MCX653106A-HDAT Mellanox ConnectX-6 VPI Adapter Card Dual-Port HDR IB 200Gb/s PCIe 4.0 x16 QSFP56 x 2 Server Parts Network Adapter

Mellanox MCX653106A-HDAT ConnectX-6 VPI Adapter Overview

The Mellanox MCX653106A-HDAT ConnectX-6 VPI Adapter Card is a high-performance dual-port networking solution engineered for modern enterprise data centers, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), machine learning, and large-scale virtualization. Supporting both InfiniBand and Ethernet connectivity, this advanced network adapter delivers exceptional throughput of up to 200Gb/s while utilizing the PCI Express 4.0 x16 interface for maximum bandwidth efficiency. Equipped with dual QSFP56 ports, the adapter provides outstanding flexibility for copper and optical networking environments, making it an ideal choice for organizations requiring ultra-fast, low-latency communication.

Designed by Mellanox, the ConnectX-6 VPI adapter combines industry-leading networking technologies with enterprise-grade reliability. Whether deployed in storage infrastructures, cloud platforms, virtualization clusters, or GPU computing environments, the MCX653106A-HDAT enhances overall system responsiveness while reducing latency and CPU utilization.

General Information of Mellanox MCX653106A-HDAT

• Manufacturer: Mellanox
• Part Number: MCX653106A-HDAT
• Product Type: Network Adapter Card
• Form Factor: PCI Express 4.0 x16
• Card Dimensions: 6.6 Inches × 2.71 Inches
• Ports: Dual QSFP56
• Network Technology: InfiniBand and Ethernet

Advantages of Dual QSFP56 Ports

• Supports both optical fiber and direct attach copper cables
• Provides high-bandwidth connectivity up to 200Gb/s
• Improves network redundancy and availability
• Enables efficient storage and compute networking
• Optimized for enterprise servers and data centers

Benefits of VPI Architecture

• Supports converged networking environments
• Reduces infrastructure complexity
• Accelerates cloud and virtualization workloads
• Provides exceptional scalability
• Optimizes communication between storage and compute resources

Comprehensive Protocol Support

InfiniBand Compatibility

• SDR (Single Data Rate)
• DDR (Double Data Rate)
• QDR (Quad Data Rate)
• FDR10
• FDR
• EDR
• HDR100
• HDR 200Gb/s

Ethernet Standards Supported

• 200GBASE-CR4
• 200GBASE-KR4
• 200GBASE-SR4
• 100GBASE-CR4
• 100GBASE-CR2
• 100GBASE-KR4
• 100GBASE-SR4
• 50GBASE-R2
• 50GBASE-R4
• 40GBASE-CR4
• 40GBASE-KR4
• 40GBASE-SR4
• 40GBASE-LR4
• 40GBASE-ER4
• 40GBASE-R2
• 25GBASE-R
• 20GBASE-KR2
• 10GBASE-LR
• 10GBASE-ER
• 10GBASE-CX4
• 10GBASE-CR
• 10GBASE-KR
• 10GBASE-SR
• SGMII
• 1000BASE-CX
• 1000BASE-KX

Supported Network Speeds

• InfiniBand SDR
• InfiniBand DDR
• InfiniBand QDR
• InfiniBand FDR
• InfiniBand EDR
• InfiniBand HDR100
• InfiniBand HDR 200Gb/s
• Ethernet 1Gb/s
• Ethernet 10Gb/s
• Ethernet 25Gb/s
• Ethernet 40Gb/s
• Ethernet 50Gb/s
• Ethernet 100Gb/s
• Ethernet 200Gb/s

PCI Express 4.0 Performance

• PCI Express Gen4 x16 interface
• 16 GT/s signaling rate
• Backward compatible with PCIe Gen3, Gen2, and Gen1
• High-bandwidth server communication
• Optimized for next-generation workloads

Power Efficiency and Cooling Characteristics

Power Specifications

• Auxiliary Voltage: 3.3V AUX
• Maximum Current: 100mA
• Typical Power Consumption: 23.6W using passive cables
• Maximum QSFP56 Port Power: 5W per port

Airflow Recommendations

• Passive Cables: 350 LFM at 55°C (heatsink to port)
• Passive Cables: 250 LFM at 35°C (port to heatsink)
• NVIDIA Active 4.7W Cables: 400 LFM at 55°C
• NVIDIA Active 4.7W Cables: 300 LFM at 35°C

Operating Conditions

• Operating Temperature: 0°C to 55°C
• Storage Temperature: -40°C to 70°C
• Operating Humidity: 10% to 85% Relative Humidity
• Storage Humidity: 10% to 90% Relative Humidity
• Maximum Operating Altitude: 3050 meters

Ideal Deployment Scenarios

• High-performance computing clusters
• Artificial intelligence infrastructure
• Machine learning environments
• GPU-accelerated computing
• Cloud computing platforms
• Enterprise virtualization
• Hyper-converged infrastructure
• Software-defined storage
• NVMe over Fabrics
• Large-scale data centers
• Database servers
• Financial trading systems

Performance Highlights

• Dual-port QSFP56 connectivity
• Supports both InfiniBand and Ethernet protocols
• Maximum bandwidth up to 200Gb/s
• PCI Express 4.0 x16 host interface
• Ultra-low latency communication
• High message processing capability
• Enterprise-class reliability
• Flexible optical and copper connectivity
• Backward compatibility with previous PCIe generations
• Optimized power efficiency for dense server deployments

Mellanox MCX653106A-HDAT ConnectX-6 VPI Adapter Card

The Mellanox MCX653106A-HDAT ConnectX-6 VPI Adapter Card is designed for modern enterprise, cloud, artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, storage, and data center networking environments that demand exceptional throughput, low latency, and intelligent hardware acceleration. Featuring dual QSFP56 ports, PCI Express 4.0 x16 connectivity, and support for HDR InfiniBand speeds up to 200Gb/s, this enterprise-class server network adapter enables organizations to build scalable infrastructure while maximizing application performance and reducing communication bottlenecks. As part of the ConnectX-6 VPI family, this adapter provides versatile connectivity by supporting Virtual Protocol Interconnect technology, making it suitable for environments requiring InfiniBand and Ethernet deployment flexibility depending on infrastructure requirements.

Designed to handle intensive workloads, the Mellanox MCX653106A-HDAT network adapter integrates advanced networking technologies that improve server communication, optimize storage traffic, accelerate virtualization, and increase efficiency for mission-critical computing environments. Organizations deploying artificial intelligence clusters, GPU computing, scientific simulations, machine learning, virtualization platforms, enterprise storage networks, or cloud-native infrastructure benefit from the exceptional bandwidth and intelligent packet processing capabilities offered by this high-performance server adapter.

Advanced ConnectX-6 VPI Architecture

Purpose-Built Enterprise Networking Platform

The ConnectX-6 VPI architecture delivers an advanced networking solution engineered for modern data centers where network responsiveness and application scalability directly affect business productivity. By combining intelligent hardware acceleration with high-speed interconnect technology, the adapter reduces CPU utilization while increasing overall server efficiency.

Unlike conventional network interface cards that rely heavily on processor resources, the ConnectX-6 VPI architecture offloads numerous networking operations directly onto dedicated hardware. This allows servers to dedicate more CPU cycles to virtual machines, databases, analytics applications, AI training models, and computational workloads rather than packet processing tasks.

Dual-Port Connectivity for Maximum Flexibility

The inclusion of dual QSFP56 interfaces allows organizations to design highly available network infrastructures with improved redundancy, load balancing, and expanded bandwidth capacity. Multiple active connections improve overall network resiliency while supporting continuous application availability during maintenance windows or unexpected hardware events.

Dual-port deployment also enables organizations to separate storage traffic, compute communication, and management operations without requiring additional expansion cards, simplifying infrastructure while maximizing PCIe slot utilization.

HDR InfiniBand 200Gb/s Performance

Exceptional Data Transfer Rates

HDR InfiniBand technology provides data transmission speeds reaching 200Gb/s, making the Mellanox MCX653106A-HDAT an outstanding solution for bandwidth-intensive enterprise workloads. High-speed communication minimizes delays between compute nodes while improving application responsiveness across distributed computing environments.

Large scientific datasets, AI model training, distributed databases, GPU clusters, and storage systems all benefit from dramatically reduced transfer times, enabling faster project completion and improved resource utilization.

Ultra-Low Latency Communication

Latency plays a critical role in distributed applications where millions of messages travel between servers every second. The ConnectX-6 VPI adapter minimizes communication delays using advanced packet processing technologies, helping clustered applications maintain synchronization while improving computational efficiency.

Ultra-low latency networking supports financial trading applications, machine learning workloads, simulation clusters, research laboratories, engineering applications, and high-performance databases that require near real-time communication between compute resources.

PCI Express 4.0 x16 High-Speed Interface

Optimized Host System Bandwidth

The PCI Express 4.0 x16 interface provides sufficient bandwidth between the server motherboard and the network adapter, ensuring the HDR InfiniBand ports operate without host interface limitations. PCIe Gen4 doubles available bandwidth compared to previous PCIe generations, allowing organizations to fully utilize modern networking technologies.

Servers equipped with PCIe 4.0 architecture experience improved communication between processors, memory subsystems, storage devices, and network interfaces, contributing to balanced system performance under demanding enterprise workloads.

Improved Scalability for Modern Servers

Modern enterprise servers increasingly require high-bandwidth expansion devices capable of supporting next-generation storage and networking technologies. The PCIe 4.0 interface allows organizations to deploy the ConnectX-6 adapter alongside NVMe storage, GPU accelerators, FPGA devices, and high-capacity memory configurations without creating significant communication bottlenecks.

Dual QSFP56 Port Configuration

Flexible High-Speed Network Deployment

The integrated QSFP56 interfaces support high-speed optical and direct attach copper connectivity for enterprise networking environments. Organizations can select cabling options based on deployment distance, infrastructure design, and operational requirements while maintaining outstanding network performance.

QSFP56 technology supports dense data center deployments where cable management, airflow optimization, and high port density contribute to efficient rack design and simplified infrastructure expansion.

Reliable Long-Term Infrastructure Investment

Enterprise organizations investing in QSFP56 networking technology position themselves for future infrastructure growth while maintaining compatibility with modern high-speed networking ecosystems. The standardized connector simplifies deployment, maintenance, and future upgrades across large-scale server environments.

Virtual Protocol Interconnect Technology

Support for Multiple Networking Technologies

Virtual Protocol Interconnect enables organizations to leverage the flexibility of supporting both InfiniBand and Ethernet networking technologies depending on deployment requirements. This flexibility allows infrastructure teams to standardize on a single hardware platform while adapting networking configurations to different application environments.

Organizations operating mixed environments benefit from reduced inventory complexity because a single adapter family supports multiple networking architectures, simplifying procurement, deployment, and lifecycle management.

Infrastructure Adaptability

Data centers continuously evolve to meet changing workload demands. Virtual Protocol Interconnect technology helps organizations adapt existing infrastructure without replacing networking hardware whenever architectural requirements shift toward different networking protocols.

Enterprise Data Center Optimization

Cloud Infrastructure Performance

Cloud computing environments depend on fast, predictable communication between servers hosting hundreds or thousands of virtual machines and containers. The Mellanox MCX653106A-HDAT delivers the networking performance required for cloud service providers to maintain responsive application delivery while maximizing server consolidation.

Advanced offloading technologies reduce virtualization overhead, allowing hypervisors to allocate additional processor resources to customer workloads instead of network processing.

Private Cloud Deployments

Organizations building private cloud infrastructure require scalable networking capable of supporting dynamic resource allocation, software-defined networking, distributed storage, and automated orchestration platforms. The ConnectX-6 VPI adapter provides the bandwidth necessary to maintain high-performance cloud operations across enterprise environments.

High-Performance Computing Applications

Scientific Research Environments

Research institutions rely on HPC clusters for weather modeling, pharmaceutical research, genomics, molecular dynamics, seismic analysis, computational chemistry, and engineering simulations. The Mellanox MCX653106A-HDAT enables efficient communication between cluster nodes, allowing parallel applications to execute with greater efficiency.

Engineering and Simulation Workloads

Engineering organizations performing computational fluid dynamics, finite element analysis, automotive design, aerospace simulations, and structural analysis benefit from high-speed networking that minimizes communication overhead between distributed computational resources.

Storage Networking Acceleration

NVMe over Fabrics Support

High-performance storage architectures increasingly leverage NVMe over Fabrics to extend NVMe storage performance across network infrastructure. The ConnectX-6 adapter provides sufficient bandwidth and low latency for demanding storage environments that require rapid access to enterprise flash storage resources.

Organizations deploying storage clusters benefit from accelerated storage communication while maintaining consistent performance during intensive read and write operations.

Enterprise Storage Performance

Large databases, virtualization platforms, backup infrastructure, and analytics applications all benefit from storage networking capable of handling simultaneous high-bandwidth transactions without introducing excessive latency or congestion.

Virtualization and Container Networking

Optimized Hypervisor Performance

Virtualized environments require efficient networking capable of supporting multiple virtual machines sharing common physical hardware. Hardware acceleration technologies integrated into the ConnectX-6 architecture reduce virtualization overhead while improving packet processing efficiency for enterprise hypervisors.

Organizations deploying VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM, OpenStack, or similar virtualization platforms benefit from improved scalability, lower processor utilization, and enhanced network responsiveness.

Container Platform Optimization

Containerized applications orchestrated through Kubernetes and other cloud-native platforms require fast east-west traffic between microservices. High-bandwidth networking supports service communication while maintaining consistent application responsiveness even as container density increases across server clusters.

Advanced Hardware Acceleration Technologies

CPU Offloading Capabilities

By transferring networking operations from the host processor to dedicated hardware, the Mellanox MCX653106A-HDAT improves application efficiency while reducing processor overhead. Hardware acceleration benefits compute-intensive applications by allowing processors to focus on business workloads instead of network packet management.

Intelligent Packet Processing

Advanced packet processing capabilities improve throughput consistency while reducing network latency across enterprise workloads. These intelligent hardware functions contribute to predictable application performance under demanding operating conditions.

Security and Data Integrity

Reliable Enterprise Communication

Enterprise networking infrastructure requires dependable communication that maintains data integrity throughout high-speed transfers. The ConnectX-6 architecture incorporates technologies designed to support reliable packet delivery while maintaining operational stability across mission-critical deployments.

Organizations processing financial transactions, healthcare information, manufacturing data, research projects, and cloud services benefit from networking hardware engineered for continuous enterprise operation.

Scalable Infrastructure for Future Growth

Supporting Expanding Workloads

As enterprise computing requirements continue to increase, networking infrastructure must scale without compromising performance. The Mellanox MCX653106A-HDAT provides the bandwidth, PCIe performance, intelligent acceleration, and protocol flexibility required for expanding data centers supporting artificial intelligence, cloud computing, virtualization, storage networking, high-performance computing, and enterprise applications.

Long-Term Enterprise Value

Organizations investing in enterprise-grade ConnectX-6 VPI networking adapters gain a platform designed for demanding server environments where reliability, scalability, low latency, and exceptional bandwidth remain essential. Dual HDR InfiniBand 200Gb/s connectivity, PCI Express 4.0 x16 architecture, dual QSFP56 interfaces, intelligent hardware acceleration, and advanced networking capabilities combine to deliver a robust server networking solution suitable for next-generation enterprise infrastructure, modern cloud platforms, AI computing clusters, HPC environments, storage networks, virtualization platforms, and mission-critical business applications requiring consistently high-performance connectivity.