The next generations of PCIe are becoming so demanding that Intel is now designing techniques to reduce the bus speed, or even the width of the PCIe link, to prevent devices from overheating. Intel has been developing a Linux PCIe bandwidth controller driver designed to keep thermals in check since last year, reports Phoronix. That work includes plumbing in new mechanisms for PCIe 6.0.
The source of increasing temperatures for PCIe devices is pretty simple—the devices run faster to saturate the faster bus, thus generating more heat. As the PCIe bus gets faster, it becomes more demanding of signal integrity and less tolerant of signal loss, which is often combated by improving encoding or increasing clocks and power, with the latter two creating extra heat.
