NL3 vs NL4 - Printable Version
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NL3 vs NL4 - blacksmith - 07-29-2025
I am thinking for a while to put togged a bigger system (not too big). I’ve got one O350 brick and 2 O300 bricks. Now I am looking for a NL router.
I’ve seen on eBay one NL4R with the price in my range. I wonder if is going to work with my systems? Considering NumaLink gen 4 vs NumaLink gen 3? Thanks for your advise.
RE: NL3 vs NL4 - weblacky - 07-29-2025
Hi Blacksmith! Always pushing bounds?
Google Gemini says:
Yes, a SGI NUMAlink Gen 4 router can run NUMAlink Gen 3 connections.
NUMAlink Gen 4 offers backward compatibility with NUMAlink 3 connections because the links can operate in a NUMAlink 3 mode. This compatibility was important for allowing users to upgrade to SGI Altix systems that utilized NUMAlink 4 while still maintaining compatibility with existing NUMAlink 3 hardware.
Source refs (page 3) to: https://www.graphica.com.au/files/numalink.pdf?ref=just.graphica.com.au
Also this may be of use to you: https://forums.irixnet.org/thread-3251.html
RE: NL3 vs NL4 - chulofiasco - 07-29-2025
(07-29-2025, 04:28 AM)weblacky Wrote: Hi Blacksmith! Always pushing bounds?
Google Gemini says:
Yes, a SGI NUMAlink Gen 4 router can run NUMAlink Gen 3 connections.
NUMAlink Gen 4 offers backward compatibility with NUMAlink 3 connections because the links can operate in a NUMAlink 3 mode. This compatibility was important for allowing users to upgrade to SGI Altix systems that utilized NUMAlink 4 while still maintaining compatibility with existing NUMAlink 3 hardware.
Source refs (page 3) to: https://www.graphica.com.au/files/numalink.pdf?ref=just.graphica.com.au
Also this may be of use to you: https://forums.irixnet.org/thread-3251.html
NL3/NL4 routers are backwards compatible for Altix systems only.
The Origin line requires a NL3 router.
RE: NL3 vs NL4 - joshyfishy22 - 07-29-2025
To my understanding, You cannot use a NL4R with Origin hardware. Now I don't know 100% that this is the case and have never personally tested it (since I don't have an NL4R brick).
Altix hardware is backwards compatible with NL3
" The NUMAlink 4 links can also operate in NUMAlink 3
mode (20 data bits, 800Mb/s uni-directional) thus enabling
backward compatibility with NUMAlink 3, for product upgrades
to Altix® systems. " https://www.graphica.com.au/files/numalink.pdf?ref=just.graphica.com.au
But Origin hardware cannot run at NL4.
If you have another reason to buy the NL4R bricks then go for it and test to see if it will work with the Origin hardware. But if you don't want to waste money then id pass.