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Green silver PCIe 3.0 x16 network adapter with dual 100 GbE ports

Mellanox Technologies

Mellanox ConnectX-5 VPI Network Adapter PCIe 3.0 x16 10/40/100 GbE Green/Silver MCX556A-ECAT

SKU CH-NAF0-A6ASZ

Dual-port 10/40/100 GbE adapter with PCIe 3.0 x16, sub-600 ns latency and NVMe over Fabric offloads

  • Sub-600 ns latency accelerates demanding workloads
  • Dual 100 Gb/s ports deliver high-throughput connectivity
  • PCIe 3.0 x16 interface provides ample bandwidth
  • NVMe over Fabric offloads reduce CPU overhead
  • Tag matching and rendezvous offloads boost message-rate performance

High-Performance VPI Network Adapter

The Mellanox ConnectX-5 VPI adapter delivers 10, 40 and 100 GbE connectivity over a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface. It provides sub-600 ns latency and very high message rates for demanding compute environments. The card supports NVMe over Fabric offloads and adaptive routing on reliable transport.

Suited for ML and data analytics clusters

This adapter fits machine-learning, data-analytics and high-performance-computing clusters that need flexible InfiniBand and Ethernet connectivity with NVMe offload. It is not for buyers who require Fibre Channel support or a single-port form factor. Builders needing a lower-speed 10 GbE-only NIC should look at other models.

PCIe 3.0 x16 interface requirement

The card installs in a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot and negotiates 10, 40 or 100 GbE link speeds. Verify that the host platform provides a full x16 electrical connection and adequate cooling for sustained throughput. Without a compatible slot the adapter will not operate at its rated performance.

How it compares

Measured against everything we stock in Ethernet Cards & NICs, at today’s prices. Recalculated every night.

Price $375.99
Pricier than about 82% of the 1,505 comparable items (median $90.99).

Specifications

No published specifications for this item yet.

Questions about this item

How is the ConnectX-5 adapter installed in a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot and what step is often missed?

Insert the card into a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, secure the bracket screw, then install the Mellanox OFED driver package so the VPI ports negotiate 10, 40 or 100 GbE speeds.

What maintenance will the MCX556A-ECAT need over its service life?

No user-serviceable parts are present; keep the server intake filters clean so airflow meets the card's thermal design and the sub-600 ns latency is maintained.

What limit appears first when the adapter runs sustained 100 GbE loads?

The PCIe 3.0 x16 host interface caps total throughput near 100 Gb/s per direction, so sustained line-rate traffic on both ports will saturate the bus first.

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