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Perfect Price/Ratio for 10GbE Networking
May 01, 2021

Perfect Price/Ratio for 10GbE Networking

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Modules Used

  • X540

Overall Satisfaction with Intel Ethernet Converged Network Adapter X540

We use Intel Ethernet Converged Network Adapter X540 as Storage NICs for entry-level hyper-converged ethernet solutions. The 10GbE NIC speed is suitable for 2-node clusters with virtual office workloads. In this scenario, the x540 delivers the best price/performance ratio on the market. Especially when using them directly connected without a switch, it helps customers to have low costs.
  • 10GbE on RJ45
  • Easy to maintain
  • Easy to install
  • Missing RDMA support
  • RJ45
  • Chip often used as onboad NIC
  • SR-IOV
  • No special switches required.
  • Can be served with copper cable.
The Intel X540 is used especially in entry-level solutions within 2-node-clusters (e.g. small enterprises or branch offices). In this scenario the price/performance is perfect. As soon as more nodes are used or high-performance requirements have to be met for the storage networks we recommend Mellanox Connect-X adapters for storage networking. Especially the feature set for offloading (RDMA) is much better there but they lead to a much higher cost.

Do you think Intel 500 Series Network Adapters delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Intel 500 Series Network Adapters's feature set?

Yes

Did Intel 500 Series Network Adapters live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Intel 500 Series Network Adapters go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Intel 500 Series Network Adapters again?

Yes

With the X540 Intel provides a low-cost 10GbE NIC for a wide range of operations. It especially delivers optimum performance when used within an office network as a connection between physical servers with high networking demands. As it's available as RJ45, it is perfectly suitable for small and midsized enterprises. Often, there is no fiber infrastructure available. Especially when it comes to high bandwidth demands within hyper-converged infrastructure, the missing RDMA support is a blocking point but for entry-level to office workloads this is not a problem at all.