Nvidia ConnectX-6 Lx Internal Ethernet 50000 Mbit/s PCI Express

The Nvidia ConnectX-6 Lx is an internal SmartNIC offering up to two 25GbE ports or a single 50GbE port and connects to the host via PCIe Gen3/Gen4 x8. Designed for data center and cloud networking, it provides high-performance wired Ethernet connectivity, advanced offload capabilities and hardware-based security features to support demanding networking workloads.

Advantages

ConnectX-6 Lx delivers flexible port configurations (dual 25GbE or single 50GbE), industry-leading RoCE support for low-latency RDMA over Ethernet, and SDN acceleration that offloads the data plane to the SmartNIC to reduce CPU load. The adapter also includes hardware Root-of-Trust for Secure Boot, authenticated firmware updates and cloning protection to ensure firmware integrity and supply-chain protection.

Suitable for

• High-performance cloud and virtualized data centers
• RDMA and latency-sensitive applications using RoCE
• Environments requiring SDN acceleration and CPU offload
• Deployments needing hardware-based secure boot and firmware authenticity

Key specifications

• Interface: Wired Ethernet
• Host interface: PCIe Gen3/Gen4 x8
• Port configuration: Dual 25GbE or single 50GbE
• Maximum data transfer rate: 50000 Mbit/s
• Supported networking standards: IEEE 802.1Qbb, 802.1Qbg, 802.1p, 802.3ad, 802.3ae, 802.3ap, 802.3az, 802.3by, 802.1Qaz, IEEE 1588v2
• Security features: Hardware Root-of-Trust (RoT), Secure Boot, RSA-signed firmware, device-unique key and cloning protection

How to use

Install the ConnectX-6 Lx into an available PCIe Gen3 or Gen4 x8 slot on a compatible server motherboard, secure the card and attach the appropriate SFP28 transceivers or cables for 25GbE/50GbE connectivity. Install the vendor drivers and firmware provided by NVIDIA, configure the desired network interface mode (SR-IOV, VirtIO or standard Ethernet), and apply any required RoCE or SDN settings according to your data center networking policy.

Recommendations

For RoCE deployments, consider using NVIDIA Zero Touch RoCE to enable RoCE payloads without special network configuration. Keep firmware updated using authenticated updates and follow platform vendor guidance for BIOS/PCIe settings to ensure optimal performance and secure boot functionality.