Switchtec PFX 160xG6 (up to 20 ports) + XpressConnect PCIe Gen6 / CXL 3.1 retimer — for AI and storage fabric
160-lane PCIe Gen6 switch chip for AI infrastructure — a new generation to rival Broadcom, Astera Labs, and Marvell.
Programmable switch line oriented toward storage platforms.
PCIe Gen6 retimer that extends link reach in large, densely-cooled AI systems; also retimes CXL 3.1.
Microchip Technology
Switchtec PFX 160xG6
160-lane PCIe Gen6
Up to 20 ports
PCIe switch (fan-out / fabric)
Programmable switch for storage platforms
XpressConnect PCIe Gen6 retimer
CXL 3.1 capable
Broadcom (Avago-PLX), Astera Labs, Marvell
Astera Labs Aries 6, Broadcom, Marvell, Phison
AI GPU/NIC fan-out, storage, CXL
FMS 2026 (Aug 2026)
Available
Quote
Microchip has kept its Switchtec PCIe switch line going through a decade of Broadcom (Avago-PLX) dominance, and the newest generation is aimed squarely at AI infrastructure. PCIe switches have evolved from a niche part in storage servers and early deep-learning boxes into a critical component in modern AI build-outs — and Microchip's answer for the Gen6 era is the Switchtec PFX 160xG6.
The PFX 160xG6 is a 160-lane PCIe Gen6 switch with up to 20 ports, though real deployments typically use far fewer because the switch fans out to x16 GPUs and NICs. Microchip is notably keeping its Gen6 focus on PCIe while competitors like Broadcom, Astera Labs, and Marvell also push PCIe/CXL convergence; a separate PSX line serves programmable, storage-platform use cases.
Alongside the switch, Microchip showed the XpressConnect PCIe Gen6 retimer, which extends effective link reach as Gen6 signaling shrinks and systems grow physically larger and hotter — it also retimes CXL 3.1, putting it head-to-head with the Astera Labs Aries 6. The products were shown live at FMS 2026.
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