Dell 08KP6W (Mellanox CX324A) ConnectX-3 40GbE Dual-Port QSFP+ Network Adapter, PCI Express, Low-Profile Bracket: This is a Dell-OEM rebrand of the Mellanox ConnectX-3 dual-port 40 Gigabit Ethernet adapter (MCX324A class), shipped with a low-profile bracket for 1U/2U Dell PowerEdge chassis. It is NOT a ConnectX-4 or ConnectX-5 card, and it is NOT an InfiniBand-only adapter — it operates in Ethernet mode. Offered refurbished and tested.
Engineering Context: The ConnectX-3 silicon delivers two QSFP+ ports each capable of 40GbE line rate, supported by a PCI Express 3.0 x8 host interface (~64 Gb/s available host bandwidth). The adapter supports RoCE RDMA, allowing kernel-bypass storage and HPC traffic. As a Dell OEM SKU, the firmware is custom-keyed for Dell PowerEdge platforms and is recognized in iDRAC and the Lifecycle Controller.
Deployment & Use Cases: Dell PowerEdge R-series and C-series servers needing 40GbE uplinks, vSphere clusters with iSCSI/NFS over 40GbE, Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) and Hyper-V live migration networks, OpenStack/Ceph storage front-ends, and consolidated 4x10GbE breakout deployments via 40G-to-4x10G QSFP-to-SFP+ breakout cables.
Technical Specifications:
OEM Part Number (Dell): 08KP6W (also listed as 0XYT17 / 8KP6W on some SKUs)
Underlying Mellanox SKU: CX324A (ConnectX-3 EN, 40GbE dual-port)
Silicon: Mellanox ConnectX-3
Network Protocol: 40 Gigabit Ethernet (10/40GbE)
Ports: 2x QSFP+
Maximum Port Rate: 40 Gb/s per port
Host Interface: PCI Express 3.0 x8
RDMA: RoCE
Hardware Offloads: TSO/LSO, checksum, RSS, VXLAN encap/decap
Form Factor: Low-Profile (LP) bracket
Server Compatibility: Dell PowerEdge (firmware-keyed)
Condition: Refurbished — link and PCIe enumeration verified
Compatibility & Constraints: This is a Dell-OEM card with Dell-keyed firmware, intended for Dell PowerEdge servers; it MAY not boot or be flashable on non-Dell hosts (white-box, HP, Lenovo) without firmware re-keying. The card ships with a low-profile bracket only; a full-height tall bracket is NOT included. The card does NOT include QSFP+ transceivers or DAC cables. ConnectX-3 has reached End-of-Life status for new driver development on some operating systems — verify driver support for your OS version (recent RHEL and ESXi releases have removed mlx4_en in some builds).
Why T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS: We specialize in refurbished NVIDIA Mellanox networking and OEM-rebranded equivalents. Typical handling time is 1–3 business days from EU stock. Visit https://www.tes-itsolutions.com or contact us for compatibility verification.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 08KP6W NOT compatible with?
It is NOT a ConnectX-4 or ConnectX-5 card, and it is NOT an InfiniBand-only adapter — it operates in Ethernet mode. Confirm fitment against your platform before ordering 08KP6W.
What condition is the 08KP6W supplied in, and who sells it?
The 08KP6W 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/dell-08kp6w-mellanox-cx324a-connectx-3-40gb-dual-port-lp-pci-e-network-card.
Are there deployment constraints on the 08KP6W?
a full-height tall bracket is NOT included. This applies to 08KP6W specifically.