Mellanox ConnectX-5 EN MCX512A-ACAT Dual-Port 25GbE Network Card

1. Product Overview

The Mellanox ConnectX-5 EN MCX512A-ACAT is a high-performance, dual-port 25GbE network card designed for next-generation data centers. This nic card delivers exceptional throughput, ultra-low latency, and advanced hardware offloads for compute and storage platforms. Supporting PCIe 3.0 x8 and multiple Ethernet speeds (1/10/25GbE), it is ideal for cloud, Web 2.0, storage, and telco environments.

2. Key Features

• Dual-port SFP28 connectivity supporting 25/10/1 GbE speeds
• Ultra-low latency (750ns) and high message rate (200Mpps)
• Hardware offloads for NVMe over Fabrics, vSwitch, and overlay networks
• RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE) support
• SR-IOV virtualization with up to 512 virtual functions
• PCIe Gen 3.0 x8 host interface with UEFI boot support

3. Core Technologies

The ConnectX-6 predecessor, ConnectX-5, leverages cutting-edge technologies including:

• ASAP² Accelerated Switching and Packet Processing
• Open vSwitch (OvS) offload with hardware acceleration
• NVMe over Fabrics target offload
• PCIe Atomic Operations and TLP Processing Hints
• RoCE v2 for low-latency storage and data access

4. How It Works

The ConnectX-5 network card offloads critical networking functions from the CPU to the NIC hardware. It uses a programmable pipeline to handle encapsulation/decapsulation for overlay networks (VXLAN, NVGRE, GENEVE), performs stateless offloading, and enables RDMA operations for high-throughput, low-latency data transfer. This significantly reduces CPU overhead and improves overall system efficiency.

5. Applications

• Cloud and Web 2.0 Infrastructure
• Software-Defined Storage (SDS) and Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI)
• Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Telco Cloud
• High-Performance Computing (HPC) and Machine Learning
• Virtualized Data Centers with VMware, KVM, and Hyper-V

6. Specifications

7. Advantages

• Superior performance over previous-generation nic card solutions
• Advanced offloads reduce CPU utilization by up to 50%
• Future-proof with programmable pipeline and protocol support
• Ideal for NVMe-of and RoCE-enabled storage architectures
• Enhanced virtualization support with SR-IOV and NFV offloads

8. Service & Support

We offer comprehensive support including 24/7 technical consultation, worldwide shipping, and a full warranty. Our professional team ensures seamless integration and ongoing maintenance for your infrastructure.

9. FAQ

Q: What is the difference between ConnectX-5 and ConnectX-6?
A: The ConnectX-6 offers higher port speeds and enhanced offload capabilities, but the ConnectX-5 remains a cost-effective solution for 25/100GbE deployments.

Q: Does this NIC support VMware ESXi?
A: Yes, the MCX512A-ACAT is fully compatible with VMware ESXi and supports NetQueue and SR-IOV.

Q: Can I use this card for NVMe over Fabrics?
A: Absolutely. This network card includes hardware offloads for NVMe-of, making it ideal for high-performance storage networks.

10. Precautions

• Ensure proper cooling and airflow in the server chassis.
• Use qualified optical or DAC cables for optimal performance.
• Verify PCIe slot compatibility (requires x8 mechanical slot).
• Update to the latest firmware and drivers from the official support site.

11. Company Introduction

With over a decade of industry experience, we operate a large-scale factory and maintain a strong technical team. We have served a vast number of clients worldwide, providing high-quality networking products including Mellanox, Ruckus, Aruba, and Extreme. Our inventory exceeds 10 million units, ensuring ample supply and competitive pricing. We offer 24/7 customer service and technical support to guarantee customer satisfaction.