540-BDIL Dell Mellanox Cx422a Connectx-4 Lx En Dual Port 10GB/25GB Adapter

Dell Mellanox CX422A ConnectX-4 Lx EN Dual Port 10GB/25GB RNDC Adapter Overview

The 540-BDIL Dell Mellanox CX422A ConnectX-4 Lx EN Dual Port Adapter is an advanced network interface card (NIC) designed to support high-speed data center and enterprise networking applications. Built on the trusted Mellanox ConnectX-4 Lx architecture, this RNDC (Rack Network Daughter Card) variant delivers reliable dual-port Ethernet connectivity at both 10GbE and 25GbE speeds. The adapter is optimized for Dell PowerEdge servers, providing scalable throughput and low-latency data transmission ideal for modern IT infrastructure.

Key Features of the 540-BDIL CX422A Adapter

Dual-Port 10GbE/25GbE Ethernet Capability

Supporting both 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) and 25 Gigabit Ethernet (25GbE) speeds, the Mellanox CX422A ensures future-ready flexibility and backward compatibility. Dual-port design enhances throughput, redundancy, and failover protection.

Built on ConnectX-4 Lx Technology

Leveraging the Mellanox ConnectX-4 Lx chipset, the CX422A enables offloads like RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE), NVGRE, VXLAN, and overlay tunneling. These hardware-accelerated features reduce CPU overhead while boosting virtual machine density and network efficiency.

Rack Network Daughter Card (RNDC) Form Factor

As an RNDC, this adapter integrates seamlessly into Dell PowerEdge server environments. It provides a space-efficient and power-optimized solution by eliminating the need for full-height PCIe slots, making it a strategic fit for blade and rack-mounted server configurations.

Advanced Virtualization and Cloud Optimization

With native support for SR-IOV, VXLAN, and NVGRE offloads, this adapter accelerates virtualized network performance. Ideal for VMware, Hyper-V, and other hypervisors, the card reduces latency and improves network segmentation in cloud and multi-tenant data centers.

Compatibility with Dell PowerEdge Server Models

The Dell Mellanox CX422A 540-BDIL adapter is tested and validated to ensure flawless compatibility with various Dell PowerEdge servers, including:

• Dell PowerEdge R740 / R740xd
• Dell PowerEdge R640
• Dell PowerEdge R540
• Dell PowerEdge R440
• Dell PowerEdge R6415 / R7415 / R7425

BIOS and Firmware Integration

Dell provides tailored BIOS and firmware updates that optimize the performance of this RNDC adapter with supported server models. Seamless driver support for major operating systems like Windows Server, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux, and VMware ESXi ensures out-of-the-box functionality.

Use Cases and Application Scenarios

Enterprise Data Centers

Enterprises can rely on this adapter to support dense virtualization environments, high-speed databases, and large-scale data analytics workloads. Its dual-port 25GbE performance allows faster east-west traffic between virtual machines.

High-Performance Computing (HPC)

HPC clusters benefit from RDMA support, low-latency throughput, and offloaded transport protocols. This adapter enables real-time communication across compute nodes with minimal CPU load, improving cluster performance and efficiency.

Cloud and Edge Infrastructure

In distributed cloud and edge computing frameworks, the 540-BDIL Mellanox adapter provides the network foundation needed for scalable microservices, containerization, and hybrid workloads, with support for secure multi-tenancy and QoS policies.

Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI)

Hyperconverged platforms benefit from this NIC's high-speed, low-latency connections between storage, compute, and network layers. It enables reliable data replication and synchronization across nodes in HCI environments such as VMware vSAN and Microsoft Azure Stack HCI.

Performance Benefits and Throughput

Optimized Data Flow with Dual-Port Architecture

The dual-port design allows administrators to separate traffic flows for increased performance and improved security. Typical use cases include separating management, storage, and VM traffic onto discrete physical channels.

RDMA and RoCE for Low-Latency Data Transfers

Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) enables the NIC to transfer data directly to/from memory without involving the CPU. The CX422A supports RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE v1 and v2), improving latency-sensitive application performance such as financial trading or AI inference.

Efficient Packet Processing

The Mellanox CX422A NIC supports Data Plane Development Kit (DPDK) acceleration, minimizing CPU cycles spent on networking tasks. This results in higher packet-per-second performance, even under heavy workloads.

Advantages of Choosing the 540-BDIL Dell Mellanox Adapter

Seamless Integration with Dell Infrastructure

Tailored for Dell PowerEdge servers, the CX422A fits directly into the RNDC slot, reducing cabling complexity and improving airflow and thermal efficiency. It also enables iDRAC network pass-through features for simplified management.

Reliable Performance Backed by Enterprise Support

Supported by Dell’s warranty and lifecycle management tools, the 540-BDIL adapter ensures uptime and predictability across mission-critical deployments. Users benefit from unified support, firmware updates, and lifecycle services through Dell ProSupport.

Energy Efficient and Thermal Optimized

RNDC design helps minimize power draw by eliminating redundant PCIe interfaces. The adapter’s firmware includes dynamic power management features that reduce energy consumption during low-activity periods.

Security and Management Features

Secure Boot and Firmware Authentication

The Mellanox CX422A NIC includes secure firmware boot and cryptographic validation to prevent tampering or unauthorized firmware loads. This protects infrastructure integrity from the NIC level upward.

iDRAC Integration and Remote Monitoring

Dell's iDRAC management system detects and manages RNDC adapters like the 540-BDIL seamlessly. Administrators can monitor network health, update firmware, and configure adapter settings remotely via the iDRAC console or OpenManage tools.

Advanced Traffic Control and QoS

Network administrators can implement granular Quality of Service (QoS) policies to prioritize specific workloads. The adapter supports bandwidth management, queuing disciplines, and flow control to ensure critical application traffic is prioritized.

Network Adapter Comparison and Differentiators

Comparison with ConnectX-4 and ConnectX-5

While ConnectX-5 offers additional features like PCIe Gen4 and 50GbE per port, the ConnectX-4 Lx strikes a balance between performance, cost, and power consumption. It remains a popular choice for 10G/25G environments not requiring the bleeding edge.

RNDC vs PCIe NICs

RNDC modules such as the 540-BDIL offer better airflow, integration, and cable management compared to traditional PCIe cards. They are purpose-built for Dell’s modular network architecture and enable more streamlined deployment workflows.