QNAP Introduces New Dual-port 10GbE SFP+ Network Cards Supporting SR-IOV and RDMA

[TheLostSwede]

QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading computing, networking and storage solution innovator, today launched the new QXG-10G2SF-NXE 10GbE SFP+ network expansion card. Equipped with the advanced Broadcom 57412 Ethernet Controller, this PCIe Gen 3 card can be installed into a QNAP NAS (including the TS-x64 and TS-x64U series) or Windows /Linux PC and servers, instantly augmenting connectivity with two high-speed 10GbE ports.

The QXG-10G2SF-NXE comes with two 10GbE SFP+ (10G/1G) network ports. Users can utilize SMB Multichannel or Port Trunking to combine bandwidth, providing up to 20 Gbps of data transfer potential, thereby accelerating large file sharing and intensive data transmission. The QXG-10G2SF-NXE supports RDMA to enhance data transfer efficiency and reduce latency, while also supporting SR-IOV that enhances network resource allocation for VMware virtualization applications, reducing network bandwidth consumption and significantly lowering CPU usage for virtual machine servers (hypervisors).




QNAP offers a comprehensive range of 10GbE solutions, with the QXG-10G2SF-NXE network expansion card compatible with various QNAP 10GbE NAS and switches. This cost-effective solution creates a smooth, secure, and scalable high-speed network environment, catering to the needs of teams requiring simultaneous data access, photographers/videographers in need of fast file transfers, and virtualization applications that require low latency.

Before using the QXG-10G2SF-NXE in a computer/server, users must install Windows/Linux drivers from the official Broadcom website.

[Editor's note: The QXG-10G2SF-NXE retails for US$249.]

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[ymdhis]

Still PCIE 3.0? They should upgrade it to use 4.0, then it wouldn't need a x8 slot either.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Still PCIE 3.0? They should upgrade it to use 4.0, then it wouldn't need a x8 slot either.

By they, I presume you mean Broadcom?

 

[L'Eliminateur]

Still PCIE 3.0? They should upgrade it to use 4.0, then it wouldn't need a x8 slot either.

was going to comment this, this is a quite obsolete NIC controller(it's from 2017), making it a x8 makes it a no-go for any desktop computer, it's nuts they're releasing it as a "new" device(even if it's still used on servers since x8 is a non-issue for OCP/mezzanine, and even then with the advent of a ton of nvme storage you need all the free pcie lanes you can get)....

Funny thing is that the 57412 is a 25gbe controller on bropadcom site but all vendors and datasheets only show dual 10gbe nics....

 

[TheLostSwede]

was going to comment this, this is a quite obsolete NIC controller(it's from 2017), making it a x8 makes it a no-go for any desktop computer, it's nuts they're releasing it as a "new" device(even if it's still used on servers since x8 is a non-issue for OCP/mezzanine, and even then with the advent of a ton of nvme storage you need all the free pcie lanes you can get)....

Funny thing is that the 57412 is a 25gbe controller on bropadcom site but all vendors and datasheets only show dual 10gbe nics....

Considering it's meant for use in QNAP's own NAS products, it's not really an issues, since they'd have a suitable slot.
However, considering how old that chip is. it's most likely not the most power efficient solution and it's likely putting out a fair bit of heat, compared to something more modern.

 

[DudeBeFishing]

PCIe 3.0 x4 should be enough. The x8 slot is most likely for compatibility with older PCIe 2.0 systems. There's tons of those in datacenters still.

If the system is old enough to be PCIe 2.0, your budget is probably limited. The mellanox connectx-2 or connectx-3 can be had for under $50 each, and they don't require a fan. I've been running the x-2 in a desktop chassis without heat issues.

 

[Operandi]

Considering it's meant for use in QNAP's own NAS products, it's not really an issues, since they'd have a suitable slot.
However, considering how old that chip is. it's most likely not the most power efficient solution and it's likely putting out a fair bit of heat, compared to something more modern.

Considering it has active cooling I'd have to agree, modern systems that have dual 25Gb SFP cards get by just fine with passive cooling.

 

[L'Eliminateur]

Considering it's meant for use in QNAP's own NAS products, it's not really an issues, since they'd have a suitable slot.
However, considering how old that chip is. it's most likely not the most power efficient solution and it's likely putting out a fair bit of heat, compared to something more modern.

the press release says "can be installed into a QNAP NAS (including the TS-x64 and TS-x64U series) or Windows /Linux PC and servers"

Doing a quick search it seems there's no 10gbe controller for x4 pcie 4.0, those controllers all jump to 25/50gbe.

because

PCIe 3.0 x4 should be enough. The x8 slot is most likely for compatibility with older PCIe 2.0 systems. There's tons of those in datacenters still.

If the system is old enough to be PCIe 2.0, your budget is probably limited. The mellanox connectx-2 or connectx-3 can be had for under $50 each, and they don't require a fan. I've been running the x-2 in a desktop chassis without heat issues.

each 10gbe connection is 1.25GBps each direction, so, 2.5GBps per port, two ports, that's 5GBps(2.5GB up and 2.5GB down). PCIE 3.0 x8 is 7.8~ GB/s in each direction, 3.0 x4 is enough to saturate both as it is ~3.9GBps, same as 2.0 x8.

 

[TheLostSwede]

the press release says "can be installed into a QNAP NAS (including the TS-x64 and TS-x64U series) or Windows /Linux PC and servers"

Sure, but why pay the QNAP premium for something you can most likely get cheaper elsewhere if you don't need the bracket for their NAS?

 

[DaemonForce]

WOW. That only took....FOREVER. Excuse me while I sit here and clap/flap like a brain damaged seal.

Still PCIE 3.0? They should upgrade it to use 4.0, then it wouldn't need a x8 slot either.

The overwhelming majority of 10GbE SFP cards used today are OLD: Of the PCI-E g2X8 variety.
Warranted seeing how most old boards are g2 so even the more commonly available g3x8 get a pass.
I could see a case being made for g2x4 on single port cards because at that point, what are you doing?
However, I get it. I have never had a g3 board and don't know anyone that does. It's g2, gap, g4.

Glad I went X570 for g4. Glad my older g2 boards can all interface these X8 cards in X4 slots without slowdown.
At some point we should see some kind of lane shrink and a fleet of g4x4 or g4x2 cards emerge in the market.
We already see g5 boards. G4 cards would be infinitely cheaper to make and WE KINDA REALLY NEED THEM YESTERDAY.

It would also fix this overpriced NAS expansion problem. For $250 we're supposed to be okay with a 2x10GbE expansion?
At $100 I managed to bring my entire network into the 10GbE camp with discounted HP+SolarFlare cards and 1 meter DAC.

 

[DudeBeFishing]

the press release says "can be installed into a QNAP NAS (including the TS-x64 and TS-x64U series) or Windows /Linux PC and servers"

Doing a quick search it seems there's no 10gbe controller for x4 pcie 4.0, those controllers all jump to 25/50gbe.

because

each 10gbe connection is 1.25GBps each direction, so, 2.5GBps per port, two ports, that's 5GBps(2.5GB up and 2.5GB down). PCIE 3.0 x8 is 7.8~ GB/s in each direction, 3.0 x4 is enough to saturate both as it is ~3.9GBps, same as 2.0 x8.

Maybe I'm misreading what you said, but why would you need 5GBps? It's 2.5GBps per direction correct?

 

[L'Eliminateur]

Maybe I'm misreading what you said, but why would you need 5GBps? It's 2.5GBps per direction correct?

Yes, the 5GBps is cumulative

 

[Tigerfox]

Doing a quick search it seems there's no 10gbe controller for x4 pcie 4.0, those controllers all jump to 25/50gbe.

Well, there is one, but that has only been presented a few months ago and probably isn't availabe yet and it's just RJ45:

Intel® Ethernet-Netzwerkadapter E610-XT2 – Produktspezifikationen | Intel

Intel® Ethernet-Netzwerkadapter E610-XT2 Kurzübersicht über Spezifikationen, Funktionen und Technik.

www.intel.de

But, as many already said, Gen4x1 or Gen3x2 is more than enough for single port 10GbE, thus Gen4x2 or Gen3x4 like on Intel X550 is more than enough for 2x10GbE. The only reason to go 10GbE instead of 2x25GbE with Intel E810/830 or Mellanox ConnectX-6 if you have Gen4x4 is prices of switches, though.

 

[DaemonForce]

Switch/Router price is a huge assumption for the people dipping into this technology.
The entire point of these wired ethernet connections is a bandwidth guarantee.
Soooo 1GbE is the ubiquitous connectivity floor and 10GbE SFP is insurance.
I'm willing to bet the people invested in it are doing direct connection like I do.

 

[eldon_magi]

Considering it has active cooling I'd have to agree, modern systems that have dual 25Gb SFP cards get by just fine with passive cooling.

LOL, first thing i did was look at the rendering, and sure enough, it looks like they are still using the same evergreen 0.1A fan with asymmetrical mounting legs, screwholes spaced at 30mm x 30mm x 23mm

This particular fan is the same as they use in many of their addon nic's, also on their dualport 10gb ethernet card based on the intel X710. It's a nice card, supports sr-iov, and i have 2 of them, sr-iov partitioned for use with VM's.

But the issue:

That fan is so damn loud, that it ruins any product you put it in. Put it in one of their NAS boxes, the box basically becomes unusable, as the 24/7 fan noise will penetrate all walls in your home, unless you have a dedicated server room in your basement or something.

There are thousands of so called 'GPU cooling fans' available from china for about 50 cents a piece, and 95% of them use symmetrical mounting legs, screwholes spaced at 26mm x 26mm x 26mm. Fan diameter 36mm, which will fit between the fins of that aluminium heatsink in the pictures. I spent about a day searching all of the internet for a replacement fan using 30x30x23 mm mounting, and there seems to be exactly ONE such fan ever produced, this one. The Everflow Model T124010BL(2).

In another unnamed forum on the internet, I document my journey replacing this POS fan, how stupid QNAP engineers are for letting this sub 1 dollar part ruin their otherwise perfectly good products, and how a fan model 4010HS, 0.05A, available by the millions on AE, can replace this fan.

You can use one screwhole in the aluminium heatsink to attach one leg, and then use some superglue for the other two legs that don't line up with the other screwholes in the heatsink, reverse the plus and minus wires on the small JST 2mm connector and voila!, You now have a almost completely silent actively cooled dual 10gbit card you can mount into tiny spaces without external airflow.

I just had to get this out there, as i can't fathom that they STILL use that same fan that once again, will make any product you install it in more or less unusable because of the CONSTANT INCREDIBLY LOUD AND ANNOYING NOISE.