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Green printed circuit board with silver metal bracket and two QSFP28 cages

Mellanox Technologies

Mellanox Technologies MCX556A-ECAT ConnectX-5 QSFP28 100Gb dual-port network card

SKU CH-8ZH1-FJS5Z

A dual-port QSFP28 adapter delivering 100 Gb/s InfiniBand and Ethernet connectivity over a PCI Express 3.0 x16 interface

  • Rated speed1,000 Mbit/s
  • Interface typePCI-Express
  • Product class1000M, PCIE
  • Dual 100 Gb ports double aggregate bandwidth
  • PCI Express 3.0 x16 delivers 16 GT/s lane speed
  • ConnectX-5 engine offloads protocol processing to free CPU cycles
  • Virtual Protocol Interconnect supports both InfiniBand and Ethernet fabrics
  • Plug-in card form factor fits standard PCIe slots

Dual-Port 100Gb Adapter

The Mellanox ConnectX-5 MCX556A-ECAT is a dual-port host bus adapter built for PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots. It delivers 100Gb connectivity through two QSFP28 cages for InfiniBand EDR and Ethernet workloads.

Suited for high-performance clusters

This card targets data-centre operators running web-scale, analytics, database or storage platforms that demand 100Gb bandwidth and Virtual Protocol Interconnect. It does not fit builds that require a single-port adapter or a different slot width.

PCI Express 3.0 x16 interface

The adapter requires a full-length PCIe 3.0 x16 slot to operate at its rated 100Gb dual-port speed. Verify that your server or workstation provides this exact slot before purchase.

How it compares

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

Price $637.99
Pricier than about 90% of the 1,505 comparable items (median $90.99).

Specifications

Product
Brand nameMellanox
Part numberMCX556A-ECAT
Product class1000M, PCIE
Performance
Rated speed1,000 Mbit/s
Ports & slots
Interface typePCI-Express

Questions about this item

What PCIe slot width does the MCX556A-ECAT require?

The card uses a PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot, so a full-length x16 mechanical slot is needed for proper installation.

Which orientation should the bracket face when seating the card in a server chassis?

Align the gold fingers with the PCIe 3.0 x16 slot and press evenly until the retention bracket clicks into the chassis screw hole.

When should the QSFP28 transceivers be inspected or replaced?

Check transceiver lenses during scheduled dust cleaning; replace any module showing signal errors or physical damage to the optical interface.

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