NVIDIA Switches to Bianca Compute Board for Blackwell Ultra GB300 GPUs, Easing Signal Integrity Concerns and Stabilizing Launch Timeline
As NVIDIA ramps up production of its Blackwell Ultra GB300 GPUs, it has made a strategic and technically significant change to its compute board configuration—shifting from the Cordelia to the Bianca board. This move, as detailed in a recent KeyBanc report, is being hailed as a “positive development” that addresses prior signal loss issues and enhances NVIDIA’s rollout schedule and infrastructure stability.
The Bianca compute board, which links 1 CPU with 2 GPUs, now replaces the more flexible but problematic Cordelia configuration, which supported 2 CPUs with 4 GPUs via a Server PCI Express (SXM) socket interface. While Cordelia’s design allowed for broader supply chain integration and improved serviceability, its increased structural flexibility resulted in performance-degrading signal loss in certain cases. KeyBanc believes this limitation was a primary factor prompting NVIDIA’s decision to revert to the more rigid—and reliable—Bianca layout.
From a business and logistics standpoint, this pivot allows NVIDIA to stay on track for a Q4 2025 launch of the GB300, and simplifies integration within the company's broader server infrastructure. In fact, KeyBanc describes Bianca as a drop-in replacement for NVIDIA’s NVL72 rack system, which was used with the GB200 series. This compatibility ensures a smoother hardware transition and reduces reconfiguration delays, benefiting both NVIDIA and its enterprise partners.
Additionally, NVIDIA is targeting shipments of around 30,000 GB NVL rack units in 2025, with only 30% projected for the first half of the year and the remaining 70% expected in H2. The adoption of Bianca helps facilitate this ramp-up, avoiding potential slowdowns caused by signal integrity issues on the Cordelia platform.
The news offers a dose of optimism for NVIDIA investors, particularly following a turbulent week marked by regulatory setbacks. Just days ago, the company disclosed that it expects to absorb up to $5.5 billion in charges in Q1 FY2026, largely due to new U.S. export controls affecting sales of its H20 GPUs to China.
Despite those headwinds, the Bianca transition is being seen as a move that fortifies NVIDIA’s roadmap and reaffirms its capacity to deliver next-gen compute systems at scale—especially in a market where demand for AI-optimized GPU clusters continues to surge.
Do you think NVIDIA’s shift back to the Bianca board will strengthen its AI hardware leadership, or is this a short-term fix to a bigger architectural challenge? Share your thoughts with us.
