IBM 00W0043 Mellanox ConnectX-3 VPI 2-Port QSFP FDR / 40 GbE PCIe x8 Adapter: This is a refurbished dual-port ConnectX-3 Virtual Protocol Interconnect (VPI) host channel adapter, identified by IBM FRU 00W0043. The card is a Mellanox-built HBA carrying IBM branding. Each QSFP port can run InfiniBand FDR (56 Gb/s) or 40 Gigabit Ethernet, selected per port via firmware. This is a server-side PCIe HBA, NOT a switch, transceiver, or storage controller. Sold in refurbished condition, professionally tested working.
Engineering Context: ConnectX-3 implements the Mellanox 4-lane SerDes engine, providing 56 Gb/s FDR per port (4 x 14 Gb/s lanes) or 40 GbE (4 x 10 Gb/s lanes). The adapter supports RDMA over both InfiniBand (native verbs) and Ethernet (RoCE), kernel-bypass, hardware-offloaded transport, and SR-IOV for virtualization. Host bus is PCI Express Gen3 x8.
Deployment & Use Cases: IBM System x and Power servers requiring a dual-port FDR or 40 GbE HBA; HPC compute nodes running MPI workloads (Open MPI, MVAPICH2, Intel MPI); RDMA-accelerated storage stacks including Lustre, NFS-RDMA, and SMB Direct; virtualized environments leveraging SR-IOV; mixed protocol fabrics where each port can be assigned independently to InfiniBand or Ethernet.
Technical Specifications:

Product family: Mellanox ConnectX-3 VPI
IBM FRU / MPN: 00W0043
Number of ports: 2
Connector type: QSFP
InfiniBand rate per port: FDR (56 Gb/s)
Ethernet rate per port: 40 GbE
Host bus: PCI Express Gen3 x8
Protocol modes: VPI (per-port InfiniBand or Ethernet)
Offloads: RDMA, RoCE, SR-IOV
Mode selection: Firmware-configurable per port
OEM brand: IBM (Mellanox-built)
Condition: Refurbished, professionally tested

Compatibility & Constraints: Compatible with IBM System x and Power servers exposing PCIe 3.0 x8 or wider slots, MLNX_OFED / inbox OFED Linux drivers, native Windows ConnectX-3 drivers, FDR-rated QSFP+ DAC and AOC cables for InfiniBand mode, and 40 GbE QSFP+ DAC / AOC cables for Ethernet mode. Not an EDR (100 Gb/s), HDR (200 Gb/s), or 100 GbE adapter; does not provide 25 GbE or 50 GbE rates. VPI mode (InfiniBand vs Ethernet) is firmware-controlled per port; verify the desired mode and confirm firmware compatibility on your host before deployment.
Why TES IT-Solutions: TES specializes in refurbished enterprise networking from NVIDIA Mellanox and OEM-branded variants from IBM, HP, Dell, and Lenovo. Each adapter is professionally tested by experienced technicians with documented full working order. Standard handling time is 1-3 business days. Visit TES IT-Solutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 00W0043 NOT compatible with?
This is a server-side PCIe HBA, NOT a switch, transceiver, or storage controller. Confirm fitment against your platform before ordering 00W0043.
What condition is the 00W0043 supplied in, and who sells it?
The 00W0043 is supplied in Refurbished condition by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS from EU stock, with 1-3 business day handling and worldwide B2B shipping. See https://www.tes-itsolutions.com/product-page/019rnv-dell-mellanox-connect-x3-dual-port-10gbe-sfp-pci-e-full-height-network.
Are there deployment constraints on the 00W0043?
Not an EDR (100 Gb/s), HDR (200 Gb/s), or 100 GbE adapter;. This applies to 00W0043 specifically.