NVIDIA Quantum Switch-IB 2 SB7890
The NVIDIA Mellanox Switch-IB 2 SB7890 is an externally managed 1U 100 Gb/s EDR InfiniBand switch delivering 36 QSFP28 ports with NVIDIA SHARP in-network acceleration. Offering 7.2 Tbps of throughput and 90 nanoseconds latency, the SB7890 is optimized for large-scale supercomputing fabrics where centralized management tools like NVIDIA Unified Fabric Manager (UFM) control the fabric. Traded widely on secondary markets, the SB7890 is a reliable, high-performance EDR building block.
Specifications
| Brand | NVIDIA |
|---|---|
| Family | Quantum |
| Form factor | 1U fixed switch |
| Released | Mar 2016 |
| Ports | 36x 100 Gb/s EDR InfiniBand QSFP28 ports |
| Switching capacity | 7.2 Tbps non-blocking switching throughput |
| Latency | 90 nanoseconds port-to-port cut-through latency |
| Sharding | NVIDIA SHARP hardware collective acceleration |
| Management | Externally managed via centralized UFM or host Subnet Manager |
Generations
- Previous generation: NVIDIA Quantum Switch-IB SB7790
- Next generation: NVIDIA Quantum QM8790
Works together
How the NVIDIA Quantum Switch-IB 2 SB7890 connects to servers, storage and the network: 1 way, with the parts and products on each path.
GPU cluster fabric
InfiniBand adapters and switches must match the generation: HDR is 200Gb, NDR is 400Gb. VPI adapters such as ConnectX-6 and ConnectX-7 can run either InfiniBand or Ethernet.
Servers
HPE ProLiant DL580 Gen10 4U rack
HPE ProLiant ML350 Gen10 4U tower
HPE Apollo 6500 Gen10 4U rack
HPE ProLiant XL675d Gen10 Plus 6U chassis (HPE Apollo d6500 Gen10 Plus), one XL675d per chassis
HPE Apollo 6500 Gen10 Plus 4U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem SR860 V2 4U rack
GPUs
NVIDIA Data Center GPU T4 PCIe low-profile half-height half-length
NVIDIA Data Center GPU Tesla V100 SXM2 32GB SXM2 module
NVIDIA Data Center GPU A100 SXM4 80GB SXM4 module
NVIDIA Data Center GPU A40 PCIe 4.0 dual-slot full-height full-length
Adapters for the server
MCX556A-ECAT NVIDIA ConnectX-5 VPI Dual-Port 100Gb/s EDR InfiniBand and 100GbE QSFP28 PCIe 3.0 x16 Adapter
MCX75310AAS-NEAT NVIDIA ConnectX-7 Single-Port 400Gb/s NDR InfiniBand and 400GbE OSFP PCIe 5.0 x16 Adapter
MCX755106AS-HEAT NVIDIA ConnectX-7 Dual-Port 200Gb/s NDR200 InfiniBand and 200GbE QSFP112 PCIe 5.0 x16 Adapter
540-BCVE Dell NVIDIA Mellanox ConnectX-6 VPI Single Port 200Gb/s HDR InfiniBand / 200GbE PCIe Adapter
Plan and size it
- Draw this setup in the topology planner mrplanb.com
- Tokens per kWh calculator for GPU racks rack-density.com
- Add up rack power and space rack-density.com
- Power, cooling and racks for dense GPU servers mrplanb.com
- Network monitoring tools compared mrplanb.com
Check compatibility with NVIDIA
Before you buy, confirm the exact configuration against the vendor's own lists: firmware levels, operating systems, adapters and optics that NVIDIA has tested with the NVIDIA Quantum Switch-IB 2 SB7890.
- Compatibility NVIDIA Qualified System Catalog (certified GPU servers)
- Specifications NVIDIA Networking documentation (adapters, switches, cables)
- Support NVIDIA Enterprise Support
FAQ
Why choose an unmanaged SB7890 over an SB7800?
The SB7890 consumes less power and cost, ideal for large multi-switch fabrics managed centrally by NVIDIA UFM.
Can the SB7890 support backward compatibility with FDR?
Yes, all 36 ports auto-negotiate down to FDR speeds.
Buying or selling Switch-IB 2 SB7890?
New, refurbished or used. Tell us the quantity and condition and we connect you with a vetted reseller in your region, usually within one working day.
Sources
- NVIDIA Switch-IB 2 SB7890 Product Overview, checked 2026-10-27
- NVIDIA Switch-IB 2 SB7890 Datasheet, checked 2026-10-27