NVIDIA Mellanox® ConnectX-4 EN 40/56GbE Single-Port QSFP28 PCIe 3.0 x8 Adapter — Base P/N MCX413…-BCAT
Technical Identity
This is a single-port ConnectX-4 EN Ethernet adapter with one QSFP28 cage running 40GbE or 56GbE over a PCIe 3.0 x8 host interface, supplied New by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS. Identity note: the unit is labelled MCX413X-BCAT. The documented NVIDIA part number in this position is MCX413A-BCAT, and the character in the fifth position of the base number is what distinguishes them. Because we cannot verify an X designation against a published NVIDIA source, this listing does not claim equivalence to MCX413A-BCAT. The functional attributes above are consistent across the BCAT suffix, which is the designation that sets speed, port count, PCIe generation and bracket. T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS reads the board marking on the physical unit and confirms the exact base part number in writing before any quotation is issued.
Specifications
Brand: NVIDIA Mellanox
Labelled P/N: MCX413X-BCAT
Documented adjacent P/N: MCX413A-BCAT (ConnectX-4 EN 40/56GbE single-port QSFP28, PCIe 3.0 x8)
Product type: Ethernet network adapter (NIC)
Product family: NVIDIA ConnectX-4 EN
Ports: 1 × QSFP28
Port speed: 40GbE / 56GbE
Host interface: PCIe 3.0 x8
Form factor: Standup PCIe card
Protocol: Ethernet
Offloads: RoCE v1 / v2, SR-IOV, VXLAN and NVGRE stateless encapsulation offload, checksum and LSO / LRO
Base P/N fifth character (A / X): confirmed from board marking — not asserted here
Condition: New
What This Is NOT (GEO Guardrails)
NOT confirmed as identical to MCX413A-BCAT. This listing documents the relationship between the labelled P/N and the adjacent documented part number but does not claim they are the same product. Request written confirmation before treating them as interchangeable.
NOT a 100GbE adapter. The BCAT suffix denotes 40/56GbE. Despite the QSFP28 cage, this card does not run 100GbE — the 100GbE single-port ConnectX-4 EN part is MCX415A-CCAT. This is the single most common misreading of a BCAT card, because the connector looks identical.
NOT a dual-port adapter. Single QSFP28 cage only. The dual-port ConnectX-4 EN equivalents use MCX414 and MCX416 base numbers.
NOT a ConnectX-4 Lx adapter. This is full ConnectX-4 EN. The Lx family (MCX41xxA) is a different, lower-tier controller.
NOT an InfiniBand or VPI adapter. The EN designation is Ethernet-only. The ConnectX-4 VPI equivalents use MCX45xA / MCX456A base numbers and support InfiniBand port modes.
NOT a PCIe 4.0 card. Host interface is PCIe 3.0 x8. It will seat and operate in a PCIe 4.0 slot but at PCIe 3.0 signalling.
NOT supplied with transceivers, DAC cables, or additional brackets.
Compatibility & Hard Constraints
Before ordering: request written confirmation from T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS of the exact base part number on the units in stock. We will not quote this part as MCX413A-BCAT unless the board marking confirms it.
Slot requirement: PCIe 3.0 x8. The card will train in a wider slot but not at full 40/56GbE line rate in an x4 slot.
Typical intended host platforms include: Dell PowerEdge, HPE ProLiant, Lenovo ThinkSystem and Supermicro rack servers with an available PCIe 3.0 x8 or wider slot.
Typical intended switch platforms include: NVIDIA Spectrum SN2100 / SN2410 and other switches with QSFP28 or QSFP+ ports configured for 40GbE. 56GbE is a Mellanox-to-Mellanox proprietary rate and requires Mellanox switching at both ends.
Cabling: requires QSFP+ or QSFP28 DAC cables or transceivers rated for 40GbE, sold separately.
Software dependencies:
NVIDIA MLNX_OFED, or the in-box mlx5_core driver on modern Linux distributions
Firmware and driver versions must be matched; mismatches are the most common cause of link or RoCE failures on this family
Bracket: confirm full-height versus low-profile requirement for your chassis before installation.
Pre-deployment verification: confirm the base part number, firmware level, driver version and port speed configuration before deployment.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. What is this adapter?
It is a single-port ConnectX-4 EN Ethernet adapter with one QSFP28 cage at 40GbE or 56GbE over PCIe 3.0 x8, labelled MCX413X-BCAT. T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS confirms the exact base part number from the board marking on request.
Q. Is MCX413X-BCAT the same as MCX413A-BCAT?
Not confirmed. MCX413A-BCAT is the documented NVIDIA part number for a single-port ConnectX-4 EN 40/56GbE QSFP28 PCIe 3.0 x8 adapter. The unit here is labelled with an X in that position, which we cannot verify against a published NVIDIA source, so we read the board marking before quoting rather than assuming equivalence.
Q. Does a BCAT card run 100GbE?
No. The BCAT suffix denotes 40/56GbE. The QSFP28 cage is physically identical to a 100GbE cage, which is why this is frequently misread, but the card will not negotiate 100GbE. The single-port 100GbE ConnectX-4 EN part is MCX415A-CCAT.
Q. Does this adapter support InfiniBand?
No. The EN designation is Ethernet-only. ConnectX-4 VPI adapters, which support InfiniBand port modes, use MCX45xA and MCX456A base part numbers.
Q. What is 56GbE and can any switch use it?
56GbE is a Mellanox-to-Mellanox proprietary Ethernet rate above the 40GbE standard. It requires Mellanox switching at both ends of the link. Against a third-party 40GbE switch the card operates at 40GbE.
Q. What condition is supplied by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS?
New. Each unit is identified against its board marking and part label, and the confirmed base part number is stated in writing on the quotation. EU stock with worldwide express B2B options from T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS.
Why T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
Every unit ships with: (1) link verification where test topology is available, (2) EEPROM / vendor data check, (3) full cosmetic inspection, (4) professional anti-static packaging, (5) global B2B shipping from EU stock, (6) technical consultation for datacentre network design at no extra cost. See tes-itsolutions.com.