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HPE Ethernet Switches vs NVIDIA Mellanox comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

HPE Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
8th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
104
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NVIDIA Mellanox
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
20th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of HPE Ethernet Switches is 2.6%, up from 2.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NVIDIA Mellanox is 2.1%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Dinesh Upadhyay - PeerSpot reviewer
Experience years of robust features and strong technical support
It is a nice and robust tool where we use HPE Ethernet Switches. It is a lower switch, and we have received good warranty support with HPE switches. The security features of the HPE Ethernet Switches are good. The UI mode is available, and we can easily configure the access list and SNMP. All these configurations can be done here. Users can enable the Layer 3 features.
Anil Ergunsah - PeerSpot reviewer
Networking capabilities deliver competitive performance for AI data center
I use NVIDIA Mellanox mostly for data center infrastructures. It is used for AI data center infrastructure and primarily focuses on the networking part The biggest advantage is that the vendor is the only one providing no-drop traffic. The performance and price are competitive, and performance is…

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"A very robust solution."
"The graphical userface is very good and quite easy to run with."
"I like that HPE's management functions are GUI-based, so it doesn't rely on command lines."
"HPE Ethernet Switches offer a good return on investment. They offer a lifetime warranty, which is good. Cisco SMB level only declares a one-year warranty, and for the enterprise level, you need to get a service pack, which costs extra."
"Switching to HPE Ethernet Switches greatly improved our network. We used to have both Cisco and HPE Ethernet Switches. Our network performance has increased by 300 percent."
"It's straightforward to set up."
"The product has streamlined our smart hospitality services, allowing us to control room amenities like TVs and lights more efficiently."
"I value that there is a clear place to find a MAC table with HPE Ethernet Switches."
"The tool is very configurable because it runs on a Linux operating system."
"From what I've been told, a valuable feature of Mellanox switches is they're quite user-friendly."
"It is a very easy-to-use product."
"The most valuable features of this solution are its functionality."
"The most valuable features of Mellanox Switches are the powerful hardware and the software is open. They're using Linux operating system. You can do and install many things, and it performs well."
"The biggest advantage is that the vendor is the only one providing no-drop traffic."
"The most valuable features of Mellanox Switches are the size, power consumption, and the vast amount of features."
 

Cons

"It is a bit complex to configure."
"There is some improvement needed for the power supply of the solution."
"The price should be reduced in comparison to Cisco, as sometimes we cannot use the HPE one at the core level, where generally public users are using Cisco."
"They should have more control tools for controlling the bandwidth."
"We'd like better support for situations where we need troubleshooting."
"The ability to stack, as well as a unified operating system, would be extremely beneficial."
"The product could always use better technical support."
"The installation can be quite complex. However, that may not be the fault of HP and is rather more related to the way our infrastructure is arranged."
"The configuration is a bit different from Cisco, and therefore, for me at least, there's a bit of a learning curve."
"If you compare this solution with Cisco, utilization in Cisco is more popular and it is more friendly."
"Mellanox Switches could improve by adding some features that can make it easier for integrating the switches in some managing and monitoring platforms, such as Elastic or similar software for monitoring data with the data center in a more holistic way."
"The scalability is working fine at the moment, but there's always room for improvement. As of right now, I don't know of any improvements to suggest."
"Mellanox Switches were easier before Nvidia bought Mellanox and then their new version of the operating system changed. They started with Ennui, and now they only use Linux. If they returned to their previous CLI it would be a good option for starters. The new CLI is more difficult to use but more powerful than the older one. It has its advantages."
"Sometimes, it can have some bugs from the past if I am an old user. However, it is stable now."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There are no licensing costs for this solution."
"I like HPE switches because you get a perpetual license with the hardware. The initial cost is about the same as other switches, but it starts beating the competitors after three or four years because you don't have to pay for additional annual licensing costs."
"The box itself is cheap, but when we have to install new features, it becomes very expensive."
"We just bought new switches for $500 last year, and now, the same switch is $800. It's gone up in price in the last 12 months."
"The cost is a bit high."
"We have to see only the security part when considering licenses because the licenses upgrade."
"HPE costs almost the same as Cisco."
"The price of the solution is expensive."
"The price of Mellanox Switches is reasonable compared to other solutions. The price and quality ratio was very good. There is a one-time license purchase that is needed."
"The pricing is very competitive. The licensing costs are fine."
"It's an open-source solution."
"There is a license to use the switch ports of Mellanox Switches."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Educational Organization
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
17%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Educational Organization
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about HPE Ethernet Switches?
The solution is very stable and easy to use.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE Ethernet Switches?
When compared to Cisco, Aruba is about 40% cheaper. However, Huawei would be even cheaper than Aruba. We can't compare HPE Ethernet Switches with Huawei directly because of different price ranges.
What needs improvement with HPE Ethernet Switches?
HPE Ethernet Switches have room for improvement in the initial setup and integration process, especially when incorporating them into an existing infrastructure with competitor products. It's a cha...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Mellanox Switches?
The pricing is competitive. For its performance, it's cheaper, so I would rate it a four if cheaper is lower.
What needs improvement with Mellanox Switches?
Sometimes, it can have some bugs from the past if I am an old user. However, it is stable now. I think it's okay; it's the best solution for now for AI data centers. Support could be better, but cu...
What is your primary use case for Mellanox Switches?
I use NVIDIA Mellanox ( /products/nvidia-mellanox-reviews ) mostly for data center infrastructures. It is used for AI data center infrastructure and primarily focuses on the networking part.
 

Also Known As

HP Ethernet Switches
Mellanox Switches, Mellanox SN2700
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Emirates Palace Hotel
CNPC, Korea Consumer Agency, Nutanix, Roxo Systems, StorPool, Atlantic.Net, INFN, StarWind, NYSE Technologies, Creative Consultants, ENKI
Find out what your peers are saying about HPE Ethernet Switches vs. NVIDIA Mellanox and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
860,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.