Network Adapter INTEL Ethernet Adapter X550-TA2 10Gb PCIe 3.0, dual-port, low-profile

The Intel X550-TA2 10Gb PCIe 3.0 Ethernet Adapter is a dual-port network interface card designed to deliver high-throughput, low-latency connectivity for servers, workstations and network appliances. Based on Intel silicon, the adapter supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet over copper and provides hardware features for traffic management, virtualization and link reliability. The card fits into a PCI Express 3.0 x8/x16 slot and is intended for environments that require consistent multi-gigabit performance and advanced offload capabilities.

Advantages

The adapter offers dual 10Gb copper ports that enable high-speed connections without the need for fiber optics, reducing infrastructure complexity. Hardware offloads and checksum acceleration reduce CPU utilization for demanding network stacks, while support for VLAN tagging, jumbo frames and advanced interrupt moderation improves throughput under heavy loads. Built on Intel networking technology, the card provides driver ecosystem compatibility and long-term support for mainstream operating systems.

Suitable for

• Data center servers requiring high-throughput uplinks
• Virtualized hosts and hypervisor environments
• High-performance workstations for media editing and large file transfers
• Network appliances, firewalls and routers needing reliable copper 10GbE
• Backup servers and storage systems with multi-gigabit replication

Key specifications

• Interface: PCI Express 3.0 (x8 compatible)
• Network speed: 10 Gigabit Ethernet per port
• Ports: Dual RJ-45 copper ports supporting 10GBASE-T
• Form factor: Low-profile/full-height bracket options (adapter compatible)
• Offload features: TCP/IP checksum offload, large send offload, receive-side scaling
• Frame support: Jumbo frames up to industry-supported MTU sizes
• Power and thermals: Designed for standard server thermal and power envelopes

How to use

Install the adapter into an available PCIe 3.0 slot on a powered-down host, secure with the bracket screw, and attach category 6A (or better) copper Ethernet cables to the RJ-45 ports for 10Gb connectivity. Power on the system and install vendor or operating system drivers to enable full functionality and hardware offload features. Configure link speed, VLANs, jumbo frames and offload settings through the operating system network configuration tools or management interfaces as required by your deployment.

Usage recommendations

For reliable 10Gb performance over copper, use Cat6A or Cat7 cabling and keep link distances within the supported range for 10GBASE-T. Ensure proper airflow in the server chassis to maintain thermal headroom, and use up-to-date drivers and firmware to benefit from performance and stability improvements.