Intel NIC suggestions

[azazel1024]

I am looking to upgrade from my Intel Gigabit CT adapters sometime in the next several months. I currently have a pair sitting in both my server and my desktop. I'd like to consolidate to a dual port adapter in each.

I am currently eyeing the Intel 340-t2 and 350-t2. Anyone have advice or suggestions on either? I see that the 350-t2 is listed at nearly twice the power consumption as the 340, but also scads of power saving features that the 340 doesn't have. So I assume that the "typical" power consumption is in a true active Tx/Rx state and not with the link being relatively idle.

The 350 seems to have a few nicer features than the 340, but maybe I am not understanding much of the import on them as I don't see any differences that would actually make a difference to me.

Does anyone have experience in both (could be the t4 versions too is fine) in terms of real world performance of both large file and small file transfers as well as directory copies or multiple TCP streams?

I assume both NICs support wake from S5 if the host motherboard ACPI has it?

Lastly, on the 340-t2, anyone know anything about the IBM 49Y4230 NICs? I know they are i340-t2 based, but are they locked to IBM server motherboards only? Or will they work on others? I see a number of them floating around used all the time.

Alternately, anything on the Startech 350-t2 based card? It seems like the cheapest 350-t2 based card around by a resonable margin and if I am going to go in on anything new, that seems like the one to go for.

Pretty much trying to determine what I should go for as my next NICs to last me another 5-8 years (dependent upon 10GbE penetrating way down the cost ladder).

Thanks!

 

[alfa147x]

What you get with the Intel I350 over the Intel 82580 (i340) is:

• Intel Ethernet Power Management Technology
• PCI-SIG SR-IOV Capable

Here is a comparison:
http://ark.intel.com/compare/49185,59062

I picked up a dual port i350 for $60 for my ESXi box since it has PCI-SIG SR-IOV.

 

[azazel1024]

Was it by chance one of the chinese OEM i350am2 based cards I've seen on eBay? If so, how is it working for you?

One of the questions I do still have, which maybe only Intel can answer, is does the i350 actually use less power with all of the power management techs under the hood? Or does it use more?

The "common power consumption" is listed at 4.4w on the i350-t2, but only 2.8w on the i340-t2. Of course if those are ACTIVE power consumptions and idled connections use significantly less on the i350-t2, that could stand to swing the scales the other way.

I ask in part because this is for a very low power file server. Granted, a watt or two doesn't make that huge a difference to me, but if the prices are roughly comparable in the end (if they are), the i350 doesn't seem to buy me anything that I would need over the i340 in this case.

Unless of course the i350 actually does use less power in common operating modes.