CX322A-DELL Dell ConnectX-3 10GbE Dual-Port PCIe X8 Network Adapter

Overview

The Dell CX322A-DELL ConnectX-3 10GbE Dual-Port PCIe X8 Network Adapter is a high-performance server interface card engineered for modern data centers and enterprise IT infrastructures that demand low-latency, high-throughput Ethernet connectivity. Featuring dual 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports and a PCI Express Gen3 x8 host interface, this adapter is powered by Mellanox’s ConnectX-3 controller, offering best-in-class networking performance, virtualization support, and scalability.

Key Specifications and Features

• Model: Dell CX322A-DELL
• Controller: Mellanox ConnectX-3
• Interface: PCIe Gen3 x8
• Ports: Dual 10GbE
• Form Factor: Low-profile with full-height bracket option
• Networking Protocols: Ethernet, RoCE (RDMA over Converged Ethernet)
• Supported Speeds: 1GbE / 10GbE
• Compatibility: Dell PowerEdge servers and other x86 server platforms
• Compliance: IEEE 802.3ae, 802.1Qbb, 802.1Qaz, SR-IOV, RoHS

Dual-Port 10GbE Performance

With two 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports, the Dell CX322A-DELL ConnectX-3 adapter delivers a combined throughput of 20Gbps, allowing simultaneous high-speed traffic streams across virtualized environments, cloud infrastructures, and high-performance computing clusters. The dual-port configuration enhances network redundancy and link aggregation, ensuring uninterrupted data flow and better load balancing in demanding workloads.

Advanced PCIe Gen3 x8 Interface

Utilizing the PCI Express Gen3 x8 bus, the adapter enables high-speed communication with the host system, reducing bottlenecks in network-to-CPU transactions. The x8 lane interface is essential for maximizing the full duplex throughput potential of both 10GbE ports, minimizing latency and enhancing data processing efficiency.

Applications in Enterprise and Data Center Environments

The Dell CX322A-DELL ConnectX-3 network adapter is optimized for use in various mission-critical and performance-sensitive environments. Its support for 10GbE makes it suitable for high-speed file transfers, hyper-converged infrastructure, virtual machine migration, and real-time database access.

Virtualization-Optimized Networking

One of the standout capabilities of this adapter is its support for SR-IOV (Single Root I/O Virtualization), allowing direct assignment of network resources to individual virtual machines. This results in reduced CPU overhead, lower latency, and improved throughput in virtualized environments like VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, and KVM.

Enhanced Cloud Infrastructure Integration

The Dell CX322A-DELL network adapter aligns well with private, hybrid, and public cloud infrastructures. Whether used in OpenStack, Azure Stack, or cloud-native Kubernetes deployments, this adapter provides high-bandwidth interfaces necessary for scalable multi-tenant environments and container orchestration platforms.

Hot-Pluggable Optical Transceiver Compatibility

The adapter supports SFP+ interfaces, allowing flexible deployment using SR (short-range), LR (long-range), or direct attach copper (DAC) cables. This ensures compatibility with a wide range of switch infrastructure and future-proofs the deployment for evolving network standards.

LED Indicators and Diagnostics

Integrated LED indicators on each port provide real-time link and activity status, which is useful during installation and diagnostics. This enables IT administrators to identify and address connectivity issues quickly, ensuring minimal downtime.

Low Power Consumption and Thermal Efficiency

Engineered for high-density server environments, the CX322A-DELL operates with low power draw, contributing to overall data center efficiency. The thermal design is optimized to work within airflow standards of modern server enclosures, ensuring consistent performance even under continuous load.

High Availability and Redundancy Features

For enterprise-grade reliability, the dual-port configuration enables NIC teaming or bonding, which allows for failover and load balancing. These high availability features make the CX322A-DELL a vital component in environments where downtime is unacceptable, such as financial services, healthcare IT, and e-commerce platforms.

Fault Tolerance in Virtualized Systems

When deployed with hypervisors that support NIC failover, such as VMware vSphere or Microsoft SCVMM, the adapter ensures continuous network availability. If one port fails, the second port automatically takes over, maintaining network connectivity with no interruption to services.

Dynamic Load Balancing

NIC teaming not only supports redundancy but also improves performance by distributing network traffic across both ports. This reduces congestion, enhances throughput, and balances the load between virtual machines or applications accessing the network.

QoS and Flow Control Support

Advanced Quality of Service (QoS) features and flow control mechanisms ensure predictable performance and traffic prioritization. This is especially important in environments with latency-sensitive applications like VoIP, video conferencing, or online transaction processing.

Centralized Management Integration

This adapter can be centrally managed through Dell’s OpenManage systems, allowing visibility into hardware health, driver versions, and performance metrics. It also supports out-of-band management with iDRAC when installed in Dell PowerEdge servers, providing lifecycle automation and remote diagnostics.

Firmware Upgrades and Driver Support

Regular firmware updates ensure performance optimization and security compliance. Dell provides downloadable drivers and firmware directly from its support portal, making maintenance tasks streamlined for enterprise IT departments.

Built-in Security Capabilities

Support for secure boot, PXE boot filtering, and advanced firmware signing ensures protection against firmware tampering and unauthorized access during network initialization. These features contribute to a secure boot chain in enterprise environments.

Future-Ready Network Investment

The Dell CX322A-DELL ConnectX-3 10GbE network adapter is a strategic investment for enterprises planning scalable infrastructure upgrades. Whether transitioning from 1GbE to 10GbE or planning for multi-node, high-availability clusters, this adapter offers the performance, reliability, and adaptability needed to support tomorrow’s workloads.

Scalability in Rack-Level Architecture

Ideal for leaf-spine architecture and top-of-rack deployments, the adapter enhances east-west and north-south traffic patterns in modern rack configurations. The scalable throughput supports multi-gigabit workloads including distributed file systems and clustered applications.

Flexible Upgrade Path

Organizations currently on 1GbE networks can gradually phase in 10GbE segments using this dual-port adapter, preserving legacy compatibility while positioning for future performance needs. This offers a balance between cost and technological advancement.

Long-Term Reliability

Built with enterprise-grade components and validated through Dell’s rigorous testing, the adapter ensures long-term reliability under 24/7 operational environments. It meets environmental standards for humidity, vibration, and thermal variation, ensuring dependable performance in diverse deployment scenarios.

Key Benefits Summary

• Dual 10GbE ports for high-throughput, low-latency data transmission
• SR-IOV and RoCE support for virtualization and low-latency applications
• PCIe Gen3 x8 interface ensures full data path efficiency
• Seamless integration with Dell and non-Dell server platforms
• Advanced QoS, NIC teaming, and failover capabilities for uptime and resilience
• Hot-swappable and flexible with multiple transceiver and cabling options
• Broad OS and hypervisor support ensures deployment versatility
• Energy-efficient design optimized for modern data centers

Ideal Deployment Use Cases

• Cloud-hosted application servers
• Hyper-converged infrastructure environments
• High-speed file sharing and media streaming nodes
• Storage clusters and iSCSI SAN access nodes
• Container-based microservices platforms