540-BDIZ Dell ConnectX-5 EN 25GbE PCI-E 3.0 2 Ports Network Adapter

Product Overview of Dell 540-BDIZ 2 Ports Network Adapter

Elevate your enterprise data center's performance with the Dell 540-BDIZ ConnectX-5 En Network Interface Card. This high-throughput adapter is engineered to deliver exceptional network speed and reliability for demanding server environments.

Key Specifications

• Manufacturer: Dell
• Part Number: 540-BDIZ
• Product Type: Network Adapter

Core Technical Specifications

• This component is classified as a network interface controller, providing a critical link between your server and the network infrastructure.

Physical Design and Integration

The hardware utilizes a compact, plug-in card design with a low-profile bracket. This form factor ensures broad compatibility and ease of installation within various server chassis and rack configurations.

• Interface: PCI Express 3.0 x16 bus architecture
• PCIe Revision: Fully compliant with the PCIe 3.0 standard
• Physical Dimensions: 2.7 inches in height, 5.6 inches in depth

Unmatched Port Performance and Speed

The card is equipped with dual SFP28 network ports, each capable of supporting a blistering 25 Gigabit Ethernet data rate. This design facilitates immense bandwidth for data-intensive applications.

• Port Quantity & Type: Two SFP28 interfaces
• Maximum Transfer Velocity: 25 gigabits per second per port
• Supported Ethernet Variants: 1GbE, 10GbE, and 25GbE

Protocol Support and Data Transport

• Ensuring seamless integration into diverse network environments, this NIC supports essential transport protocols including TCP/IP, UDP/IP, and iSCSI for storage area networks.

Comprehensive Standards Conformance

This adapter is rigorously tested to meet a vast array of IEEE standards, guaranteeing interoperability and advanced feature support in complex network setups.

• Traffic prioritization (IEEE 802.1p) and VLAN tagging (IEEE 802.1q)
• Link aggregation control protocol (IEEE 802.3ad LACP)
• Energy Efficient Ethernet (IEEE 802.3az) and Precision Time Protocol (IEEE 1588v2)
• Data Center Bridging (DCB) suite: IEEE 802.1qbb, IEEE 802.1qaz, IEEE 802.1qau

Server Platform Compatibility

This Mellanox ConnectX-5 based card is officially engineered for and validated with an extensive range of Dell PowerEdge servers, including but not limited to:

• PowerEdge Rack Servers: R440, R540, R640, R740, R740xd, R740xd2, R840, R940
• PowerEdge Specialized Systems: R6525, R7515, R940xa, T640

540-BDIZ Dell ConnectX-5 EN 25GbE Network Adapter

Designed For Modern Datacenter And Enterprise Environments, The 540-BDIZ Dell ConnectX-5 EN 25GbE 2 Ports SFP28 PCI-E 3.0 x16 Network Adapter Delivers A Balanced Blend Of High-Bandwidth Performance, Low Latency, And Advanced Offloads. This Network Adapter Targets Workloads That Require Fast Storage Access, Virtualization, And High-Performance Computing, While Maintaining Energy Efficiency And Robust Platform Compatibility.

Hardware Architecture and Physical Attributes

Built On A Proven ConnectX-5 Architecture, The Adapter Integrates Two SFP28 Ports That Support 25GbE Links And Backward Compatibility With 10Gb And 1Gb Speeds When Paired With Compatible Transceivers. The Use Of A PCI-E 3.0 x16 Interface Enables Sufficient Lane Bandwidth For Concurrent Multi-Queue Traffic And Host CPU Offloads. The Card Is Engineered For Standard Server Chassis, Offering Low-Profile Variants And Industry-Standard Bracket Options To Fit Dense Rack Deployments.

Wide Compatibility 

The 540-BDIZ Card Is Compatible With A Wide Range Of Dell Servers And Many Third-Party Platforms That Adhere To Common PCI-E Standards. Firmware And Driver Support Includes Major Operating Systems And Hypervisors, Ensuring Smooth Integration Into Linux Distributions, Windows Server Editions, And Virtualization Hosts Such As VMware And Hyper-V. Regular Firmware Updates Address Stability, Feature Enhancements, And Security Hardening.

Performance Characteristics and Networking Capabilities

Performance Is A Core Strength Of This Adapter. With Native 25GbE Links Per Port, Network Throughput Scales To Meet Demanding Storage And East-West Traffic Patterns Inside The Datacenter. The ConnectX-5 Family Implements Hardware Offloads For TCP/IP, UDP, And RDMA, Reducing CPU Cycles Spent On Packet Processing And Improving Application-Level Latency.

Advanced Offloads and Acceleration

Advanced Capabilities Include RDMA Over Converged Ethernet (RoCE), iWARP, And Kernel Bypass Technologies That Allow High-Performance Applications To Access Remote Memory And Storage With Minimal Overhead. These Offloads Translate Into Higher Transactions Per Second For Databases, Faster VM Migration, And Smoother Performance For Distributed Storage Systems.

Quality Of Service and Traffic Management

Quality Of Service Features Provide Deterministic Behavior For Mixed Workloads. The Adapter Implements Priority Flow Controls, Virtual LAN Tagging, And Hardware-Based Queueing That Help Operators Enforce SLAs For Latency-Sensitive Applications And Bulk Data Transfers Alike.

Virtualization, Multi-Tenancy, and Software-Defined Networking

Virtualization Support Is Extensive, Enabling SR-IOV, VF Partitioning, And Hardware-Based Virtual Switch Offloads. These Features Permit Multiple Virtual Machines Or Containers To Share The Physical NIC With Reduced CPU Overhead And Isolated Network Contexts. Integration With Software-Defined Networking Frameworks And Plugins Ensures That The Adapter Can Function Seamlessly In Orchestrated Environments.

Security and Isolation

Security Enhancements Include Support For Secure Boot-Compatible Firmware, Hardware-Based Packet Filtering, And Isolation Capabilities That Protect Virtual Instances From Neighboring Workloads. Firmware-Level Safeguards And Signed Driver Packages Help Reduce The Risk Surface During Provisioning And Ongoing Operations.

Storage and Converged Infrastructure Use Cases

This Adapter Is Particularly Well Suited For Converged And Hyperconverged Infrastructures Where High-Bandwidth Storage Connectivity Is Essential. Use Cases Include NVMe-Over-Fabrics Front-End Connectivity, High-Speed Backup And Replication Streams, And Low-Latency Access For Distributed File Systems. The Adapter's 25GbE Links Provide A Cost-Effective Step Up From 10GbE While Offering Better Density Than 40GbE Options.

Integration With High-Performance Storage Solutions

When Paired With Modern NVMe Arrays Or Software-Defined Storage, The Card Helps Unlock The Full Potential Of End-To-End Low-Latency Pathways. Its Offloads And RDMA Capabilities Reduce IO Path Overheads, Which Is Critical For Achieving Predictable Latency And High IOPS At Scale.

Deployment Considerations and Best Practices

Successful Deployment Starts With Firmware And Driver Alignment. Operators Should Ensure That The Card's Firmware Version Matches Recommended Driver Builds For Their OS And Hypervisor. Cabling And Transceiver Choices Must Also Reflect The Required Link Budget And Distance—SFP28 Optics Offer A Range Of Options Including Short-Reach Copper And Various Multimode Or Single-Mode Fiber Transceivers.

Thermal and Power Planning

Although The Card Is Engineered For Energy Efficiency, High-Density Server Configurations And Full-Line-Rate 25GbE Traffic May Increase Thermal Output. Proper Airflow Management, Chassis Fan Profiles, And Rack-Level Cooling Considerations Should Be Evaluated During Capacity Planning.

Tools and Diagnostic Capabilities

Diagnostic Tools Include Firmware Utility Suites, CLI-Based Diagnostics, And Performance Benchmarking Tools That Help Validate Line-Rate Behavior Under Realistic Workloads. These Utilities Aid Troubleshooting For Link Negotiation Issues, Offload State Mismatches, And Compatibility Checks With Switches And Transceivers.

Comparisons and Positioning Against Competing Options

Compared To Earlier Generations, The ConnectX-5 Series Offers A Notable Improvement In Per-Port Bandwidth And Offload Capabilities. Against 10GbE Adapters, The 25GbE Card Provides A Near 2.5x Capacity Increase Per Port Without The Physical Port Count Increase. When Evaluating Alternatives Such As 40GbE Or 100GbE, Considerations Around Cost Per Gbps, Switch Ecosystem Compatibility, And Future-Proofing Should Drive The Decision.

When To Choose 25GbE

Organizations Seeking Incremental Bandwidth Improvements, Improved Density, And Enhanced Latency Characteristics Without Jumping To Higher-Speed Aggregation Tiers Will Find 25GbE To Be A Practical, Cost-Efficient Choice. The 540-BDIZ Card Bridges The Gap For Teams Scaling Out Storage, Virtualization, And East-West Traffic Inside The Rack And Across Top-Of-Rack Switches.

Technical Highlights

Key Technical Highlights Of The 540-BDIZ Dell ConnectX-5 Include Dual SFP28 25GbE Ports, PCI-E 3.0 x16 Connectivity, Advanced Hardware Offloads (Including RDMA), Broad OS And Hypervisor Compatibility, And Enterprise-Focused Management And Diagnostic Tools. These Attributes Make The Adapter A Versatile Building Block For Modern Datacenter Networking.

Ideal Organizational Profiles

Enterprises Running Virtualized Workloads, Cloud Service Providers, And Organizations With Converged Storage Architectures Will Derive The Most Value From This Adapter. Its Combination Of Throughput, Offloads, And Compatibility Makes It A Reliable Choice For Teams Focused On Performance, Scalability, And Predictability.