Broadcom 5720 vs 5719 vs 57810S — Which Server NIC Do You Need?
Complete buying guide for Broadcom 5000 series server network adapters. Compare 5720, 5719, 57810S, 57416, and 57414 NICs for Dell PowerEdge and HP ProLiant servers.
Broadcom 5000 Series: The Default NIC in Enterprise Servers
Every Dell PowerEdge server since the 12th generation ships with a Broadcom network adapter soldered to the motherboard. HP ProLiant, IBM System x, and Lenovo ThinkSystem servers also rely heavily on Broadcom NICs for their proven driver stability and VMware certification. If you manage Dell or HP servers, you are already running Broadcom silicon whether you know it or not.
This guide breaks down every Broadcom 5000 series adapter so you can choose the right NIC for replacements, upgrades, or fleet standardization.
Broadcom 5720 — The 1GbE Workhorse
The Broadcom BCM5720 is the most widely deployed server NIC in the world. It ships as the embedded network adapter in Dell PowerEdge R620, R630, R640, R720, R730, R740, T620, T630, and dozens of other models.
Key Specs
- Speed: 1GbE (1000Base-T)
- Ports: Dual-port or Quad-port
- Interface: PCIe 2.0 x2 (dual) or x4 (quad)
- Power: 2.5W typical
- OS Support: Windows Server, VMware ESXi, RHEL, Ubuntu, SUSE
When to Buy a 5720
- Replacing a failed embedded NIC on a Dell PowerEdge server
- Adding more 1GbE ports for network segmentation (management, vMotion, storage, production)
- Lab builds where 1GbE is sufficient
Popular Dell Part Numbers
| Part Number | Description | Typical Price |
|---|---|---|
| 0557M9 | 5720 Dual Port 1GbE | $15-25 |
| 00FCGN | 5720 Dual Port 1GbE | $15-25 |
| 0FM487 | 5720 Quad Port 1GbE | $25-40 |
| 05NRFK | 5720 Quad Port 1GbE | $25-40 |
| 0MW9RC | 5720 Quad Port 1GbE | $25-40 |
Pro Disk Network stocks all of these at $15-40 — Dell charges $100-200+ for the same part.
Broadcom 5719 — Quad Port Specialist
The Broadcom BCM5719 is a quad-port-only 1GbE NIC found as a PCIe add-in card and blade mezzanine card.
Key Specs
- Speed: 1GbE
- Ports: Quad-port only
- Interface: PCIe 2.0 x4
- Common Use: Dell M-series blade servers, IBM x3650 M4
Dell Part Numbers
| Part Number | Description | Typical Price |
|---|---|---|
| 0HY7RM | 5719 Quad Port PCIe | $20-35 |
| 0272HK | 5719 Mezzanine (blade) | $30-50 |
5720 vs 5719: Which to Buy?
Both deliver 1Gbps per port. The 5720 is cheaper and more available. The 5719 is mainly relevant if you have a blade server or need a specific OEM mezzanine form factor. For rack servers, always buy the 5720 — more inventory, lower prices.
Broadcom 57810S — The 10GbE Upgrade
The Broadcom BCM57810S is the most popular 10GbE server NIC for Dell PowerEdge environments. It is the go-to upgrade path when your 1GbE network becomes a bottleneck for VMware vMotion, iSCSI storage traffic, or large file transfers.
Key Specs
- Speed: 10GbE (10GBASE-SR/LR via SFP+ or 10GBASE-T via RJ45)
- Ports: Dual-port
- Interface: PCIe 2.0 x8
- Features: TCP/UDP offload, jumbo frames, SR-IOV virtualization
- Power: 14W typical
Two Versions
| Version | Connection | Cable Type | Typical Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 57810S SFP+ | SFP+ transceiver | Fiber or DAC | $45-90 |
| 57810S 10GBase-T | RJ45 copper | Cat6a ethernet | $90-150 |
SFP+ version is recommended — cheaper, lower power, lower latency. Pair with a $10 SFP-10G-SR transceiver and a fiber patch cable. The 10GBase-T version is only needed if your switch lacks SFP+ ports.
Popular Dell Part Numbers
| Part Number | Description | Typical Price |
|---|---|---|
| 0JVFVR | 57810S Dual Port SFP+ | $45-70 |
| 0HN10N | 57810S Dual Port SFP+ | $50-75 |
| 0HY16P | 57810S Dual Port SFP+ | $50-80 |
| 05MV09 | 57810S Dual Port 10GBase-T | $90-150 |
Broadcom 57416 and 57414 — Next Gen
The Broadcom 57416 (10GbE Base-T) and 57414 (25GbE SFP28) are the current-generation adapters for Dell PowerEdge 14th and 15th Gen servers.
57416 — 10GbE Copper
- Dual-port 10GBASE-T
- Default 10G option for Dell 14th Gen (R640, R740)
- Uses standard Cat6a/Cat7 cabling
57414 — 25GbE SFP28
- Dual-port 25GbE
- For high-performance workloads (NVMe-oF, RDMA, AI/ML training)
- Requires SFP28 transceivers
Which Broadcom NIC Should You Buy?
| Your Need | Recommended NIC | Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| Replace embedded 1GbE NIC | Broadcom 5720 Dual Port | $15-25 |
| Add more 1GbE ports | Broadcom 5720 Quad Port | $25-40 |
| Upgrade from 1G to 10G | Broadcom 57810S SFP+ | $45-70 |
| 10G with existing Cat6a cabling | Broadcom 57810S 10GBase-T | $90-150 |
| 10G for Dell 14th Gen | Broadcom 57416 | $60-100 |
| 25G high performance | Broadcom 57414 SFP28 | $100-200 |
| Legacy Dell R610/R710 | Broadcom 5709 | $10-20 |
Broadcom NIC Compatibility by Server
| Server | Embedded NIC | Recommended 10G Upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Dell R620 | 5720 Dual Port | 57810S SFP+ (0JVFVR) |
| Dell R630 | 5720 Dual Port | 57810S SFP+ (0JVFVR) |
| Dell R640 | 5720 Dual Port | 57416 10GBase-T or 57414 25G |
| Dell R720 | 5720 Dual Port | 57810S SFP+ (0JVFVR) |
| Dell R730 | 5720 Dual Port | 57810S SFP+ (0JVFVR) |
| Dell R740 | 5720 Dual Port | 57416 or 57414 |
| HP DL380 Gen8 | 331FLR (Broadcom) | 57810S SFP+ |
| HP DL380 Gen9 | 331i (Broadcom) | 57810S SFP+ or Intel X710 |
| HP DL380 Gen10 | 331i/369i | HPE 535FLR-T or Intel X710 |
How to Install a Broadcom Server NIC
- Power down the server and remove it from the rack
- Open the server chassis (remove top cover)
- Identify an available PCIe x8 or x16 slot
- Remove the PCIe slot bracket
- Insert the Broadcom NIC firmly into the slot
- Secure with the retention screw
- Connect network cables (SFP+ transceivers for 57810S, RJ45 for 5720/5719)
- Power on — most Dell and HP servers auto-detect Broadcom NICs
- Update firmware via Dell iDRAC or HP iLO if needed
No driver installation required for VMware ESXi, Windows Server, or major Linux distributions — Broadcom drivers are included in the OS.
Buy Broadcom Server NICs at Pro Disk Network
We stock 500+ Broadcom network adapters for Dell PowerEdge and HP ProLiant servers. Every NIC is genuine Dell/HP OEM, tested, and ships same-day. Save 50-70% vs Dell/HP list pricing.
Popular searches: Broadcom 5720 | Broadcom 57810S | Broadcom 5719 | Dell server NIC | 10GbE adapter
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