Mellanox MCX516A-GCAT ConnectX-5 EN Network Interface Card
The Mellanox MCX516A-GCAT ConnectX-5 EN is a high-performance dual-port 50GbE QSFP28 network interface card (NIC) designed for data centers, high-performance computing (HPC), cloud environments, and storage networking. With a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, it delivers ultra-low latency, high throughput, and advanced networking features, making it ideal for demanding workloads such as AI, machine learning, and big data analytics.
Key Features
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Dual-Port 50GbE Connectivity – Supports high-speed network performance via QSFP28 interfaces.
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PCIe 3.0 x16 Interface – Ensures maximum bandwidth utilization and high-speed data transfer.
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RDMA Over Converged Ethernet (RoCE v2) – Reduces CPU overhead, improves data movement efficiency, and enhances latency-sensitive applications.
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Advanced Virtualization Support – Compatible with SR-IOV, NVGRE, VXLAN, and Geneve tunneling protocols.
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Hardware Offloading – Accelerates packet processing and reduces CPU utilization for better efficiency.
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Energy-Efficient Design – Optimized for high performance with low power consumption.
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Secure Boot & Firmware Protection – Provides enhanced security features for data center and cloud deployments.
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Tall Bracket Included – Designed for standard server racks (low-profile bracket available separately).
Features
- Tag matching and rendezvous offloads
- Adaptive routing on reliable transport
- Burst buffer offloads for background checkpointing
- NVMe over Fabric offloads
- Backend switch elimination by host chaining
- Embedded PCIe switch
- Enhanced vSwitch/vRouter offloads
- Flexible pipeline
- RoCE for overlay networks
- PCIe Gen 4.0 support
- RoHS compliant
- ODCC compatible
- Various form factors available
Benefits
- Up to 100Gb/s connectivity per port
- Industry-leading throughput, low latency, low CPU utilization and high message rate
- Innovative rack design for storage and Machine Learning based on Host Chaining technology
- Smart interconnect for x86, Power, Arm, and GPU-based compute & storage platforms
- Advanced storage capabilities including NVMe over Fabric offloads
- Intelligent network adapter supporting flexible pipeline programmability
- Cutting-edge performance in virtualized networks including Network Function Virtualization (NFV)
- Enabler for efficient service chaining capabilities
- Efficient I/O consolidation, lowering data center costs and complexity
BENEFITS of MCX516A-GCAT
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Scalable high-speed networking for enterprise, cloud, and HPC environments.
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RoCE v2 support for low-latency, high-bandwidth data transfers in storage and AI workloads.
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Optimized for virtualization, enabling faster network performance in virtualized environments.
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Advanced networking acceleration for cloud computing, hyperscale data centers, and enterprise IT infrastructure.
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High-speed storage networking with NVMe-over-Fabrics (NVMe-oF) support.
Technical Specifications: MCX516A-GCAT
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Model | MCX516A-GCAT |
| Network Speed | 50GbE |
| Ports | 2 × QSFP28 |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| RDMA Support | RoCE v2 |
| Virtualization | SR-IOV, VXLAN, NVGRE, Geneve |
| Hardware Offloading | Yes |
| Security Features | Secure Boot, Firmware Protection |
| Form Factor | Standard with Tall Bracket (low-profile option available) |
| Power Consumption | Low Power Design |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to 55°C |
| Compliance | RoHS, IEEE 802.3 |
Applications
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High-Performance Computing (HPC) – Provides high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity for AI and scientific workloads.
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Enterprise Data Centers – Ensures fast, reliable network connections for cloud and enterprise IT applications.
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Cloud Computing & Virtualization – Supports efficient workload balancing and virtualization acceleration.
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Storage Networks & NVMe-oF – Optimized for high-speed data transfer between storage arrays and compute nodes.
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AI & Machine Learning Workloads – Enhances real-time data processing with ultra-low latency networking.
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