CXL® Compute Express Link®

What is Compute Express Link?

Compute Express Link (CXL) is an open standard high-speed interconnect designed to improve communication between CPUs and devices like GPUs, FPGAs, memory expanders, and smart I/O. Built on the PCI Express (PCIe) physical layer, CXL introduces advanced protocols that support memory coherency and low-latency data sharing. This enables accelerators to access system memory more efficiently, reducing bottlenecks and improving performance.

CXL is especially valuable in industries such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data centers, and high-performance computing, where large-scale data processing and memory-intensive workloads are common.

CXL’s features enable more flexible and scalable system architectures, such as memory pooling and tiered memory, which optimize resource use and reduce costs. As data demands grow, CXL’s ability to decouple memory from compute resources makes it a key technology for future computing infrastructure. Its adoption by major tech companies like Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA highlights its potential to reshape how modern systems are designed and operated.

Physical

CXL Specifications

The Compute Express Link (CXL) Consortium releases new specifications approximately every 1–2 years. Download an evaluation copy of the latest specification.
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    Integrators List

    This program provides Members with opportunities to test the functionality and interoperability of end-products as defined in the CXL Specification.
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      Member Companies

      The CXL Consortium’s members collaborate to advance the CXL standard, focusing on high-performance computing, memory coherence, and system interoperability.
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        Development, Validation, and Compliance Solutions

        Development, validation, and compliance testing solutions are essential to the success of CXL applications and products in that they ensure that implementations conform to the CXL specification, enabling reliable interoperability across diverse hardware and software ecosystems.

        Development tools accelerate innovation by helping engineers prototype and refine designs efficiently. Validation tools detect issues early, reducing costly errors and delays. Compliance testing confirms that products meet industry standards, fostering trust and adoption in the market. Together, these solutions support a robust and scalable CXL ecosystem, enabling high-performance computing, memory expansion, and heterogeneous system integration with confidence and consistency across vendors and platforms.

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