61RP9 Dell Broadcom 57508 2-Ports 100GB QSFP56 Low Profile Interface Adapter Card

Dell 57508 2-Port 100GB QSFP56 Adapter

General Details

• Brand: Dell
• Model Number: 61RP9
• Category: High-speed Network Interface Card

Technical Specifications

Device Characteristics

• Chipset: Broadcom BCM57508
• Form Factor: Compact low-profile (half-height) design
• Bus Interface: PCI Express 4.0 x16

Performance Capabilities

• Data Throughput: Up to 100 Gigabits per second per port
• Connectivity: Dual 100Gb QSFP56 slots
• Compatibility: Supports QSFP28 and QSFP+ modules

Design & Compatibility

Form Factor Advantages

• Low-profile design suitable for space-constrained servers
• Half-height card for flexible deployment

Interface Support

• PCIe 4.0 x16 ensures high bandwidth
• Backward compatibility with earlier PCIe versions

Key Benefits

High-Speed Networking

• Delivers ultra-fast data transfer rates
• Ideal for enterprise workloads and data centers

Flexible Connectivity

• Dual-port design for redundancy and scalability
• Supports multiple transceiver standards

Reliability Features

• Engineered by Dell for enterprise-grade stability
• Broadcom chipset ensures consistent performance

61RP9 57508 2-Port 100GB QSFP56 Interface Adapter Overview

The Dell 61RP9 Broadcom 57508 2-Ports 100GB QSFP56 Low Profile Interface Adapter Card belongs to a specialized category of ultra-high-speed network interface adapters designed for modern data centers, enterprise servers, cloud infrastructures, and high-performance computing environments. This category encompasses network interface cards engineered to deliver extremely high bandwidth, low latency, and advanced offloading capabilities to support demanding workloads such as virtualization, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, storage networking, and large-scale cloud applications. These adapters are not general-purpose networking components but are purpose-built to meet the requirements of mission-critical systems that demand reliability, scalability, and consistent performance under sustained network loads.

Within this category, the focus is on 100 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity using QSFP56 interfaces, which represent a significant evolution in networking technology. The Dell 61RP9 adapter exemplifies the characteristics expected from this class, combining dual-port high-speed connectivity, hardware-level acceleration, and compatibility with enterprise-grade servers. Products in this category are typically selected by IT architects and system administrators who need to optimize network throughput while maintaining flexibility for future expansion and evolving network topologies.

100 Gigabit Ethernet Architecture and QSFP56 Connectivity

The defining attribute of this category is its support for 100 Gigabit Ethernet, a standard that enables data transfer rates far beyond traditional 10GbE and 25GbE solutions. Adapters like the Dell 61RP9 leverage QSFP56 interfaces to achieve these speeds, using advanced signaling techniques and high-density connectors to deliver exceptional bandwidth within a compact physical footprint. QSFP56 technology allows for efficient use of server PCIe lanes while maintaining signal integrity and minimizing power consumption.

In this category, the dual-port configuration provides flexibility and redundancy. Each port can operate independently, enabling network segmentation, load balancing, or failover configurations that enhance overall system resilience. The use of QSFP56 also supports breakout configurations, allowing a single port to be split into multiple lower-speed connections when needed. This adaptability makes the category highly relevant for dynamic data center environments where network requirements may change over time.

Signal Integrity and Performance Optimization

High-speed network interface adapters in this category are engineered with advanced signal conditioning and error correction mechanisms to ensure reliable data transmission at 100Gb speeds. The Broadcom 57508 controller integrated into the Dell 61RP9 card exemplifies the level of sophistication required to maintain performance across varying workloads and network conditions. This includes support for forward error correction, adaptive equalization, and robust link training processes that optimize throughput while minimizing packet loss.

These design considerations are critical in environments where even minor performance degradation can have cascading effects on application responsiveness and user experience. As a result, products in this category are often validated extensively with enterprise server platforms and networking equipment to ensure seamless interoperability.

Low Profile Form Factor and Server Compatibility

The low profile design of the Dell 61RP9 Broadcom 57508 adapter reflects a broader category trend toward space-efficient components that can be deployed across a wide range of server chassis. Low profile interface adapter cards are essential for dense server configurations, including blade servers, rack-mounted systems, and compact edge computing platforms. This form factor allows organizations to maximize compute density without sacrificing networking performance.

Adapters in this category are designed to comply with industry-standard PCI Express specifications, ensuring compatibility with modern server architectures. The low profile bracket enables installation in servers with limited expansion space while maintaining adequate airflow and thermal management. This is particularly important in data centers where power efficiency and cooling optimization are critical operational considerations.

Thermal Design and Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is a key concern within this category, as 100GbE networking components can generate significant heat if not properly managed. The Dell 61RP9 and similar adapters incorporate advanced thermal design techniques, including optimized heatsinks and airflow paths, to maintain stable operating temperatures. Efficient power management features help reduce overall energy consumption, contributing to lower operating costs and improved sustainability.

These thermal and power efficiency characteristics make the category suitable for continuous, high-throughput operation in enterprise environments where uptime and reliability are paramount.

Broadcom 57508 Controller Capabilities

The Broadcom 57508 controller is central to the performance and functionality of the Dell 61RP9 adapter, and it represents a broader class of advanced networking silicon used across this category. Controllers in this segment are designed to handle complex networking tasks at hardware level, reducing CPU overhead and improving overall system efficiency. This includes support for advanced offloading features such as checksum offload, segmentation offload, and receive-side scaling.

By offloading these tasks from the host CPU, adapters in this category enable servers to dedicate more processing resources to application workloads. This is particularly beneficial in virtualized environments where multiple virtual machines share network resources and performance consistency is critical.

Hardware Acceleration and Offloading Features

High-end network interface adapters like those in this category often include hardware acceleration for encryption, virtualization, and storage networking protocols. The Broadcom 57508 controller supports features that enhance performance in scenarios such as NVMe over Fabrics, RDMA over Converged Ethernet, and software-defined networking. These capabilities make the category highly relevant for next-generation data center architectures that rely on fast, low-latency communication between distributed systems.

Such hardware-level enhancements not only improve raw performance but also contribute to predictable latency and reduced jitter, which are critical factors for latency-sensitive applications.

Integration with Software-Defined Networking

Adapters in this category are often optimized for integration with software-defined networking platforms and orchestration tools. This enables centralized management, automated provisioning, and dynamic reconfiguration of network resources. The ability to programmatically control network behavior at scale is a defining characteristic of modern data centers, and network interface adapters play a crucial role in enabling this level of automation.

The Dell 61RP9 adapter aligns with these trends by offering compatibility with leading operating systems and virtualization platforms, ensuring seamless deployment in diverse IT environments.

High-Performance Computing and Data-Intensive Workloads

The category that includes the Dell 61RP9 Broadcom 57508 adapter is particularly well-suited for high-performance computing and data-intensive workloads. Applications such as scientific simulations, machine learning training, and real-time analytics require extremely fast data transfer between nodes. 100GbE connectivity provides the bandwidth necessary to support these workloads without introducing network-related performance constraints.

In high-performance computing clusters, low latency and high throughput are essential for efficient parallel processing. Network interface adapters in this category are engineered to meet these demands, offering consistent performance even under heavy network load.