Get ConnectX3 or X520 SR1 for PCIe gen2 x1 slot?

cdoublejj · March 24, 2019, 1:23am

you may have seen my first post:

10gbps SFP+ card in PCIe (gen 2) 1x slot? Enterprise Gear

My server is an ITX board and case and i can’t afford an Avaton board with built in SFP+ ATM, was looking at adding a network card to the PCIe (gen 2) 1x slot via a short ribbon cable and seeing what happens. mostly i’m aiming at getting over than 1gbps as that may saturate with 8-16 IP cameras at anywhere from 1080p to 2k, plus normal file server duties and other stuff. i know bonding is an option but, it’s os configuration and software dependent. i must not being googling the magic words to get the throughput rating a for a gen2 1x slot. i know i need at least 4x for 10gbps but, even if i could get part of that, assuming the card or chipset wouldn’t choke and shit the bed. i think even a 2gbps would be a gain but, more would be better. bonding separates traffic so i wonder if i could also use the onboard NIC for certain programs if i had too. ie music sharing or file server duty. EDIT: also the having trouble finding a really short ribbon cable. i have a tight fit and only need it to be a few cm long. EDIT: gon pcie 2.0 1x is supposedly specced to 500 MB/s which would be 4gbps, in theory

i don’t have much choice till i can upgrade the mobo. i can get either a connext 3 for $30 or an X520 for $66.

i remember reading some where that intel NIC don’t mind the lower pcie lane/speed/slot but, the connectx’s definitely do? i can’t for the life of me remember what thread in what forum where i read this.

i have a connectx 2 that has been working but, i upgraded from server 2008 r2 to server 2019 and the connectx 2 has no drivers from mellanox which you NEED built in win drivers are too slow. unless i try win server 2012 drivers. i’ve made xp GPU drivers work in 10 before.

while i’m fiddling around to make the ConnectX 2 work with whatever older os drivers i can get from Mellanox i though about just upgrading? Mellanox hasa crazy driver and firmware scheme Intel has always been simple and reliable and usually NOT eol.