Lenovo 4XC7A96744 Thinksystem Qlogic QLE2872 64GB 2-PORT PCIE Fibre Channel AD

Lenovo 4XC7A96744 QLogic QLE2872 64Gb 2-Port PCIe 4.0 Fibre Channel Adapter

Overview

The Lenovo 4XC7A96744 is a dual-port 64Gb Fibre Channel host bus adapter built on the QLogic QLE2872 chipset and designed specifically for Lenovo ThinkSystem servers. At 64 Gbps per port over PCIe 4.0, it delivers the fabric bandwidth that storage-intensive workloads — all-flash array access, high-throughput backup fabric, and SAN-attached database tiers — actually demand. If your SAN infrastructure is already running 32Gb or 64Gb FC fabric and you are adding or refreshing ThinkSystem compute nodes, this is the adapter that keeps you on-spec without a compatibility guessing game.

Key Features

• 64 Gbps per port, 2 ports: The QLE2872 runs at 64,000 Mbit/s per port — double the throughput ceiling of a 32Gb adapter. In practice, that headroom matters most on NVMe-over-FC workloads and all-flash arrays where back-end storage can actually saturate a 32Gb link. Two ports let you wire active-active fabric paths to separate SAN switches without needing a second card, keeping slot count down on dense compute nodes.
• PCIe 4.0 host interface: PCIe 4.0 doubles the host-side bus bandwidth compared to PCIe 3.0 at the same lane count. For a dual-port 64Gb FC card, PCIe 4.0 x8 provides enough headroom that the host interconnect is not the bottleneck — relevant when both ports are running at line rate simultaneously during large sequential transfers or parallel I/O streams.
• ThinkSystem server integration: The 4XC7A96744 is a Lenovo-qualified option for the ThinkSystem server line, which means it ships with tested firmware, appears in the ServerProven compatibility matrix, and is supported through Lenovo's service infrastructure — eliminating the firmware-and-driver compatibility work that comes with third-party HBAs in branded server environments.
• Operating temperature 0–55°C: Covers standard data center rack environments without needing special airflow provisioning. The 0°C floor means it handles cold-aisle inlet temperatures in high-density deployments without thermal trip concerns.
• Storage temperature –20–70°C: Wide range supports long-term warehousing and shipping without conditioning requirements — relevant for pre-staged spares inventory held in non-climate-controlled storage.
• Operating humidity 10–90% (non-condensing): Covers typical data center humidity ranges, including facilities without tight humidity control. Pair with your site's humidity logs if you are operating near either boundary.
• Low-profile form factor (internal PCIe card): Installs directly into a ThinkSystem server PCIe slot with no external cabling beyond the FC SFP connections to your fabric switches — no shelf, no external power brick, no rack-unit overhead beyond the server itself.

Integration and Compatibility

The 4XC7A96744 is designed for deployment in Lenovo ThinkSystem servers. Fibre Channel connectivity at 64Gb is backward-compatible with 32Gb and 16Gb FC fabric infrastructure, meaning you can insert this adapter into an existing FC SAN without requiring a full fabric upgrade — the link will negotiate to the highest mutually supported speed. Connect each port to a separate FC switch for redundant fabric paths; most enterprise SAN configurations require this for path failover via MPIO. The adapter uses standard FC SFPs (not included in the base configuration — verify SFP compatibility with your specific switch vendor before ordering). For Lenovo Lenovo server adapters and the broader ThinkSystem ecosystem, cross-reference the ServerProven list for your specific ThinkSystem model to confirm slot and firmware requirements. If you are building out or expanding a SAN fabric, pair this with a compatible 64Gb FC switch and matching SFP transceivers. For storage planning across a multi-server deployment, review your storage architecture to ensure SAN zoning and LUN allocation align with the additional host ports this card introduces. Organizations standardizing on Lenovo ThinkSystem infrastructure will find the factory-new, channel-direct sourcing of this adapter important for support contract continuity — grey-market HBAs in branded server environments frequently cause support escalation complications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What servers is the Lenovo 4XC7A96744 compatible with?

A: The 4XC7A96744 is designed for Lenovo ThinkSystem servers. Verify your specific ThinkSystem model against the Lenovo ServerProven compatibility matrix before ordering, as slot availability and firmware requirements vary by server generation.

Q: What Fibre Channel speeds does the QLE2872 adapter support?

A: The adapter is rated at 64 Gbps per port (64,000 Mbit/s maximum data transfer rate). Fibre Channel is backward-compatible, so it will negotiate down to 32Gb or 16Gb when connected to older fabric switches.

Q: Does the 4XC7A96744 include SFP transceivers?

A: The evidence available does not confirm SFP transceiver inclusion. Verify with your reseller and confirm SFP compatibility with your FC switch vendor before finalizing your order.

Q: What PCIe version does the 4XC7A96744 use?

A: The adapter uses PCIe 4.0, providing sufficient host-side bandwidth to support dual 64Gb FC ports running at or near line rate simultaneously.

Q: What are the operating temperature limits for the 4XC7A96744?

A: The adapter is rated for 0–55°C operating temperature and 10–90% relative humidity (non-condensing), which covers standard data center environmental envelopes.

Q: Is the 4XC7A96744 an internal or external card?

A: It is an internal PCIe adapter that installs directly into a server PCIe slot. There is no external chassis or power supply required beyond the server itself.

James Everett

The 4XC7A96744 is the right call when you are deploying ThinkSystem nodes into a 64Gb FC fabric and need a Lenovo-qualified adapter rather than a generic HBA that will complicate your support stack. The QLE2872 chipset running at 64,000 Mbit/s per port over PCIe 4.0 means the host interface is not a ceiling — both ports can run near line rate without the PCIe bus becoming the constraint, which is where PCIe 3.0 cards fall short in high-throughput all-flash environments.

Technical Highlights:

• 64 Gbps per port: At 64,000 Mbit/s maximum transfer rate, each port doubles the throughput of 32Gb FC — meaningful for NVMe-over-FC and all-flash array workloads that can actually saturate a 32Gb link under parallel I/O.
• PCIe 4.0 interface: The PCIe 4.0 host connection provides the bus bandwidth to keep pace with dual 64Gb FC ports at simultaneous line rate — a combination that will saturate a PCIe 3.0 x8 slot in demanding storage workloads.
• Dual-port design: Two independent FC ports on one card supports active-active fabric pathing to separate SAN switches, enabling MPIO redundancy without consuming a second PCIe slot — a real consideration in dense ThinkSystem configurations where slots are scarce.

Deployment Considerations:

• SFP transceiver inclusion is not confirmed in available evidence — budget for and verify 64Gb FC SFP compatibility with your specific switch vendor (Brocade, Cisco MDS, etc.) before deployment day.
• Operating temperature ceiling is 55°C — standard for data center rack environments, but confirm your hot-aisle containment and server exhaust temperatures stay within this limit in high-density chassis configurations where adjacent GPU or NVMe cards generate significant heat.

This adapter is best positioned for ThinkSystem server refreshes joining an existing 64Gb or 32Gb FC SAN fabric, where Lenovo qualification and ServerProven compatibility are prerequisites for maintaining support contract coverage — not a fit for whitebox or multi-vendor server environments where the qualification overhead does not apply.