Network Card NVIDIA Mellanox ConnectX-6 VPI PCI Express Ethernet/Fiber 10000 Mbit/s

The Mellanox ConnectX-6 VPI (MCX653105A-HDAT-SP) is a single-port, PCIe 4.0 x16 adapter card with a tall bracket that supports HDR InfiniBand and 200GbE over a QSFP56 port. Designed for data center and high-performance environments, the card delivers low-latency connectivity and high throughput for compute, storage and networking workloads. It supports a wide range of InfiniBand and Ethernet link speeds and integrates protocol flexibility through VPI (Virtual Protocol Interconnect).

Advantages

The adapter provides dual-protocol support for both InfiniBand and Ethernet, offering high bandwidth up to 200Gb/s and sub-600ns latency. It includes advanced offload and in-network computing features to reduce CPU overhead and accelerate messaging performance, enabling millions of messages per second. The PCIe 4.0 x16 host interface and industry-standard QSFP56 physical port ensure compatibility with modern servers and network fabrics.

Suitable for

• High-performance computing (HPC) clusters
• Cloud and hyperscale data centers
• Machine learning training and inference workloads
• High-throughput storage networks and distributed file systems
• Web 2.0 and large-scale application servers

When it may not be suitable

This single-port QSFP56 adapter is not ideal for systems that require multiple separate physical ports without using switches or breakout cables. It may be excessive for small office or home networks where 10GbE or lower-speed Ethernet is sufficient and the advanced offloads or InfiniBand features are unnecessary.

Key specifications

• Form factor: PCI Express 4.0 x16, tall bracket
• Port: Single QSFP56 (200Gb/s HDR InfiniBand and 200GbE support)
• Supported link speeds: InfiniBand HDR/HDR100/EDR/FDR/QDR/DDR/SDR; Ethernet 200/100/50/40/25/10 Gb/s
• Latency: sub-600 ns (typical for InfiniBand environments)
• Messaging: up to hundreds of millions of messages per second
• Connectivity: wired Ethernet / fiber via QSFP56 transceivers or cables
• Host interface: PCI Express
• Networking standards: IEEE 802.1Qbb, 802.1Qbg, 802.1p, 802.3ad, 802.3ae, 802.3ap, 802.3az, 802.3ba, 802.1Qaz, IEEE 1588, 802.1Q, 802.1Qau
• Color: Multicolour

How to use

Install the card into an available PCIe 4.0 x16 slot on a compatible server motherboard and secure the tall bracket. Connect the network using a QSFP56-compatible cable or transceiver to the fabric or switch that supports the chosen protocol (InfiniBand or Ethernet). Configure the host operating system and drivers provided by the vendor to enable VPI mode and any required offloads or firmware features. Validate link speed and fabric membership through standard network management tools.

What to consider before purchase

• Ensure the server has a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot and physical space for a tall bracket card
• Confirm whether your network fabric and switches support HDR InfiniBand or 200GbE over QSFP56
• Check availability of compatible QSFP56 transceivers or DAC/active optical cables
• Verify driver and firmware support for your operating system and applications

Recommendations

For best results in high-performance environments, pair the ConnectX-6 VPI card with matching HDR or 200GbE switches and certified QSFP56 optics, enable vendor drivers and offload features, and monitor link and latency metrics to optimize application throughput and CPU utilization.