The Application of InfiniBand in HPC: The Advantages of Mellanox MQM9700
September 24, 2025
Leading the next era of HPC and AI infrastructure, NVIDIA's Mellanox QM9700 Quantum-2 InfiniBand switch delivers unprecedented 400 Gb/s port speed, enhanced in-network computing, and superior scalability for the world's most demanding data centers.
At the heart of modern HPC networking, InfiniBand has consistently set the standard for low latency and high throughput. The Mellanox QM9700, based on the Quantum-2 platform, represents a quantum leap forward. With a massive aggregate bandwidth of 162 Tb/s and non-blocking 400 Gb/s per port performance, it eliminates network bottlenecks, enabling supercomputers and AI clusters to operate at unprecedented scale and efficiency.
The Mellanox QM9700 is engineered for the exascale computing era. Its advantages are not just in raw speed but in intelligent features that redefine data center operations.
- Scalability: Supports massive clusters with up to 64,000 nodes in a single, fat-tree domain, simplifying network design and management.
- Advanced In-Network Computing: Features the Scalable Hierarchical Aggregation and Reduction Protocol (SHARP), which offloads collective operations from the CPU to the switch, accelerating AI and HPC workloads by up to 40%.
- Robust Security & Isolation: Built-in hardware-based isolation ensures multi-tenant environments are secure and performance is guaranteed, critical for cloud HPC deployments.
- Power Efficiency: Delivers up to 5x more bandwidth per watt compared to previous generations, significantly reducing operational costs and environmental impact.
The impact of the Mellanox QM9700 is best understood through measurable performance gains. The following table illustrates a comparative analysis against a previous-generation 200 Gb/s InfiniBand switch in a simulated large-scale AI training environment.
| Metric | Mellanox QM9700 (400Gb/s) | Previous Gen (200Gb/s) | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job Completion Time (AI Model Training) | 4.5 hours | 7.2 hours | 37.5% faster |
| All-Reduce Latency (8kB message) | 1.2 µs | 2.1 µs | 43% lower |
| Power Consumption per 100Gb/s | ~55 W | ~75 W | 27% more efficient |
For organizations pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery, complex simulation, and generative AI, investing in a high-performance InfiniBand fabric is no longer an option—it's a necessity. The Mellanox QM9700 provides a future-proof HPC networking backbone that maximizes application performance, optimizes total cost of ownership (TCO), and paves the way for the next generation of breakthroughs.
Contact our expert team today to schedule a consultation and discover how the Mellanox QM9700 InfiniBand solution can be tailored to meet the specific needs of your data center. Request a personalized performance benchmark to see the transformative impact for yourself.