NVIDIA QM87-Series InfiniBand HDR Switches Comparison

In today's rapidly evolving world of technology, the demand for high-performance computing has become more critical than ever before. To meet this demand, the performance and functionality of network switches have become crucial. In this regard, the NVIDIA QM87-series HDR switches have emerged as the preferred solution in many industries. This article will provide a detailed comparison of the NVIDIA/Mellanox QM87-series InfiniBand HDR switches, with a focus on the system specifications and management approaches of the QM8700 and QM8790 switches.

HDR switches are high-performance networking devices used for high-speed data transmission and low-latency connections. The NVIDIA QM87-series HDR switches, in compact 1U rack size, offer non-blocking bandwidth of up to 16Tb/s and port-to-port latency of less than 130 nanoseconds. This means they can transfer data at extremely high speeds while maintaining very low latency, meeting the requirements of modern high-performance computing.

The following will mainly compare the M8700 and QM8790 series HDR switches in terms of system specifications and management differences.

Here are the specification details for the four QM87-series HDR switch models:

Note: In the table, P in P2C and C2P means power, C means cable (line interface), P2C (Power to Cable), C2P (Cable to Power). The reference system here is that the cable line interface side is the front, and the power side is the back.

Each QM8700 and QM8790 switch has two models, in which HS2F and H2SR differ in the airflow direction. QM8700 and QM8790 have similar hardware configurations in terms of mechanical and environmental specifications, as well as switching performance. The port configurations of the QM8700 and QM8790 are both 40 200Gb/s HDR QSFP56, which can be split into up to 80 HDR 100G for interconnecting 100G HDR network cards. Besides, they also support direct connection with 40x 100G EDR via port speed reduction. Both the QM8700 and QM8790 switches can link to HDR and EDR network interface cards (NICs).

Apart from system specifications, QM8700 and QM8790 differ in terms of management approaches. Let's compare them.

QM8700 is a fully managed Mellanox HDR switch (internally managed), with x86 dual-core processing power and the option to set up and control the switch via a web interface, command-line interface (CLI), or API. This switch offers IT managers entire control over the network, allowing them to monitor and regulate the flow of data and traffic, ensuring optimal efficiency and network availability.

QM8790 is an unmanaged Mellanox HDR switch (externally unmanaged), hence it lacks the same level of control and configuration choices as QM8700. However, it continues to provide the high-speed connectivity and low-latency performance required by modern data centers. It makes use of the powerful NVIDIA Unified Fabric Manager (UFM) platform to help data center operators quickly provision, monitor, manage, troubleshoot, and maintain data center networks.

The Mellanox QM8700 and QM8790 HDR switches have standard depth and a rail kit for easy installation and integration into existing data center infrastructures.

The demand for high-performance computing continues to grow, and selecting the right network switch is crucial for successfully achieving high-performance computing. The NVIDIA QM87-series InfiniBand HDR switches have emerged as industry leaders, offering excellent performance, low latency, and rich management features. By comparing the technical details of QM8700 and QM8790, you can make informed choices based on your specific requirements.