NVIDIA Mellanox MCX416A-GCAT ConnectX-4 EN 50GbE Dual-Port QSFP28 Network Interface Card, PCIe 3.0 x16: This is a dual-port 50GbE Ethernet network adapter (NIC) built on the NVIDIA Mellanox ConnectX-4 EN ASIC. The card provides two QSFP28 ports operating at up to 50GbE per port and connects to the host over a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot. This is a server adapter card, not a switch and not a transceiver. Tall (full-height) PCIe bracket. This is a refurbished unit (NVIDIA P/N 900-9X4AC-0055-ST0).
Engineering Context
The MCX416A-GCAT is the dual-port 50GbE variant of the ConnectX-4 EN family. Each QSFP28 cage runs 50GbE (2x25Gb/s NRZ per port) and supports auto-negotiation down to 10/25/40GbE. The PCIe 3.0 x16 host interface (~126 Gb/s usable) provides full line-rate headroom for both ports concurrently. The ASIC implements stateless TCP/UDP/IP offloads, RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE v1 and v2), VXLAN, NVGRE and Geneve hardware encapsulation/decapsulation, and SR-IOV with up to 256 virtual functions per port.
Deployment & Use Cases
Hyperconverged infrastructure (vSAN, Nutanix AHV, Azure Stack HCI) where dual-port 50GbE provides link redundancy. NVMe-oF over RoCE storage front-end. OpenStack and VMware ESXi virtualized data centers needing SR-IOV per-VM acceleration. Telco NFV workloads using DPDK. Spine-to-leaf uplinks where 50GbE is the chosen fabric speed.
Technical Specifications
OEM: NVIDIA Mellanox
Part Number (MPN): MCX416A-GCAT
NVIDIA P/N: 900-9X4AC-0055-ST0
Controller / ASIC: ConnectX-4 EN
Ports: 2 x QSFP28
Maximum Data Rate per Port: 50GbE (auto-negotiates 10/25/40/50GbE)
Host Interface: PCI Express 3.0 x16 (8 GT/s)
Bracket: Tall (full-height)
RDMA / Offloads: RoCE v1/v2, VXLAN, NVGRE, Geneve, stateless TCP/UDP offloads
SR-IOV: Up to 256 virtual functions per port
Form Factor: Standard low-profile PCIe card with tall bracket installed
Condition: Refurbished — Tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
Compatibility & Hard Constraints
Requires a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot for full bandwidth; will physically fit a x8 slot but throughput will be capped. Pairs with QSFP28 50GbE DAC cables, AOCs, or transceivers. Not compatible with InfiniBand fabrics — this is an Ethernet-only (EN) part, not a VPI part. SFP/SFP+ optics are not supported in the QSFP28 cage without a QSA28 adapter. Driver support: MLNX_OFED on Linux, WinOF-2 on Windows, and inbox drivers in modern kernels (≥4.x) and ESXi 6.7+.
Why Choose T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS bench-tests every ConnectX-4 NIC for link-up on both ports, RDMA functionality, firmware integrity, and physical bracket condition before shipping. We provide expert consultation on Ethernet fabric design, global shipping, and a 1–3 day handling time. Visit tes-itsolutions.com for the full catalog.
Frequently Asked Questions
What part number (mpn) does the MCX416A-GCAT have?
The MCX416A-GCAT part number (mpn) is MCX416A-GCAT, as listed in the specifications for MCX416A-GCAT.
What is the MCX416A-GCAT NOT compatible with?
This is a server adapter card, not a switch and not a transceiver. Confirm fitment against your platform before ordering MCX416A-GCAT.
What condition is the MCX416A-GCAT supplied in, and who sells it?
The MCX416A-GCAT 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/mellanox-mcx416a-gcat-connectx-4-card-50gbe-dual-port-qsfp28-pcie3-0-x16.