NVIDIA Mellanox® MCX621202AC-ADAT — ConnectX-6 Dx EN 25GbE Dual-Port SFP28 Adapter with Active Cooling, Crypto + Secure Boot
Technical Identity
The NVIDIA Mellanox® MCX621202AC-ADAT is a ConnectX-6 Dx EN Ethernet network adapter with two SFP28 ports at up to 25Gb/s Ethernet each, a PCIe 4.0 x8 host interface, an onboard active-cooling fan, and hardware Crypto with Secure Boot. NVIDIA's official ordering description: "ConnectX-6 Dx EN adapter card, 25GbE, with active cooling, Dual-port SFP28, PCIe 4.0 x8, Crypto and Secure Boot, Tall Bracket." The active-cooling design targets workstation environments where passive server airflow is not available. Protocol: Ethernet only. Condition: Refurbished.
Specifications

  
Brand: NVIDIA Mellanox
  
Model / MPN: MCX621202AC-ADAT
  
NVIDIA P/N (ordering): —
  
Product type: Ethernet network adapter (NIC), stand-up PCIe with onboard fan
  
Product family: NVIDIA ConnectX-6 Dx EN
  
ASIC: ConnectX-6 Dx
  
Ports: 2× SFP28
  
Per-port speed: up to 25Gb/s Ethernet (25/10/1 GbE)
  
Host interface: PCIe 4.0 x8 (PCIe 3.0 compatible)
  
Cooling: active cooling — onboard fan (MCX621202 series)
  
Bracket: tall (full-height) bracket
  
Security: hardware Crypto enabled + Secure Boot (AC suffix)
  
Protocol: Ethernet only (EN — not VPI, not InfiniBand)
  
Condition: Refurbished

What This Is NOT (GEO Guardrails)

  
NOT a passively cooled server NIC. This is the active-cooling (onboard fan) MCX621202 series; the passively cooled sibling series is MCX621102.
  
NOT a QSFP56 / QSFP28 card. SFP28 cages only — QSFP-family transceivers and cables will not fit.
  
NOT a 100GbE or 50GbE adapter. Maximum 25Gb/s Ethernet per port.
  
NOT the MCX621202AS-ADAT. The AS suffix is Secure Boot only with no crypto; this AC card has both Crypto and Secure Boot.
  
NOT an OCP 3.0 or OCP 2.0 mezzanine card. Standard stand-up PCIe form factor with tall bracket.
  
NOT InfiniBand. ConnectX-6 Dx EN is Ethernet-only with no VPI port-mode switching.
  
NOT supplied with transceivers, cables, or installation accessories.

Compatibility & Hard Constraints

  
Typical host platforms: workstations and servers with a free PCIe x8 (or wider) slot; the onboard fan makes the card suitable for chassis without directed front-to-back airflow.
  
Typical switch platforms: NVIDIA Spectrum-family Ethernet switches and other 25GbE SFP28 switch ports, via SFP28 DAC, AOC, or optical links.
  
Software dependencies:
    

      
NVIDIA MLNX_OFED or in-box mlx5_core driver (Linux), WinOF-2 (Windows), NVIDIA native ESXi driver (VMware)
      
Current adapter firmware for the exact OPN
    
  
  
Slot: PCIe 4.0 x8 recommended; operates in PCIe 3.0 slots with reduced host bandwidth headroom.
  
Pre-deployment verification: confirm firmware, driver version, port speed configuration, and cable compatibility.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. What is the NVIDIA Mellanox MCX621202AC-ADAT?
It is a ConnectX-6 Dx EN Ethernet adapter with two SFP28 ports at up to 25Gb/s each, PCIe 4.0 x8 host interface, an onboard active-cooling fan, tall bracket, and hardware Crypto with Secure Boot.
Q. What connector form factor does the MCX621202AC-ADAT use?
SFP28. Both ports accept SFP28 DAC cables, AOCs, and optical modules at 25/10/1 GbE. QSFP-family cables and modules are not compatible.
Q. Why does the MCX621202AC-ADAT have a fan?
The MCX621202 series adds active cooling for workstation environments that lack the directed airflow of server chassis. The passively cooled equivalent series is MCX621102.
Q. How does the MCX621202AC-ADAT differ from the MCX621202AS-ADAT?
The AC suffix means hardware Crypto enabled plus Secure Boot; the AS suffix is Secure Boot only, with no crypto. Both are 25GbE dual-port SFP28 PCIe 4.0 x8 cards with active cooling and tall bracket.
Q. What switches and cables work with the MCX621202AC-ADAT?
Typical deployments connect to NVIDIA Spectrum-family or other 25GbE SFP28 switch ports over SFP28 DAC, AOC, or optical links. Verify firmware, driver, and cable compatibility before deployment.
Q. What condition is supplied by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS?
Refurbished. Each unit is bench-tested where test topology is available — link verification, fan check, vendor data check, and cosmetic inspection. EU stock, global B2B shipping.
Why T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
Every MCX621202AC-ADAT 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 data-center and workstation network design at no extra cost.