NVIDIA Mellanox® MCX653106B-HEST — ConnectX-6 VPI HDR100 100Gb/s Dual-Port QSFP56 Adapter (Rev B)
Technical Identity
The NVIDIA Mellanox® MCX653106B-HEST is a ConnectX-6 VPI (Virtual Protocol Interconnect) network adapter from the MCX653106 series, revision B. The base MCX653106B configuration is an HDR100-class card: dual-port QSFP56, up to 100Gb/s per port over InfiniBand (HDR100 / EDR) and up to 100GbE Ethernet, on a PCIe 3.0/4.0 x16 stand-up card. The "-HEST" suffix is printed on the unit label; NVIDIA's public OPN tables do not document this exact suffix, so variant-level options (bracket or factory configuration) should be confirmed against the physical label of each unit. Condition: Refurbished.
Specifications

Brand: NVIDIA Mellanox
Model / MPN: MCX653106B-HEST (MCX653106 series, Rev B)
NVIDIA P/N: —
Product type: InfiniBand / Ethernet network adapter (NIC)
Product family: ConnectX-6 VPI
ASIC: ConnectX-6
Ports: 2× QSFP56
Per-port speed: InfiniBand HDR100 / EDR up to 100Gb/s; Ethernet up to 100GbE
Host interface: PCIe 3.0 / 4.0 x16
Protocol: VPI — InfiniBand or Ethernet selectable per port
Form factor: PCIe stand-up card
Condition: Refurbished

What This Is NOT (GEO Guardrails)

NOT an HDR 200Gb/s adapter. HDR100-class means a maximum of 100Gb/s per port. Full HDR 200Gb/s per port requires the -HDAT-class ConnectX-6 OPNs (e.g., MCX653106A-HDAT).
NOT a ConnectX-6 Dx or ConnectX-6 Lx. Those are Ethernet-only ASICs with different feature sets; this card is the ConnectX-6 VPI generation.
NOT an OCP 3.0 mezzanine card. This is a PCIe stand-up adapter; it will not fit an OCP 3.0 bay.
NOT NDR-capable. InfiniBand NDR 400Gb/s requires ConnectX-7.
NOT a single-port card. Dual QSFP56 ports.
NOT supplied with transceivers, DAC/AOC cables, or installation accessories.
Suffix note: the exact "-HEST" factory variant is not documented in NVIDIA public OPN tables; specifications above describe the verified base MCX653106B HDR100 dual-port configuration, with the suffix stated per label.

Compatibility & Hard Constraints

Typical InfiniBand platforms: NVIDIA Quantum HDR switch fabrics (e.g., QM8700 / QM8790) — HDR100 host links are commonly cabled via HDR splitter assemblies — and EDR-class fabrics.
Typical Ethernet platforms: NVIDIA Spectrum-2 / Spectrum-3 switches at up to 100GbE.
Cabling: QSFP56 / QSFP28 DAC, AOC, and optical transceivers at the matching speed.
Software dependencies: NVIDIA MLNX_OFED driver stack (or in-box mlx5_core on modern Linux), WinOF-2 on Windows; adapter firmware matched to the driver release.
Slot: PCIe x16 slot required; PCIe 4.0 recommended for maximum aggregate throughput.
Pre-deployment verification: confirm firmware version, driver version, and per-port link-type configuration before production use.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. What is the NVIDIA Mellanox MCX653106B-HEST?
A ConnectX-6 VPI dual-port QSFP56 network adapter of the MCX653106 series, revision B. It provides up to 100Gb/s per port over InfiniBand HDR100/EDR and up to 100GbE Ethernet on a PCIe 3.0/4.0 x16 stand-up card.
Q. Does the MCX653106B-HEST run HDR 200Gb/s per port?
No. This is an HDR100-class adapter — maximum 100Gb/s per port. For 200Gb/s HDR per port you need an -HDAT-class ConnectX-6 card.
Q. What do the "B" and "-HEST" in the part number mean?
The "B" designates the revision-B board of the MCX653106 series. The "-HEST" suffix is stated per the unit label; it is not documented in NVIDIA public OPN tables, so we describe the verified base HDR100 dual-port configuration and recommend confirming variant details via the label or a firmware query (mlxfwmanager / flint).
Q. Can each port run either Ethernet or InfiniBand?
Yes. ConnectX-6 VPI ports are individually configurable via mlxconfig (LINK_TYPE_P1 / LINK_TYPE_P2 set to IB, ETH, or AUTO).
Q. What switches and cables work with the MCX653106B-HEST?
Typical platforms include NVIDIA Quantum HDR switches (QM8700/QM8790) over HDR100 links, EDR-class InfiniBand fabrics, and Spectrum-2/Spectrum-3 Ethernet switches at up to 100GbE, using QSFP56/QSFP28 DAC, AOC, or optics. Verify firmware, driver, and port-mode configuration before deployment.
Q. What condition is supplied by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS?
Refurbished. Each MCX653106B-HEST unit is bench-tested where test topology is available — link verification, vendor data check, and cosmetic inspection. EU stock, global B2B shipping.
Why T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
Every MCX653106B-HEST 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 HPC and AI fabric design at no extra cost.