DELL 540-BBRG network card Internal Ethernet 10000 Mbit/s

The DELL 540-BBRG is an internal low-profile network card that delivers 10GbE (10000 Mbit/s) wired Ethernet connectivity over PCI Express. Based on the Intel X550 single‑chip design with integrated MAC and 10GBASE‑T PHYs, the adapter is validated on Intel Xeon platforms and is backward compatible with 1000BASE‑T. It is intended for high-performance and virtualized server environments, cloud and enterprise data centers, and telecommunication service provider deployments.

Advantages

The adapter supports demanding workloads and virtualization features such as Intel VT-c, VMDq and SR‑IOV (up to 64 VFs per port), alongside MSI/MSI‑X, Direct Cache Access and Flow Director for efficient packet steering. Hardware offloads for NVGRE and VXLAN reduce CPU overhead, while up to 128 Tx/Rx physical queues per port enable high concurrency. The card’s single‑chip 10GBASE‑T implementation and 10GbE performance make it suitable for modern data‑intensive applications.

Suitable for

• Virtualized servers and hypervisor hosts
• Cloud and enterprise data center networks
• Telecommunication service provider infrastructure
• High‑throughput storage and compute clusters

Key specifications

• Brand: Dell
• Model / MPN: 540-BBRG
• Interface: PCI Express (low profile)
• Throughput: 10000 Mbit/s (10GbE), backward compatible with 1000BASE‑T
• Chipset: Intel X550 (integrated MAC + 10GBASE‑T PHYs)
• Virtualization: VT‑c, VMDq, SR‑IOV (up to 64 VFs per port)
• Queues: Up to 128 Tx/Rx physical queues per port
• Offloads: NVGRE and VXLAN stateless offloads
• EAN: 5397063980116

How to use

Install the DELL 540-BBRG into an available PCI Express slot on a compatible server or workstation (low‑profile bracket if required). Ensure the system firmware and drivers supporting the Intel X550 chipset are installed or updated according to Dell or Intel guidance. Connect a compatible CAT6A/CAT7 RJ‑45 cable to the 10GBASE‑T port for copper 10GbE connectivity. Configure network settings and, if applicable, enable virtualization features (VMDq, SR‑IOV, VT‑c) in the host BIOS and operating system network driver.

Recommendations

For reliable 10GbE performance use shielded or high‑quality CAT6A/CAT7 cabling and proper cooling in rack systems. Keep firmware and drivers up to date and follow Dell’s compatibility lists for server platforms to ensure full support of virtualization and offload features.