Lenovo 4C57A08979 MELLANOX CONNECTX-5 100GBE/EDR 1PX16PCIE

Lenovo 4C57A08979 Mellanox ConnectX-5 100GbE/EDR Single-Port PCIe x16 Network Adapter

Overview

The Lenovo 4C57A08979 is a Mellanox ConnectX-5 single-port 100GbE/EDR network adapter in a PCIe x16 form factor. ConnectX-5 is a well-established high-throughput adapter family used in data center environments where 100Gb Ethernet or EDR InfiniBand fabric connectivity is required — think HPC clusters, AI/ML compute nodes, high-density storage arrays, and latency-sensitive east-west traffic in spine-leaf architectures. The PCIe x16 slot requirement means this card draws full lane bandwidth from the host, appropriate for line-rate 100GbE operation without the PCIe bus becoming the bottleneck.

Manufactured in Mexico and distributed through major enterprise channels, the 4C57A08979 is factory-new and sourced through established distribution. At 2.00 lb, the card weight reflects the standard bracket and thermal solution typical of full-height PCIe adapters in this class.

Key Features

• 100GbE / EDR Dual Protocol: Supporting both 100 Gigabit Ethernet and EDR InfiniBand gives this adapter flexibility across mixed fabric environments — deploy it as a pure Ethernet NIC in converged data center switching fabrics, or as an EDR IB host channel adapter in HPC or storage clusters, without swapping hardware.
• PCIe x16 Host Interface: The x16 PCIe slot provides enough lane bandwidth to sustain 100Gb line-rate bidirectional traffic without a PCIe bottleneck — important when pairing with NVMe-oF storage targets or RDMA workloads where memory bandwidth and interconnect must stay matched.
• ConnectX-5 Silicon: The ConnectX-5 generation supports RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCEv2) and InfiniBand RDMA natively — directly relevant for AI training workloads and distributed storage (Ceph, GPFS, Lustre) where kernel-bypass, low-latency data paths reduce CPU overhead meaningfully.
• Single-Port Configuration: One physical port per card keeps slot consumption predictable in dense server configurations. In environments where each server needs one high-speed uplink to a top-of-rack switch, this avoids the cost of a dual-port card when the second port would go unused.
• Ethernet Interface: Standard Ethernet interface compatibility means integration into existing IP fabric management tooling — LLDP, DCBX, PFC, ECN — without requiring specialized IB subnet manager infrastructure if deployed in pure Ethernet mode.

Integration and Compatibility

The 4C57A08979 is a Lenovo-branded adapter designed for ThinkSystem and compatible server platforms. Before purchasing, verify PCIe x16 slot availability, host operating system driver support for ConnectX-5, and whether your switching fabric runs 100GbE (requiring a compatible 100GbE switch with QSFP28 ports) or EDR InfiniBand (requiring an EDR IB switch). Mixing EDR IB and 100GbE Ethernet requires the appropriate cable plant — QSFP28 DAC, AOC, or fiber with matching transceivers. Consult your Lenovo server and networking configuration guide or the relevant network adapter compatibility matrix for your specific ThinkSystem model before ordering.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What slot does the Lenovo 4C57A08979 require?

A: The 4C57A08979 uses a PCIe x16 slot. Confirm your server has an available x16 mechanical and electrical slot before ordering.

Q: Does this adapter support RDMA?

A: The Mellanox ConnectX-5 silicon used in the 4C57A08979 supports RoCEv2 (RDMA over Converged Ethernet) and InfiniBand RDMA. Specific driver and firmware configuration will depend on your OS and fabric type.

Q: Can the 4C57A08979 operate as a standard 100GbE Ethernet NIC?

A: Yes. The adapter supports 100 Gigabit Ethernet mode, making it compatible with standard 100GbE switching infrastructure using QSFP28 cabling.

Q: What servers is the 4C57A08979 compatible with?

A: This is a Lenovo-branded adapter intended for ThinkSystem servers. Verify the specific compatibility matrix for your server model, as PCIe slot availability and firmware support vary by platform.

Q: What does the 2.00 lb weight indicate about the card?

A: At 2.00 lb, the card is consistent with a full-height PCIe adapter including standard bracket hardware. No special rack considerations are required beyond normal PCIe card installation practices.

Eden Phillips

The Lenovo 4C57A08979 is one of those adapter purchases where the buying decision hinges almost entirely on slot availability and fabric type rather than the card itself — ConnectX-5 at 100GbE/EDR is a proven platform, and the x16 PCIe interface means you won't be bandwidth-constrained at the host side. Where I see this card earn its place is in ThinkSystem configurations running NVMe-oF storage fabrics or distributed AI training jobs where RDMA cuts CPU involvement in data movement substantially.

Technical Highlights:

• Dual Protocol Flexibility: 100GbE and EDR InfiniBand on the same card means you're not locked into a single fabric decision at purchase time — particularly useful if your data center is mid-transition between IB and Ethernet fabrics.
• PCIe x16 Bandwidth: Running at x16 keeps the PCIe bus from becoming a ceiling at 100Gb line rate — a detail that matters when pairing with high-IOPS NVMe arrays or GPU-direct storage paths.
• ConnectX-5 RDMA Support: RoCEv2 on this adapter offloads data movement from the CPU, which in dense compute environments translates to more CPU cycles available for actual workloads rather than network stack processing.

Deployment Considerations:

• Verify PCIe x16 slot electrical availability in your specific ThinkSystem model — not all x16 mechanical slots are wired at full x16 electrical bandwidth, which would cap throughput.
• EDR InfiniBand mode requires an EDR-capable IB switch and matching cable plant; if your fabric is pure Ethernet, confirm 100GbE mode driver configuration before deployment to avoid unnecessary troubleshooting at commissioning.

This card is a strong fit for ThinkSystem servers anchoring HPC storage nodes, AI training clusters, or any converged fabric environment where 100Gb throughput and RDMA capability are prerequisites rather than nice-to-haves.