Compare Intel X520-SR2 and Intel X520-DA2 to see their differences.
Compare Intel X520-SR2 and Intel X520-DA2 to see their differences.
Fun fact, I used to think they were meant to be soldered, but it might have been really old.
I was nervous at first, but checking the images shows it doesn't really change much. The only difference appears to be the release latch on the SFP+ module (the part with the two Qlogic 8GB cards in my R720). If that's the main variation, it would be a solid advantage—meaning you could get SR2s instead of DA2s and receive two free optical 10GbE SFP+ modules, since DA2 and SR2 are usually priced similarly.
DAC often causes issues most of the time, except when used in the same rack where performance is better.
My AQC107 card operated at 83°C idle with significantly better heat dissipation than an SFP+ cage. Even when EEE was enabled, it only reached 77°C and remained above 80°C under load. I found the connection from my Netgear switch to the Intel card worked immediately. The driver documentation suggested whitelisting cables in the firmware, which makes sense since Linux supports that. However, I’m not certain that Fedora would override it. I prefer optical solutions because they use less space and provide electrical isolation, but these cards were more costly in AQC107 models. With only a PCIe x4 slot available on my two devices, using copper instead limits my options. Plus, I’d need another switch since all my SFP+ ports are occupied.
I currently have a Cisco SG200-26 and don’t have any SFP+ ports, but I plan to add SFP+ for my router first. Once that’s set up, I’ll move on to switching. My goal is to get 10GbE between my main PC and NAS without breaking the bank. The NIC on my main PC will need a water cooling solution since airflow is minimal unless I’m gaming.