The HighPoint Rocket 1604L is a high-performance PCIe Gen5 x16 4x M.2 NVMe Retimer Add-In Card (AIC) designed to provide high-density, low-latency storage and AI accelerator expansion for modern servers, workstations and edge computing platforms.

Featuring four dedicated PCIe Gen5 x4 M.2 ports, the Rocket 1604L allows a single PCIe 5.0 x16 slot to accommodate up to four M.2 NVMe SSDs or M.2 PCIe accelerator modules.

The card utilizes active PCIe Gen5 retimer technology to re-clock and regenerate PCIe signals, helping maintain signal integrity and reliable performance at high-speed 32GT/s PCIe Gen5 data rates.

With support for native CPU bifurcation (x4/x4/x4/x4), the Rocket 1604L provides a direct and efficient connection between the host CPU and each M.2 device.

Key Features

• PCIe 5.0 x16 Host Interface
• Supports 4 × dedicated PCIe Gen5 x4 M.2 ports
• Supports up to 4 M.2 NVMe SSDs
• Supports M.2 AI accelerators and PCIe accelerator modules
• Requires host CPU PCIe bifurcation x4/x4/x4/x4
• Active PCIe Gen5 re-clocking and signal regeneration
• Near-zero latency architecture
• Transparent PCIe architecture
• Designed to maintain signal integrity at PCIe Gen5 speeds
• Supports M.2 NVMe storage and PCIe accelerator modules
• FH-HL ultra-compact form factor
• More than 40% shorter than standard 4-bay M.2 expansion cards
• Full-length aluminum heatsink
• Integrated low-decibel cooling fan
• Multi-layer thermal padding
• Ventilated PCIe bracket
• Smart firmware for health and power monitoring
• Native OS support for plug-and-play integration
• Designed for enterprise servers, workstations and edge AI systems

PCIe Gen5 Active Retimer Technology

PCIe Gen5 operates at extremely high data rates of up to 32GT/s, making signal integrity increasingly important when expanding high-speed NVMe devices.

Unlike conventional passive M.2 expansion cards, the Rocket 1604L incorporates an active PCIe Gen5 retimer that re-clocks and regenerates the PCIe signal.

This architecture helps:

• Reduce signal degradation
• Minimize electrical noise
• Maintain signal integrity
• Provide reliable high-speed data transmission
• Reduce latency
• Deliver consistent performance across all four M.2 ports

The retimer acts as a transparent high-speed connection between the host CPU and M.2 devices, helping provide a motherboard-grade PCIe Gen5 connection.

Four Dedicated M.2 PCIe Gen5 Ports

The Rocket 1604L provides four dedicated Gen5 x4 M.2 connections.

With a compatible host platform supporting PCIe bifurcation, the x16 host interface can be divided into four independent x4 links:

PCIe Gen5 x16 → x4 + x4 + x4 + x4

This allows four M.2 devices to operate through a single PCIe expansion slot while maintaining dedicated PCIe connectivity.

Supported Devices

• M.2 NVMe SSDs
• M.2 PCIe storage devices
• M.2 AI accelerators
• M.2 TPUs
• M.2 NPUs
• Compatible M.2 PCIe accelerator modules

Universal M.2 Versatility

The Rocket 1604L is designed for more than traditional NVMe storage.

Its transparent PCIe architecture allows the card to support a broad range of M.2 PCIe accelerator modules, making it suitable for AI inference, machine learning, computer vision and edge computing applications.

The card can be configured with M.2-based:

• NVMe SSDs
• AI accelerators
• TPUs
• NPUs
• Other compatible PCIe accelerator modules

High-Density AI Accelerator Expansion

For AI and edge computing applications, the Rocket 1604L can transform a single PCIe Gen5 x16 slot into a high-density multi-accelerator platform.

It can accommodate up to four M.2 AI acceleration modules operating through dedicated PCIe x4 connections.

This enables compact systems to increase AI compute density without requiring multiple full-size GPU expansion cards.

Ideal for AI Workloads

The Rocket 1604L is suitable for:

• AI inference
• Machine learning
• Computer vision
• Multi-channel video analytics
• Industrial inspection
• Robotics
• Sensor fusion
• Edge AI
• Real-time data processing

High-Density Edge AI Platform

The Rocket 1604L can be integrated into compact edge AI platforms using M.2-based accelerators such as the Hailo-8™ series.

High-density accelerator configurations can help increase inference capability while maintaining a compact physical footprint.

The platform is particularly suitable for applications where performance per PCIe slot, power efficiency and physical density are critical requirements.

Near-Zero Latency Architecture

The Rocket 1604L operates at the physical PCIe layer, providing a transparent data path between the host CPU and connected M.2 devices.

Its active retimer technology re-clocks and regenerates the PCIe signal to maintain a clean and reliable data stream.

This architecture is designed to provide:

• Very low latency
• Consistent PCIe performance
• High signal integrity
• Direct host connectivity
• Efficient PCIe bandwidth utilization

Compact FH-HL Form Factor

The Rocket 1604L uses an FH-HL (Full-Height, Half-Length) form factor designed for space-constrained server and workstation environments.

Its compact design is more than 40% shorter than standard 4-bay M.2 expansion cards, making it especially suitable for compact systems and edge servers.

Compact Design Benefits

• Reduced installation footprint
• Better compatibility with compact chassis
• Suitable for 1U and 2U edge server environments
• High device density in a small form factor
• Efficient use of PCIe expansion slots

Advanced M.2 Cooling Solution

High-speed Gen5 NVMe SSDs and PCIe accelerator modules can generate significant heat under sustained workloads.

The Rocket 1604L incorporates a dedicated thermal solution designed to help maintain stable operating temperatures.

Cooling Features

• Full-length anodized aluminum heatsink
• Integrated low-decibel cooling fan
• Multiple layers of high-efficiency thermal padding
• Ventilated PCIe bracket
• Direct heat transfer from M.2 modules
• Cooling for the onboard PCIe retimer and associated components

The cooling system helps reduce the risk of thermal throttling during demanding storage and AI workloads.

Smart Monitoring & Intelligent Firmware

The Rocket 1604L includes an intelligent firmware layer designed to provide monitoring and management capabilities.

Monitoring Features

Bus Lane Allocation

Helps ensure that each connected device receives the appropriate PCIe bandwidth.

Power Consumption Monitoring

Provides visibility into real-time power consumption of connected storage or accelerator devices.

Health Monitoring

Provides board-level diagnostics to help identify potential hardware issues and support proactive lifecycle management.

Plug-and-Play Integration

The Rocket 1604L is designed for straightforward integration into compatible systems using native PCIe and operating system support.

Its transparent architecture allows connected M.2 devices to be recognized through the host system without requiring a proprietary storage controller architecture.

Benefits

• Native OS support
• Plug-and-play deployment
• Transparent PCIe architecture
• Simple installation
• Flexible device compatibility

Industry Applications

Enterprise Servers

Expand NVMe storage capacity and PCIe device connectivity in enterprise server environments.

Workstations

Add multiple high-speed M.2 NVMe SSDs or accelerator modules through a single PCIe Gen5 expansion slot.

AI & Machine Learning

Deploy multiple M.2 AI accelerators for high-density inference workloads.

Edge Computing

The compact FH-HL design makes the Rocket 1604L suitable for space-constrained edge servers and industrial computing systems.

Video Analytics

Multiple M.2 AI accelerators can be used for multi-channel real-time video analysis and computer vision workloads.

Industrial Automation

Suitable for AI-powered inspection, robotics and sensor-processing applications.

Compatible M.2 Devices

The Rocket 1604L is designed to support industry-standard M.2 PCIe devices from major storage and accelerator manufacturers.

It supports compatible:

• M.2 NVMe SSDs
• M.2 PCIe storage modules
• M.2 AI accelerator modules
• Hailo-8™ series M.2 acceleration modules
• Other compatible M.2 PCIe devices

Technical Specifications

Important Compatibility Requirement

The Rocket 1604L requires a host platform that supports PCIe bifurcation in the following configuration:

PCIe x16 → x4/x4/x4/x4

Before installation, verify that the system motherboard, BIOS/UEFI and CPU platform support the required PCIe bifurcation configuration.

Why Choose Rocket 1604L?

The HighPoint Rocket 1604L combines PCIe Gen5 x16 connectivity, four dedicated M.2 Gen5 x4 ports, active retimer technology, compact design and advanced cooling into a single high-density expansion card.

Whether the goal is to expand high-speed NVMe storage or deploy multiple M.2 AI accelerators, the Rocket 1604L provides a flexible and efficient way to maximize the performance and device density of a single PCIe expansion slot.