There is a way to solve this with optical but the cost is still high and it's not terribly compact. Usually you can only get 4 lanes directly into one optic. Mo

There is a way to solve this with optical but the cost is still high and it's not terribly compact. Usually you can only get 4 lanes directly into one optic. Most implementations I have seen rely on a 2-port PCIe packet switch chip, and they rely on SRIS/SRNS clocking and hotplug/"surprise removal" support is provided by that switch (don't want a crash if you yank the cable)