540-BDRV: Dell NVIDIA Mellanox ConnectX-7 Dual Port 400Gb/s NDR InfiniBand / 400GbE PCIe Gen5 Adapter
Also listed as: 05T98P, 5T98P, MCX75310AAS-NEAT, ConnectX-7 400G · made by NVIDIA
The Dell 540-BDRV is a Dell NVIDIA Mellanox ConnectX-7 Dual Port 400Gb/s NDR InfiniBand / 400GbE PCIe Gen5 Adapter delivering 400Gb/s NDR / 400GbE network connectivity across 2x 400Gb/s OSFP / QSFP112 via PCIe 5.0 x16. Built with NVIDIA controller architecture, the 540-BDRV provides hardware offload acceleration and virtualization support for R760, R760XA, XE9680, XE9640 enterprise servers.
Specifications
| Part number | 540-BDRV |
|---|---|
| Brand | Dell |
| Made by | NVIDIA |
| Type | Network adapters |
| Other numbers | 05T98P, 5T98P, MCX75310AAS-NEAT, ConnectX-7 400G |
| Status | current |
| Interface | PCIe 5.0 x16 |
| Form factor | FHHL PCIe Adapter |
| Ports | 2x 400Gb/s OSFP / QSFP112 |
| Speed | 400Gb/s NDR / 400GbE |
| Tdp (W) | 32 |
About the 540-BDRV
The Dell 540-BDRV is a Dell NVIDIA Mellanox ConnectX-7 Dual Port 400Gb/s NDR InfiniBand / 400GbE PCIe Gen5 Adapter engineered to deliver 400Gb/s NDR / 400GbE network transmission across 2x 400Gb/s OSFP / QSFP112 over PCIe 5.0 x16. Powered by NVIDIA controller architecture on the 540-BDRV, it executes hardware-level protocol processing, RoCE, and SR-IOV virtualization while maintaining a thermal envelope of approximately 32W. In Dell's networking portfolio, 540-BDRV provides dedicated high-bandwidth fabric connectivity for clustered virtualization, network storage, and enterprise database hosts.
Compatibility
Engineered for Dell PowerEdge servers including R760, R760XA, XE9680, XE9640, the 540-BDRV mounts directly into FHHL PCIe Adapter locations. The 540-BDRV installs into a standard PCIe 5.0 x16 expansion riser slot with matching bracket profile. Cabling the 540-BDRV requires 400Gb/s NDR / 400GbE-rated media, including direct attach copper twinaxial assemblies, optical transceivers, or patch leads matched to its physical ports. Supported operating systems on the 540-BDRV include VMware ESXi, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and Windows Server with native Dell drivers.
How to identify a genuine unit
Authentic Dell 540-BDRV units carry an identification label displaying DP/N 05T98P and NVIDIA model code MCX75310AAS-NEAT along with Dell regulatory marks. In iDRAC Network Devices inventory, the card registers under part number 540-BDRV with active link state, port MAC addresses, negotiated speed, and certified Dell firmware. Onboard physical indicators on the 540-BDRV provide link status and port activity monitoring.
Buying used
When purchasing a pre-owned 540-BDRV, examine the gold edge connector fingers for scratches, peeling contacts, or missing surface-mount capacitors. Ensure that the 540-BDRV PCIe mounting bracket (low-profile or full-height) is intact and properly aligned for chassis installation. Validate in iDRAC Lifecycle Controller that the 540-BDRV is recognized with certified Dell firmware and passes diagnostics under sustained 400Gb/s NDR / 400GbE network traffic.
Fits these models
Works together
How the Dell 540-BDRV connects to servers, storage and the network: 2 ways, with the hardware 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.
GPUs
AMD Instinct MI210 PCIe 4.0 dual-slot full-height full-length
AMD Instinct MI300X OAM (OCP Accelerator Module)
NVIDIA Data Center GPU H100 PCIe 80GB PCIe 5.0 dual-slot full-height full-length
NVIDIA Data Center GPU H100 SXM5 80GB SXM5 module
Switches
arista 7060X 7060DX4-32 1U fixed switch
arista 7060X6-32D 1U fixed switch
arista 7280R 7280CR3-32D4 2U fixed switch
arista 7280R 7280CR3-32P4 2U fixed switch
iSCSI and NVMe/TCP over Ethernet
Keep the speed the same at all three points: a 25GbE server, a 25GbE switch port and a 25GbE array port. Mixed speeds work but the slowest link sets the pace.
Switches
- arista 7060X 7060DX4-32 1U fixed switch
arista 7260X 7260CX3-64 2U fixed switch- arista 7280R 7280CR3-32D4 2U fixed switch
- arista 7280R 7280CR3-32P4 2U fixed switch
Optics
MMA4Z00-NS NVIDIA NDR 400Gb/s OSFP Optical Transceiver
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
- Dell E-Lab Navigator (Dell interoperability) dell.com
Check compatibility with Dell
Before you buy, confirm the exact configuration against the vendor's own lists: firmware levels, operating systems, adapters and optics that Dell has tested with the Dell 540-BDRV.
- Compatibility Dell E-Lab Navigator (storage and SAN interoperability) (free vendor sign-in)
- Support Dell Support: drivers, manuals and service tag lookup
Equivalent part numbers
- NVIDIA
MCX75310AAS-NEAT NVIDIA ConnectX-7 Single-Port 400Gb/s NDR InfiniBand and 400GbE OSFP PCIe 5.0 x16 Adapter ConnectX-7 NDR 400Gb/s Dual-Port OSFP PCIe Gen5 OEM base
Buying or selling 540-BDRV?
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
- Dell NVIDIA ConnectX-7 Dual Port 400Gb/s Adapter Specifications, checked 2026-10-27