NVIDIA Mellanox MSN4700-WS2R — Spectrum-3 32-port 400GbE QSFP-DD Managed Ethernet Switch (1U, C2P Reverse Airflow)
Technical Identity
The NVIDIA Mellanox MSN4700-WS2R is a 1U managed Ethernet switch built on the NVIDIA Spectrum-3 ASIC, exposing 32 ports of 400 GbE over QSFP-DD cages and delivering 12.8 Tb/s of full-duplex switching capacity with 8.33 Bpps packet processing. The -WS2R SKU ships factory-loaded with Cumulus Linux (NVIDIA's open Linux-based NOS, with What Just Happened® / WJH telemetry licensed in) and is configured for C2P (connector-to-power / reverse) airflow, with hot air exhausting through the port-side bezel — the correct intake direction for cold-aisle / port-side hot-aisle rack layouts. Spectrum-3 is an Ethernet-only ASIC: this switch does not run InfiniBand. Each QSFP-DD port is fully breakout-capable into 2×200GbE, 4×100GbE, or 8×50GbE lanes using appropriate AOC/DAC splitter or transceiver pairs.
Specifications
Brand: NVIDIA Mellanox
Model / MPN: MSN4700-WS2R
Switch ASIC / Family: NVIDIA Spectrum-3
Protocol: Ethernet (Layer 2 / Layer 3)
Ports: 32× QSFP-DD
Per-port speed: 400 GbE (breakout: 2×200, 4×100, 8×50 GbE)
Switching capacity: 12.8 Tb/s
Packet rate: 8.33 Bpps
Port-to-port latency: ~300 ns (cut-through)
NOS preloaded: NVIDIA Cumulus Linux (WJH-enabled); NVIDIA Onyx / MLNX-OS also supported
Management: 1× RJ45 1GbE OOB mgmt, 1× RJ45 console, 1× USB
Power: 2× hot-swap AC PSU (1+1 redundant)
Cooling: 6× hot-swap fan modules
Airflow direction: C2P (reverse) — port-side exhaust, PSU-side intake
Form factor: 1U, 19" rack-mount
Telemetry: WJH, sFlow, gRPC, SNMP, NetQ-ready
Condition: Refurbished Grade A — bench-tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
What This Is NOT
NOT an InfiniBand switch. Spectrum-3 is an Ethernet-only ASIC. For NDR/HDR InfiniBand fabrics use the NVIDIA Quantum / Quantum-2 series (e.g. MQM9700 / MQM8700) — not this unit.
NOT forward (P2C) airflow. The -WS2R suffix denotes C2P / reverse airflow. If your rack ingests cold air on the PSU side and exhausts on the port side, this is correct; for the opposite layout order the -WS2F variant.
NOT shipped with transceivers, DAC/AOC cables, or rail kit unless explicitly listed in the order. PSUs and fans are included.
NOT a NIC, adapter card, or BlueField DPU — this is a top-of-rack / spine switch, not a host-side card.
NOT an 800 GbE switch. 800 GbE per port requires Spectrum-4 (MSN5600 / SN5600). Maximum native per-port speed here is 400 GbE.
NOT compatible with OSFP modules — the cages are QSFP-DD only; OSFP transceivers will not fit.
Compatibility & Pairing Notes
Host adapters (pairs-with, not part of this product): ConnectX-6 Dx and ConnectX-7 Ethernet NICs at 100/200/400 GbE; BlueField-2 / BlueField-3 DPUs at matching speeds.
Cabling: QSFP-DD 400G DAC (e.g. MCP1660 family) for in-rack runs; QSFP-DD 400G AOC (MFA7U10-Hxxx is HDR IB — do not use here; use Ethernet 400G AOCs such as MFA1A00-C series) for inter-rack; single-mode (DR4 / FR4) or multi-mode (SR8) transceivers for longer reach. QSFP-DD cages accept QSFP56/QSFP28/QSFP+ modules at reduced lane counts where required.
Spine / Leaf role: commonly deployed as a 400 GbE spine over 64×100 GbE ConnectX-6 leaves, or as a leaf for 400 GbE ConnectX-7 / BlueField-3 hosts.
NOS: ships with Cumulus Linux preloaded; can be reimaged to NVIDIA Onyx / MLNX-OS or to SONiC where supported.
Rack power & cooling: ~525 W typical, 750 W max — verify PDU phase budget and confirm rack airflow direction matches C2P before mounting.
Standards: IEEE 802.3 Ethernet, RoCEv2, EVPN-VXLAN, BGP, OSPF, MLAG; PTP / SyncE for time-sensitive fabrics.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. Is the MSN4700-WS2R an InfiniBand switch?
No. This is an Ethernet-only switch built on the Spectrum-3 ASIC. InfiniBand fabrics (HDR / NDR) require NVIDIA Quantum or Quantum-2 switches such as the MQM8700 or MQM9700 series.
Q. What does the -WS2R suffix mean?
WS = Cumulus Linux preloaded with the What Just Happened (WJH) telemetry license. 2 = the SN4700 (32-port 400 GbE QSFP-DD) platform variant. R = C2P / reverse airflow: cold air enters from the PSU side and exhausts through the port side.
Q. Can I run 800 GbE on this switch?
No. The Spectrum-3 ASIC tops out at 400 GbE per port. 800 GbE per port is a Spectrum-4 capability (e.g. MSN5600 / SN5600).
Q. Can the 400 GbE ports be broken out to lower speeds?
Yes. Each QSFP-DD port can be split into 2x200 GbE, 4x100 GbE, or 8x50 GbE using appropriate breakout DAC / AOC cables or transceiver pairs.
Q. Are transceivers or cables included?
No. The unit ships with PSUs and fans only. DAC / AOC cables and optical transceivers are ordered separately based on your reach and topology.
Q. What is the condition of this unit?
Refurbished Grade A. Bench-tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS: link establishment on all 32 ports, PSU and fan health check, NOS boot verification, and full cosmetic inspection. Ships in professional anti-static packaging from EU stock.
Why buy from T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS is a Europe-based NVIDIA Mellanox specialist serving HPC, AI, and enterprise data-center procurement teams since 2007. Every unit is identified by MPN, NVIDIA P/N, and ASIC generation before it ships, and every customer gets free pre-sale compatibility advice for switch / adapter / cable pairing — including airflow direction sanity-checks against your rack layout. Multi-currency B2B invoicing, EU stock with worldwide express shipping, and direct technical contact with our engineering team — not a call-center.