PCI-SIG has announced that the next,
next-gen PCI Express 3.0 spec will offer a maximum bit rate of 8GT/s (GigaTransfers/second) - double that of PCI Express 2.0. Interestingly, PCI-SIG considered pushing a 10GT/s maximum bit rate, but settled on a slightly slower speed, in part to maintain backwards compatibility. FYI, the PCIe 2.0 boasts a 5GT/s bit. rate. Don't expect to see PCIe 3.0 anytime soon, though. Core logic chipsets with PCI Express 2.0 support aren't due until the fall, and it could be 2010 before products built for PCIe 3.0 become available.