The Rocket 1624M is a high-performance, retimer-based PCIe 5.0 x16 expansion adapter designed to provide flexible NVMe storage and PCIe device expansion from a single host PCIe slot.

Featuring a dedicated PCIe Gen5 x16 host interface, dual external Gen5 x8 MCIO ports (SFF-1016), and an onboard hardware DIP switch configurator, the Rocket 1624M delivers a flexible and cost-effective PCIe expansion solution for industrial servers, data center platforms, and high-performance workstations.

The adapter supports multiple downstream PCIe configurations, allowing users to connect up to four NVMe drives, two PCIe Gen5 x8 devices, or a single PCIe Gen5 x16 device depending on the host bifurcation and DIP switch configuration.

Its retimer-based architecture helps maintain PCIe Gen5 signal integrity across cable extensions, while the compact low-profile, full-length design makes it suitable for space-constrained 1U/2U rackmount servers and workstation chassis.

Key Features

• Dedicated PCIe 5.0 x16 Host Interface
• Dual External PCIe Gen5 x8 MCIO Ports
• MCIO connector compliant with SFF-1016
• Supports up to 4x NVMe drives or PCIe devices
• Advanced PCIe Gen5 retimer technology
• Maintains high-speed signal integrity over cable extensions
• Onboard DIP Switch Configurator
• Flexible downstream configurations
• Supports x16 / x8+x8 / x4+x4+x4+x4 architectures
• Driverless, plug-and-play operation
• Native Windows and Linux support
• Low-profile, full-length form factor
• Ideal for compact 1U/2U servers and workstations
• Supports direct-attach NVMe storage expansion
• Supports flexible PCIe slot expansion with compatible MCIO-to-PCIe bridge cards
• Designed for high-density storage and I/O expansion

PCIe Gen5 Retimer Technology

The Rocket 1624M incorporates advanced PCIe Gen5 retimer technology to help preserve signal integrity and reliable PCIe connectivity when extending high-speed PCIe lanes through external cabling.

PCIe Gen5 operates at extremely high signaling rates, making signal quality particularly important when PCIe connectivity is extended beyond the motherboard.

The integrated retimer architecture is designed to support full PCIe Gen5 x16 connectivity while helping compensate for signal degradation associated with cable-based expansion.

Key Benefits

• PCIe Gen5 signal regeneration
• Improved signal integrity over cable extensions
• High-bandwidth PCIe connectivity
• Reliable external device expansion
• Designed for demanding server and workstation environments

Dual External MCIO Gen5 x8 Ports

The Rocket 1624M provides two external PCIe Gen5 x8 MCIO ports, giving system builders a compact and flexible method of extending PCIe connectivity outside the host card.

Each MCIO port provides dedicated PCIe Gen5 lanes and can be used for compatible NVMe storage devices or PCIe expansion solutions.

Connectivity

2x External MCIO x8 Ports

Connector Standard: SFF-1016

This architecture allows a single PCIe Gen5 x16 host connection to be distributed across multiple downstream devices based on the selected configuration.

Flexible PCIe Lane Configuration

One of the key advantages of the Rocket 1624M is its onboard hardware DIP switch configurator.

Unlike fixed-layout expansion adapters, the Rocket 1624M allows administrators and system builders to configure the downstream PCIe topology according to the requirements of the connected hardware.

The DIP switch works together with the host system’s PCIe bifurcation settings to configure the downstream lane architecture.

Supported Configuration Modes

This flexibility allows the same adapter to be deployed across different storage, accelerator, and PCIe expansion configurations.

NVMe Storage Expansion

The Rocket 1624M can be used to expand NVMe storage capacity from a single PCIe Gen5 x16 host slot.

With its dual external MCIO ports and flexible lane architecture, the adapter can support configurations for up to four direct-attach Gen5 NVMe storage devices.

This makes it useful for systems requiring high-performance storage without consuming multiple motherboard PCIe slots.

Ideal NVMe Applications

• High-IOPS storage
• Data caching
• Virtualization
• High-performance databases
• Data analytics
• Content creation
• Industrial data processing
• High-density storage servers
• AI and machine-learning data pipelines

Flexible PCIe Slot Expansion

The Rocket 1624M can also be used as a PCIe slot expansion platform when paired with a compatible MCIO-to-PCIe Gen5 expansion bridge.

The HighPoint MCIO-PCIe x16-G5 Expansion Bridge Card can convert the adapter’s external MCIO connectivity into standard PCIe expansion slots.

This provides system builders with additional flexibility for connecting specialized PCIe hardware.

Supported Expansion Applications

Depending on the configuration, the solution can be used with compatible:

• Video capture cards
• High-speed network controllers
• NICs
• FPGA accelerator cards
• GPU and eGPU solutions
• Specialized PCIe hardware
• Other PCIe expansion devices

Compact and Universal Form Factor

The Rocket 1624M features a low-profile, full-length design engineered for systems where internal chassis space is limited.

Its compact architecture makes it suitable for:

• 1U rackmount servers
• 2U rackmount servers
• Industrial servers
• Compact workstations
• High-density computing platforms
• Space-constrained system builds

The low-profile form factor helps system integrators maximize available chassis space while maintaining high-speed PCIe Gen5 expansion capabilities.

Plug-and-Play Installation

The Rocket 1624M is designed for driverless plug-and-play operation.

It is natively supported by mainstream operating systems, helping simplify deployment without requiring proprietary software or third-party driver installation.

Operating System Support

• Windows
• Linux

This makes the adapter suitable for a wide variety of server, workstation, industrial, and professional computing environments.

High-Density Server Expansion

Modern industrial and data center platforms often require more storage and I/O connectivity while operating within strict chassis-space limitations.

The Rocket 1624M addresses this requirement by allowing high-speed PCIe Gen5 connectivity to be extended through compact MCIO cabling.

System builders can use the adapter to expand storage or PCIe devices while preserving valuable motherboard PCIe slots for other components.

Workstation Expansion

For high-performance workstations, the Rocket 1624M provides an efficient way to expand storage and PCIe connectivity without requiring multiple internal expansion cards.

It can be used for workflows requiring high-speed NVMe storage, additional I/O devices, specialized accelerator hardware, and external PCIe expansion.

eGPU and External Expansion Support

The Rocket 1624M can be integrated with compatible external PCIe/eGPU enclosure solutions for applications that require additional graphics or accelerator resources.

Compatible RocketStor external expansion solutions include the RocketStor 8000 Series and supported models such as:

• RocketStor RS8000
• RocketStor 8531AW
• Other compatible RocketStor expansion platforms

Compatibility should be verified based on the host platform, cable configuration, enclosure, and connected PCIe device.

Target Applications

The Rocket 1624M is designed for a wide range of professional and enterprise applications.

High-Density NVMe Storage

Expand storage capacity and performance in industrial and data center servers while minimizing the number of motherboard PCIe slots consumed.

PCIe Device Expansion

Connect additional PCIe hardware through external MCIO connectivity and compatible expansion bridge cards.

1U / 2U Server Deployment

Ideal for dense rackmount platforms where physical space is limited but high-bandwidth PCIe Gen5 connectivity is required.

High-Performance Workstations

Provide flexible storage and PCIe expansion for professional workstations used for demanding workloads.

Specialized Hardware

Support compatible video capture, networking, FPGA, accelerator, and other PCIe devices.

AI and Data-Intensive Workloads

Provide additional high-speed NVMe storage and PCIe connectivity for AI, machine learning, analytics, virtualization, and data-intensive workflows.

Technical Specifications

Expansion Configuration

The Rocket 1624M can be configured according to the required downstream PCIe architecture.

Configuration 1 — x16

1x PCIe Gen5 x16

Suitable for a single high-bandwidth PCIe Gen5 device.

Configuration 2 — Dual x8

2x PCIe Gen5 x8

Suitable for two PCIe devices requiring dedicated x8 connectivity.

Configuration 3 — Quad x4

4x PCIe Gen5 x4

Ideal for connecting up to four compatible NVMe drives or PCIe devices.

System Compatibility

The Rocket 1624M is designed for broad platform compatibility and supports:

• x86-based systems
• Compatible ARM-based systems
• Windows platforms
• Linux platforms
• Industrial servers
• Rackmount servers
• High-performance workstations

For multi-device configurations, the host platform must provide the appropriate PCIe bifurcation support required for the selected lane configuration.

Recommended Accessories

HighPoint MCIO-PCIe x16-G5 Expansion Bridge

The compatible MCIO-to-PCIe Gen5 bridge solution can be used to convert external MCIO connectivity into standard PCIe expansion slots.

This provides additional flexibility for connecting PCIe expansion hardware in systems where internal PCIe slot availability is limited.

RocketStor External Expansion Solutions

The Rocket 1624M can also be integrated with compatible RocketStor 8000 Series external expansion solutions, including supported RocketStor models.

Why Choose Rocket 1624M?

The Rocket 1624M combines PCIe Gen5 performance, retimer technology, flexible hardware-level lane configuration, and compact MCIO connectivity into a single expansion platform.

Its ability to support up to four NVMe devices or flexible PCIe expansion from one PCIe Gen5 x16 host interface makes it an excellent choice for industrial servers, high-performance workstations, and space-constrained computing platforms.

Key Benefits at a Glance

• PCIe Gen5 x16 host interface
• Dual external MCIO x8 ports
• Up to four NVMe devices
• PCIe Gen5 retimer technology
• Flexible x16 / x8+x8 / x4x4x4x4 configurations
• Hardware DIP switch configuration
• Driverless plug-and-play operation
• Windows and Linux support
• Low-profile full-length design
• Ideal for 1U/2U servers
• Flexible PCIe slot expansion
• Suitable for workstations and industrial platforms
• Compatible with external expansion solutions