Lenovo 3M MLX HDR Optical QSFP56 CBL - 4Z57A72553

Lenovo 4Z57A72553 3m Mellanox HDR Optical QSFP56 Cable

Overview

The Lenovo 4Z57A72553 is a 3-meter Mellanox HDR optical QSFP56 cable designed for 200Gb/s InfiniBand and high-speed Ethernet interconnects in ThinkSystem server and HPC environments. At 3 meters, it covers the typical rack-to-rack and top-of-rack switch span without the signal degradation that passive copper encounters at HDR speeds — optical transmission holds signal integrity across the full 200G link where active copper would require equalization headroom you may not have. This cable pairs directly with HDR-capable ConnectX-6 adapters and HDR switches to build high-bandwidth, low-latency fabrics for AI/ML, HPC, and storage workloads that saturate 100G infrastructure.

Compatibility

Designed for use with Lenovo ThinkSystem platforms equipped with ConnectX-6 QSFP56 ports, including the ThinkSystem Mellanox ConnectX-6 HDR/200GbE QSFP56 1-port PCIe 4 VPI Adapter (part 4C57A15326 / feature code B4RC) and the SharedIO DWC variant (feature code B4RG / 4XC7A86672 BKSK). Compatible with the ThinkSystem SR650 V2 and ThinkSystem SD665 V3 / SD650 V3 node families that deploy SharedIO cabling architectures. Works within the broader Lenovo ThinkSystem networking ecosystem alongside HDR InfiniBand switches and QSFP56-ported fabric infrastructure. For shorter intra-chassis runs or longer datacenter spans, Lenovo's optical cable lineup includes EDR QSFP28 options at 5m, 10m, 15m, 20m, 30m, and 50m; for 100G deployments, the 4X97A-series QSFP28 active optical cables cover 1m through 20m. Match cable generation (HDR QSFP56 vs. EDR QSFP28) to your adapter and switch port type — HDR and EDR are not interchangeable connector families.

Installation Notes

QSFP56 connectors are keyed and latch positively — seat fully until the latch clicks before powering the link. Optical cables require clean, dust-free ferrules; use port dust caps when disconnected. Avoid sharp bends below the cable's minimum bend radius, particularly at patch panel entry points. In DWC (Direct Water Cooled) ThinkSystem nodes using SharedIO configurations, route cables per Lenovo's cable management guidelines to avoid obstructing liquid cooling manifold access.