NVIDIA Mellanox MCX565A-CDAI ConnectX-5 Ex EN Adapter, 100GbE, Single-Port QSFP28, OCP 3.0, PCIe 4.0 x16, Host Management: This enterprise network interface card (NIC) is the NVIDIA Mellanox ConnectX-5 Ex EN in OCP 3.0 form factor, part number MCX565A-CDAI. It is a single-port 100GbE Ethernet adapter with a QSFP28 port on an OCP 3.0 mezzanine card with PCIe 4.0 x16 host interface. The CDAI suffix indicates crypto enabled, OCP 3.0, and host management enabled. This is a refurbished unit, tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS.
Engineering Context
The ConnectX-5 Ex delivers 100 Gb/s Ethernet throughput through a single QSFP28 port over PCIe 4.0 x16 (256 Gb/s bidirectional bandwidth). The OCP 3.0 form factor integrates directly into OCP-compliant server baseboard slots, providing NC-SI host management capability for out-of-band NIC management. Hardware offloads include RoCE v2, VXLAN/NVGRE encapsulation, SR-IOV, and NVMe-oF. The "Ex" designation indicates the enhanced variant with PCIe 4.0 support (vs. standard ConnectX-5 with PCIe 3.0). Power consumption is typically under 20W.
Deployment & Use Cases
OCP 3.0 server platforms (e.g., Open Compute, hyperscale designs) requiring 100GbE connectivity. Cloud and enterprise data center Ethernet fabrics with RoCE v2 for RDMA workloads. NVMe-over-Fabrics storage networking at 100 Gb/s. Virtualized environments on VMware ESXi or KVM with SR-IOV. Servers requiring host management (NC-SI) integration for NIC health monitoring.
Technical Specifications
- OEM: NVIDIA Mellanox
- Part Number: MCX565A-CDAI
- ASIC: ConnectX-5 Ex
- Type: OCP 3.0 Ethernet Network Adapter
- Speed: 100GbE (also supports 50/40/25/10GbE)
- Ports: 1x QSFP28
- Host Interface: PCIe 4.0 x16
- Form Factor: OCP 3.0 Mezzanine
- Protocols: RoCE v2, VXLAN, NVGRE, SR-IOV, NVMe-oF
- Host Management: NC-SI enabled
- Power Consumption: ~20W typical
- Condition: Refurbished — Tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
Compatibility & Hard Constraints
OCP 3.0 Only: This is an OCP 3.0 mezzanine card. It does NOT fit in standard PCIe expansion slots. Requires a server with an OCP 3.0 slot (e.g., Open Compute, some Dell/HPE/Lenovo servers with OCP support). Ethernet Only: ConnectX-5 Ex EN does not support InfiniBand. For InfiniBand, use ConnectX-5 VPI variants. QSFP28 Port: Accepts QSFP28 (100GbE), QSFP+ (40GbE), and SFP28 (25GbE) via breakout. Not compatible with QSFP56, OSFP, or QSFP-DD. PCIe 4.0: Will function in PCIe 3.0 OCP slots at reduced bandwidth. Predecessor: ConnectX-4 Lx OCP. Successor: ConnectX-6 OCP variants.
Why Choose T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS tests every refurbished OCP adapter for port connectivity, PCIe link negotiation, NC-SI management, and firmware integrity. We provide expert consultation on OCP and NIC selection, global shipping with 1–3 business day handling, and a comprehensive warranty.