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NVIDIA Spectrum-X networking for HPE

ProductConfigure to orderManufacturer documented

Ethernet engineered specifically for AI traffic. It reaches speeds close to InfiniBand while remaining Ethernet, so the networking team you already have can run it without learning a second technology.

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Representative system image

Where does this sit?

  1. 01Local
  2. 02Workstation
  3. 03Departmental
  4. 04Enterprise
  5. 05Cluster
  6. 06Rack-scale

AI Factory & Cluster. Several GPU servers joined by a dedicated fabric with shared storage, operating as one pool of capacity. Typically bought by an enterprise ai platform team or a research institution. Datacentre.

Fit

Is this the right thing for you?

Who it's for

  • Enterprises with an established Ethernet networking team
  • Organisations that want AI fabric performance without adopting InfiniBand
  • AI platform operators building large Ethernet fabrics

What it runs

  • AI cluster interconnect
  • Large-scale inference platforms
  • Datacentre AI fabrics

When it is the wrong answer

  • Single-server deployments
Where it goes
Datacentre rack
Complexity
specialist
Cooling
Air cooled
Specification

What the numbers mean

Every figure below is explained in plain English. Switch to the technical view for the bare specification.

Platforms

Spectrum-X SN5600

Fifth-generation Spectrum AI Ethernet switch

Spectrum-X SN5610

64-port 800GbE OSFP switch

MeansSixty-four ports each capable of 800 gigabits per second.

Spectrum SN2201

Management switching within the same portfolio

Quantum-2 QM9700

NVIDIA InfiniBand switch, also offered within the HPE networking portfolio

WhenWhen you have chosen InfiniBand rather than Ethernet.

Port speed range

10GbE up to 800GbE across the portfolio

Verification

Manufacturer documented — HPE NVIDIA Networking collateral a00038966enw and HPE Store SN5610 listing. Reviewed 2026-08-31.

Manufacturer source
Before you commit

Practical considerations

The things that catch people out after the hardware has already been ordered.

  • Ethernet or InfiniBand is a genuine decision, not a formality. The right answer depends on your team as much as your workload, and we will give you the honest comparison.
  • 800GbE optics are a material line in the budget. Include them in the costing from the start.
Completeness

Nothing arrives working on its own

What else will I need?

  • Matched NICs in each server
  • Optics or DAC cabling appropriate to the port speed
  • A fabric design — leaf and spine layout, oversubscription ratio
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Goes with

What normally sits alongside it

Relationships documented by the manufacturer, or by us during a deployment.