NVIDIA Mellanox MCX653105A-ECAT ConnectX-6 VPI Adapter, HDR100 InfiniBand 100Gb/s and 100GbE Ethernet, Single-Port QSFP56, PCIe Gen4 x16: This enterprise network interface card (NIC) is the NVIDIA Mellanox ConnectX-6 VPI, part number MCX653105A-ECAT (NVIDIA P/N 900-9X6AF-0016-ST1). It is a single-port adapter with a QSFP56 port supporting both HDR100 InfiniBand (100Gb/s) and 100GbE Ethernet via VPI (Virtual Protocol Interconnect). The ECAT suffix indicates crypto enabled, tall bracket. This is a refurbished unit, tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS.
Engineering Context
The ConnectX-6 VPI delivers 100 Gb/s throughput through a single QSFP56 port over a PCIe Gen4 x16 host interface (256 Gb/s bidirectional bandwidth). As a VPI adapter, it can operate in either HDR100 InfiniBand or 100GbE Ethernet mode, configured at driver load time. Hardware offloads include RDMA (InfiniBand native and RoCE v2), SR-IOV (up to 1024 VFs), VXLAN/NVGRE encapsulation, NVMe-oF, and hardware-accelerated IPsec/TLS (crypto enabled on ECAT). The ConnectX-6 ASIC is the first generation to support HDR InfiniBand speeds. Typical power consumption is approximately 22W.
Deployment & Use Cases
HPC clusters requiring HDR100 InfiniBand for MPI, NCCL, and distributed computing workloads. AI/ML training clusters with 100Gb/s RDMA interconnect. Mixed InfiniBand/Ethernet environments where protocol flexibility is needed without NIC swaps. NVMe-over-Fabrics storage networking at 100 Gb/s. Virtualized environments on VMware ESXi or KVM with SR-IOV pass-through and up to 1024 VFs.
Technical Specifications
OEM: NVIDIA Mellanox
Part Number: MCX653105A-ECAT
NVIDIA P/N: 900-9X6AF-0016-ST1
ASIC: ConnectX-6
Type: VPI Adapter (InfiniBand + Ethernet)
InfiniBand Speed: HDR100 100Gb/s
Ethernet Speed: 100GbE (also 50/25/10GbE)
Ports: 1x QSFP56
Host Interface: PCIe Gen4 x16
Protocols: RDMA, RoCE v2, SR-IOV, NVMe-oF, VXLAN, NVGRE
SR-IOV VFs: Up to 1024
Crypto: Enabled (hardware IPsec/TLS offload)
Power Consumption: ~22W typical
Bracket: Tall (Full-Height)
Condition: Refurbished — Tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
Compatibility & Hard Constraints
HDR100 Maximum: InfiniBand speed is HDR100 (100Gb/s), which is single-port HDR. For full HDR 200Gb/s, use dual-port MCX653106A or ConnectX-6 HDR adapters. VPI: Supports both InfiniBand and Ethernet, but only one protocol per port at a time, configured at driver load. QSFP56 Port: Accepts QSFP56 (HDR100 InfiniBand or 100GbE), QSFP28 (EDR InfiniBand or 100GbE at reduced speed), and SFP28 via breakout. Not compatible with OSFP or QSFP-DD. PCIe Gen4 x16: Requires physical x16 slot. Will function in Gen3 slots at reduced bandwidth. Single Port: One QSFP56 port. For dual-port, use MCX653106A-ECAT. Predecessor: ConnectX-5 VPI (MCX556A, EDR 100Gb/s). Successor: ConnectX-7 (NDR).
Why Choose T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS tests every refurbished ConnectX-6 VPI adapter for port connectivity, PCIe link negotiation, InfiniBand and Ethernet mode switching, and thermal behavior. We provide expert consultation on HPC and AI cluster networking, global shipping with 1–3 business day handling, and a comprehensive warranty.