 and u dot two interfaces along with normal PCIe SSD S the SATA Express standard cannot communicate through four PCIe lanes and that is its primary limitation and weakness for reference SATA the normal interface the l-shaped one has a maximum theoretical throughput of 600 megabytes per second which comes down to about 550 per second after the overhead it is accounted for SATA does not utilize PCIe which is a small advantage for anyone maxing out their chipsets laying count but keep in mind that chipset storage lanes are not the same as GPU lanes so even multi-gpu configurations may not conflict with nvme or PCIe SSD is it does depend on your configuration though and it depends on what platform you're using in the future MDOT 2 then is the most comparable to you - it's capable of the same four-lane throughput for storage devices but takes a significantly larger footprint on the motherboard physically and limits users purely by physical space on the board you two interests us because it can be stacked we're current - SATA connectors our PCIe lanes allowing any way and you could theoretically run several 2.5 inch UDOT - SSDs where MDOT - may not allow one quick note on MDOT to interface ports though on motherboards you can actually buy an adapter that adapts them to you - so this is useful if you have m2 slots on the board that you're not using or if you want to use a 2.5 inch SSD rather than an m2 form-factor SSD the reason you might want to do that is because some of the UDOT - SSDs already have faster controllers or NAND on them making them more capable of just pushing a higher throughput through the actual interface and because MDOT - technically supports the same 4 Lane allowance as the U dot 2 interface does adapting it should work just fine for these 2.5 inch SSDs if you prefer those now as for the speed of the SSDs themselves this is just the interface we're talking about so even if your SSD is is hitting the 550 megabyte per second limit of SATA it might not really make use of the UDOT to 4 gigabytes per second throughput allowance maybe it gets a couple more megabytes per second it comes down to the controller and then and used on the SSD and unless your SSD is rated for higher speeds it won't actually make use of these higher speed interfaces but these are important because they allow for higher speed SSDs to be made in the future and moving forward with new controllers and NAND technology so that is all for this quick video hit the patreon link to post all video to helps out directly or check out our other pax content linked in the post role thank you for watching I'll see you all next time\n"