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PCIe slots and PCIe adapters

This topic provides installation rules for PCIe adapters.

Slot configurations​

The following tables list the PCIe slot configurations for each server view.
Note
LP: lower profile; FH: full-height; HL: half-length; FL: full-length
PCIe slots
Figure 1. Rear view with ten PCIe slots

Riser assembly 1Riser assembly 2
Slot 1: x8 (CPU1), LPSlot 3: x8 (CPU1), FH/FLSlot 3: x16 (CPU1), FH/FL
Slot 2: x8 (CPU1), LPSlot 4: x16 (CPU1), FH/FLSlot 4: x16 (CPU1), FH/FL
 Slot 5: x16 (CPU1), FH/HLSlot 5: Empty
Riser assembly 4Riser assembly 3
Slot 9: x8 (CPU2), LPSlot 6: x8 (CPU2), FH/FLSlot 6: x16 (CPU2), FH/FL
Slot 10: x8 (CPU2), LPSlot 7: x16 (CPU2), FH/FLSlot 7: x16 (CPU2), FH/FL
 Slot 8: x16 (CPU2), FH/HLSlot 8: Empty
Figure 2. Rear view with six PCIe slots

Riser assembly 1Riser assembly 2
Slot 1: x8 (CPU1), LPSlot 3: x8 (CPU1), FH/FLSlot 3: x16 (CPU1), FH/FL
Slot 2: x8 (CPU1), LPSlot 4: x16 (CPU1), FH/FLSlot 4: x16 (CPU1), FH/FL
 Slot 5: x16 (CPU1), FH/HLSlot 5: Empty
Riser assembly 3  
Slot 8: x16 (CPU2), FH/HL  
Figure 3. Rear view with four PCIe slots

Riser assembly 1Riser assembly 2Riser assembly 3
Slot 1: x8 (CPU1), FH/HLSlot 5: x16 (CPU1), FH/HLSlot 8: x16 (CPU2), FH/HL
Slot 2: x16 (CPU1), FH/HL  
Figure 4. Rear view with two PCIe slots

Riser assembly 2Riser assembly 3 
Slot 5: x16 (CPU1), FH/HLSlot 8: x16 (CPU2), FH/HL 

Supported riser cards​

The following table lists the riser cards supported on each slot.

Figure 5. Rigid riser card for servers without Compute Complex Neptune Core Module

Note

This riser card is mounted on slot 5/8.

Figure 6. Rigid riser card for servers with Compute Complex Neptune Core Module

Note

This riser card is mounted on slot 5/8.

Figure 7. Cable riser card (Gen5 x8, 500/400 mm)

Note

This riser card is mounted on slot 1/2/9/10 in configurations without 8 x 2.5" rear drive cage.

Figure 8. Cable riser card (Gen5 x8, 350 mm)

Note

This riser card is mounted on slot 3/6 in configurations without 8 x 2.5" rear drive cage or slot 1 in configurations with 8 x 2.5" rear drive cage.

Figure 9. Cable riser card with power connector (Gen5 x16, 300 mm, slot 3/6)

Figure 10. Cable riser card (Gen5 x16, 300 mm)

Note

This riser card is mounted on slot 4/7 in configurations without 8 x 2.5" rear drive cage or slot 2 in configurations with 8 x 2.5" rear drive cage.

Figure 11. Cable riser card with power connector (Gen5 x16, 300 mm, slot 4/7)

 

Supported PCIe adapters and slot priorities​

The following table lists the recommended slot installation priority for common PCIe adapters.

PCIe adapterMaximum supportedSuggested slot priority
GPU adapter
FHFL DW GPU2

  • 1 CPU: 4

  • 2 CPUs: 4, 7

FHFL SW GPU: RTX 4000 Ada4

  • 1 CPU: 4, 3 (x16)

  • 2 CPUs: 4, 7, 3 (x16), 6 (x16)

HHHL SW GPU: L410

  • 1 CPU: 5, 4, 3, 1, 2

  • 2 CPUs: 5, 8, 4, 7, 3, 6 ,1, 2, 9, 10

Data processing unit (DPU)

ThinkSystem NVIDIA BlueField-3 VPI QSFP112 2P 200G PCIe Gen5 x16 B3220

2

  • 1 CPU: 4, 3 (x16), 5

  • 2 CPUs: 4, 7, 3 (x16), 6 (x16), 5, 8

Internal custom form factor (CFF) RAID/HBA/Expander

440-16i, 940-16i

1

Not installed in PCIe slots.

The CFF RAID/HBA/Expander adapter is supported only in the 2.5-inch drive bay chassis, which is installed between the front backplane and the system board assembly.

ThinkSystem 48 port 12Gb Internal Expander

Internal standard form factor (SFF) RAID/HBA adapter

5350-8i, 9350-8i, 545-8i, 940-8i

3
  • 1 CPU:

    • 1, 2, 3 (x8), 5, 4

    • 1, 2, 5, 4, 3 (x16)

  • 2 CPUs:

    • 1, 2, 3 (x8), 6 (x8), 9, 10, 5, 8, 4, 7

    • 1, 2, 9, 10, 5, 8, 4, 7, 3 (x16), 6 (x16)

4350-16i, 440-16i, 9350-16i, 940-16i

2
External RAID/HBA adapter

440-16e

10
  • 1 CPU:

    • 1, 2, 3 (x8), 5, 4

    • 1, 2, 5, 4, 3 (x16)

  • 2 CPUs:

    • 1, 2, 3 (x8), 6 (x8), 9, 10, 5, 8, 4, 7

    • 1, 2, 9, 10, 5, 8, 4, 7, 3 (x16), 6 (x16)

940-8e

4
FC HBA adapter
All supported FC HBA adapters10
  • 1 CPU:

    • 1, 2, 3 (x8), 5, 4

    • 1, 2, 5, 4, 3 (x16)

  • 2 CPUs:

    • 1, 2, 3 (x8), 6 (x8), 9, 10, 5, 8, 4, 7

    • 1, 2, 9, 10, 5, 8, 4, 7, 3 (x16), 6 (x16)

NIC adapter

ThinkSystem Nvidia ConnectX-7 10/25GbE SFP28 4-Port PCIe Ethernet Adapter(Generic)

4

  • 1 CPU: 5, 4, 3 (x16)

  • 2 CPUs: 5, 8, 4, 7, 3 (x16), 6 (x16)

ThinkSystem Broadcom 57412 10GBASE-T 4-port PCIe Ethernet Adapter

ThinkSystem Broadcom 57504 10/25GbE SFP28 4-port PCIe Ethernet Adapter

ThinkSystem Broadcom 57508 100GbE QSFP56 2-port PCIe 4 Ethernet Adapter V2

ThinkSystem Broadcom 57608 2x200/1x400GbE QSFP112 PCIe Ethernet Adapter

ThinkSystem Mellanox ConnectX-6 Dx 100GbE QSFP56 2-port PCIe Ethernet Adapter

4

  • 1 CPU: 5, 4, 3 (x16), 2 (x16)

  • 2 CPUs: 5, 8, 4, 7, 3 (x16), 6 (x16), 2 (x16)

ThinkSystem Broadcom 5719 1GbE RJ45 4-Port PCIe Ethernet Adapter

ThinkSystem Broadcom 57414 10/25GbE SFP28 2-port PCIe Ethernet Adapter V2

ThinkSystem Broadcom 57416 10GBASE-T 2-port PCIe Ethernet Adapter

ThinkSystem Mellanox ConnectX-6 Lx 10/25GbE SFP28 2-port PCIe Ethernet Adapter

10
  • 1 CPU:

    • 1, 2, 3 (x8), 5, 4

    • 1, 2, 5, 4, 3 (x16)

  • 2 CPUs:

    • 1, 2, 3 (x8), 6 (x8), 9, 10, 5, 8, 4, 7

    • 1, 2, 9, 10, 5, 8, 4, 7, 3 (x16), 6 (x16)

InfiniBand (IB) adapter

ThinkSystem NVIDlA ConnectX-7 NDR400 OSFP 1-port PCle Gen5 VPI Adapter

ThinkSystem NVIDIA ConnectX-7 NDR200/200GbE QSFP112 2-port PCIe Gen5 x16 InfiniBand Adapter

4

  • 1 CPU: 5, 4, 3 (x16), 2 (x16)

  • 2 CPUs: 5, 8, 4, 7, 3 (x16), 6 (x16), 2 (x16)

ThinkSystem NVIDIA ConnectX-8 8180 800Gbs XDR IB / 2x400GbE OSFP 1-port PCIe Gen6 x16 (Generic FW)

ThinkSystem NVIDIA ConnectX-8 8240 400GbE / 400Gb/s IB QSFP112 2-port PCIe Gen6 x16 (Generic FW)

Note
For the cable routing of ConnectX-8, see Internal cable routing.
2

  • 1 CPU: 5

  • 2 CPUs: 5, 7