900-9X5AD-0016-ST1 Nvidia Connectx-5 100GBE Single-Port QSFP28 PCIE Adapter

Product Overview of the Nvidia 100GBE Adapter

The Nvidia ConnectX-5 100GBE Network Adapter is a high-performance PCIe network interface card designed for modern data centers, cloud environments, and enterprise servers. Built for ultra-fast data throughput and low latency, this adapter supports multiple Ethernet speeds and advanced networking workloads.

General Information

Manufacturer Details

• Brand: Nvidia
• Model Number: 900-9X5AD-0016-ST1
• Product Type: Network Interface Card (NIC)

Technical Specifications

Form Factor and Interface

• Form Factor: Plug-in Card
• Bus Interface: PCI Express 3.0 x16
• PCIe Standard: PCIe Gen 3.0

Compatibility

• Compatible with PCI Express Gen 3.0 x16 server slots
• Works with most enterprise and data center servers
• Supports x86-based server architectures

Cable and Transceiver

• QSFP28 DAC cables
• QSFP28 optical transceivers
• Supports both short-range and long-range fiber modules

Networking

• 1 x 100 Gigabit Ethernet QSFP28 Port

Connectivity Technology

• Wired Ethernet Connectivity

Network Protocols

• Gigabit Ethernet (1GbE)
• 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE)
• 25 Gigabit Ethernet (25GbE)
• 40 Gigabit Ethernet (40GbE)
• 50 Gigabit Ethernet (50GbE)
• 100 Gigabit Ethernet (100GbE)

Data Transfer Speed

• Maximum Throughput: 100 Gbps

The High-Performance Data Center Networking Adapters

The Nvidia 900-9X5AD-0016-ST1 ConnectX-5 100GbE Single-Port QSFP28 PCIe Gen 3.0 x16 Network Adapter belongs to a specialized category of enterprise-grade network interface cards designed for modern data centers, cloud infrastructures, high-performance computing environments, and advanced storage networks. This category focuses on delivering extremely high bandwidth, ultra-low latency, and intelligent offload capabilities that are required for today’s demanding workloads.

Network adapters in this category are engineered to support large-scale virtualization, software-defined networking, and data-intensive applications. They act as the critical connection point between servers and high-speed Ethernet fabrics, enabling efficient data movement, predictable performance, and scalable architectures. The ConnectX-5 family is widely recognized for setting benchmarks in throughput, reliability, and advanced networking features.

ConnectX-5 Architecture

The ConnectX-5 adapter is built on Nvidia’s advanced networking silicon architecture, optimized for 100 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity. This architecture is designed to balance raw throughput with intelligent packet processing, ensuring that both bandwidth-heavy and latency-sensitive workloads can coexist without compromise.

Advanced Packet Processing

At the core of this category is a powerful packet processing engine that handles data streams at line rate. The ConnectX-5 adapter can process millions of packets per second while maintaining low CPU overhead. This allows servers to dedicate more processing power to applications rather than network management tasks.

PCI Express Gen 3.0 x16 Interface

The PCIe Gen 3.0 x16 interface provides sufficient bandwidth between the network adapter and the host system. This interface ensures that the full 100GbE line rate can be sustained without bottlenecks. Adapters in this category are carefully optimized to maximize data transfer efficiency across the PCIe bus.

100 Gigabit Ethernet Connectivity

One of the defining features of this category is native support for 100 Gigabit Ethernet. This level of connectivity is essential for modern data centers that handle massive east-west traffic, real-time analytics, and large-scale virtualization.

QSFP28 Optical and Copper

The single-port QSFP28 interface allows compatibility with a wide range of transceivers and cables, including optical modules for long-distance connections and direct attach copper cables for short-range, low-latency links. This flexibility makes the adapter suitable for various deployment scenarios.

Scalability and Network Expansion

Adapters in this category support seamless scalability. As network demands increase, administrators can integrate additional high-speed switches and links without redesigning the entire infrastructure. The 100GbE standard ensures long-term viability and future-proofing.

RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE)

Support for RDMA over Converged Ethernet allows direct memory access between servers, bypassing the CPU and operating system kernel. This results in significantly reduced latency and improved application performance, particularly for distributed storage and database systems.

RoCE v2 Enhancements

RoCE v2 support adds routability and improved congestion management, making it suitable for large-scale Ethernet fabrics. Adapters in this category implement advanced congestion control mechanisms to ensure consistent performance even under heavy network load.

SR-IOV Capabilities

Single Root I/O Virtualization enables multiple virtual machines or containers to share a single physical network adapter while appearing as independent network devices. This reduces overhead and improves performance for virtualized applications.

Reliability and Enterprise

Enterprise environments demand reliability, stability, and long operational lifespans. The ConnectX-5 adapter category is designed to meet these requirements through rigorous validation and robust hardware design.

Use Cases

The Nvidia 900-9X5AD-0016-ST1 ConnectX-5 network adapter category serves a wide range of industries, including cloud computing, finance, healthcare, research, and media production.

Cloud Service Providers

High bandwidth, virtualization support, and security features make this category ideal for multi-tenant cloud environments that require predictable performance.

Enterprise Data Centers

Enterprises benefit from the adapter’s reliability, scalability, and compatibility with existing infrastructure, enabling smooth upgrades to higher network speeds.

Future-Proof Networking

Investing in a network adapter from this category provides long-term value. The 100GbE capability, advanced offloads, and robust driver support ensure compatibility with evolving workloads and network architectures.