N9K-C93180YC-FX
1,200 Mpps
N9K-C93180YC-EX
2,600 Mpps
Cisco switch comparison
N9K-C93180YC-FX vs N9K-C93180YC-EX
The N9K-C93180YC-FX and N9K-C93180YC-EX are 1RU, 3.6 Tbps Nexus switches with 48 1/10/25GbE ports and six 40/100GbE uplinks. The FX adds 16/32G Fibre Channel, wire-rate MACsec, a 6-core CPU, up to 32 GB memory, and a 128 GB SSD. The EX delivers a higher listed forwarding rate. Choose FX for converged storage and secure fabrics; choose EX for Ethernet-only deployments.
2models compared
67specs shown for every model
17differences found
Change comparison
Select different models
At-a-glance comparison
Key performance and configuration differences
Start with the differences that have the greatest effect on capacity, connectivity, software, power and deployment fit.
N9K-C93180YC-FX
1 x RJ-45 management port
N9K-C93180YC-EX
1 x 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ-45 and 1 x 1G SFP unless model table states otherwise
N9K-C93180YC-FX
512,000
N9K-C93180YC-EX
256,000
N9K-C93180YC-FX
1,792,000
N9K-C93180YC-EX
Up to 896,000
N9K-C93180YC-FX
896,000
N9K-C93180YC-EX
Up to 896,000
N9K-C93180YC-FX
128,000
N9K-C93180YC-EX
32,000
Buying decision
How to choose between N9K-C93180YC-FX and N9K-C93180YC-EX
Review the differences in this order to identify the model that best fits the intended deployment.
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01
Ports and uplinks
Match access media, port count and speed first, then confirm that the uplink design fits the distribution layer.
-
02
PoE and power
Total the power required by connected devices and verify the PoE standard, budget, power supplies and redundancy.
-
03
Performance and software
Compare forwarding, stacking and scale in the intended topology, then confirm the license tier and software release.
Before ordering
Confirm the exact Product ID, license tier, power supplies, accessories and regional requirements.
Free product-selection help
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Send your port, performance, license, quantity or deployment requirements. A CCIE-level network engineer will review the shortlist and help identify the better-fit Product ID.
Detailed comparison
Full specification comparison
| Comparison parameter | ||
|---|---|---|
| Product ID | N9K-C93180YC-FX | N9K-C93180YC-EX |
| Product and ordering | ||
| Product Type | N9K-C93180YC-FX Cisco Nexus 9300 Series fixed data-center switch | N9K-C93180YC-EX Cisco Nexus 9300 Series fixed data-center switch |
| Form Factor | N9K-C93180YC-FX 1RU | N9K-C93180YC-EX 1RU |
| Switch Role | N9K-C93180YC-FX Data-center leaf / top-of-rack switch | N9K-C93180YC-EX Data-center leaf / top-of-rack switch |
| Network License | N9K-C93180YC-FX Cisco Data Center Networking Essentials, Advantage or Premier tier | N9K-C93180YC-EX Cisco Data Center Networking Essentials, Advantage or Premier tier |
| Configuration, licensing and management | ||
| Management Model | N9K-C93180YC-FX Cisco Nexus Dashboard; Cisco NX-OS CLI and APIs; Cisco APIC in ACI mode | N9K-C93180YC-EX Cisco Nexus Dashboard; Cisco NX-OS CLI and APIs; Cisco APIC in ACI mode |
| Ports and interfaces | ||
| Downlink Port Count | N9K-C93180YC-FX 48 | N9K-C93180YC-EX 48 |
| Access / Downlink Ports | N9K-C93180YC-FX 48 x 1/10/25G SFP28 | N9K-C93180YC-EX 48 x 1/10/25G SFP28 |
| Downlink Type | N9K-C93180YC-FX 1/10/25G SFP28 | N9K-C93180YC-EX 1/10/25G SFP28 |
| Uplink Interfaces | N9K-C93180YC-FX 6 x 40/100G QSFP28 | N9K-C93180YC-EX 6 x 40/100G QSFP28 |
| Maximum Uplink Speed | N9K-C93180YC-FX 100 Gbps | N9K-C93180YC-EX 100 Gbps |
| Supported Network Modules | N9K-C93180YC-FX Not applicable | N9K-C93180YC-EX Not applicable |
| Management PortsDifferent | N9K-C93180YC-FX 1 x RJ-45 management port | N9K-C93180YC-EX 1 x 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ-45 and 1 x 1G SFP unless model table states otherwise |
| Console Ports | N9K-C93180YC-FX 1 x RS-232 serial console | N9K-C93180YC-EX 1 x RS-232 serial console |
| USB Ports | N9K-C93180YC-FX 1 x USB port | N9K-C93180YC-EX 1 x USB port |
| PoE-capable Ports | N9K-C93180YC-FX Not applicable | N9K-C93180YC-EX Not applicable |
| Connector Types | N9K-C93180YC-FX Model-specific RJ-45, SFP28, QSFP28 and/or QSFP-DD interfaces | N9K-C93180YC-EX Model-specific RJ-45, SFP28, QSFP28 and/or QSFP-DD interfaces |
| Total System Ports | N9K-C93180YC-FX 54 | N9K-C93180YC-EX 54 |
| Performance and scale | ||
| Switching Capacity (Standalone) | N9K-C93180YC-FX 3,600 Gbps | N9K-C93180YC-EX 3,600 Gbps |
| Forwarding Rate (Standalone)Different | N9K-C93180YC-FX 1,200 Mpps | N9K-C93180YC-EX 2,600 Mpps |
| MAC Address ScaleDifferent | N9K-C93180YC-FX 512,000 | N9K-C93180YC-EX 256,000 |
| IPv4 Route ScaleDifferent | N9K-C93180YC-FX 1,792,000 | N9K-C93180YC-EX Up to 896,000 |
| IPv6 Route ScaleDifferent | N9K-C93180YC-FX 896,000 | N9K-C93180YC-EX Up to 896,000 |
| Multicast Route ScaleDifferent | N9K-C93180YC-FX 128,000 | N9K-C93180YC-EX 32,000 |
| VLAN Scale | N9K-C93180YC-FX 4,096 | N9K-C93180YC-EX 4,096 |
| ACL ScaleDifferent | N9K-C93180YC-FX 5,000 | N9K-C93180YC-EX 4,000 |
| Packet Buffer | N9K-C93180YC-FX 40 MB | N9K-C93180YC-EX 40 MB |
| IGMP Multicast Groups | N9K-C93180YC-FX 32,000 | N9K-C93180YC-EX 32,000 |
| Port Channel Support | N9K-C93180YC-FX 512 port channels; up to 32 links per channel | N9K-C93180YC-EX 512 port channels; up to 32 links per channel |
| PoE and power | ||
| PoE Support | N9K-C93180YC-FX Not supported | N9K-C93180YC-EX Not supported |
| PoE Standard | N9K-C93180YC-FX Not applicable | N9K-C93180YC-EX Not applicable |
| Default PoE Budget | N9K-C93180YC-FX Not applicable | N9K-C93180YC-EX Not applicable |
| Maximum PoE Budget | N9K-C93180YC-FX Not applicable | N9K-C93180YC-EX Not applicable |
| Default Power Supply | N9K-C93180YC-FX Power supply selected separately from the compatible options | N9K-C93180YC-EX Power supply selected separately from the compatible options |
| Power Supply Slots | N9K-C93180YC-FX 2 | N9K-C93180YC-EX 2 |
| Power Supply OptionsDifferent | N9K-C93180YC-FX 500W AC; 930W DC; 1200W HVAC/HVDC; up to 2 supplies | N9K-C93180YC-EX 500W or 650W AC; 930W DC; 1200W HVAC/HVDC; up to 2 supplies |
| Maximum System PowerDifferent | N9K-C93180YC-FX 425 W | N9K-C93180YC-EX 470 W |
| AC Input Voltage | N9K-C93180YC-FX 100 to 240 V | N9K-C93180YC-EX 100 to 240 V |
| DC Input Voltage | N9K-C93180YC-FX -48 to -60 V | N9K-C93180YC-EX -48 to -60 V |
| AC Input Frequency | N9K-C93180YC-FX 50 to 60 Hz | N9K-C93180YC-EX 50 to 60 Hz |
| Power Input Type | N9K-C93180YC-FX Hot-swappable AC and model-dependent DC/HVAC/HVDC supplies | N9K-C93180YC-EX Hot-swappable AC and model-dependent DC/HVAC/HVDC supplies |
| Typical Power ConsumptionDifferent | N9K-C93180YC-FX 260 W | N9K-C93180YC-EX 210 W |
| Power Redundancy | N9K-C93180YC-FX N+1 power-supply redundancy with supported dual-supply configurations | N9K-C93180YC-EX N+1 power-supply redundancy with supported dual-supply configurations |
| Stacking and resiliency | ||
| Stacking Technology | N9K-C93180YC-FX No physical switch stacking; vPC provides multichassis link resiliency | N9K-C93180YC-EX No physical switch stacking; vPC provides multichassis link resiliency |
| Stack Bandwidth | N9K-C93180YC-FX Not applicable | N9K-C93180YC-EX Not applicable |
| Maximum Stack Members | N9K-C93180YC-FX Not applicable | N9K-C93180YC-EX Not applicable |
| StackPower | N9K-C93180YC-FX Not applicable | N9K-C93180YC-EX Not applicable |
| Fan Modules | N9K-C93180YC-FX 4 hot-swappable fans | N9K-C93180YC-EX 4 hot-swappable fans |
| Memory and software | ||
| Operating System | N9K-C93180YC-FX Cisco NX-OS; Cisco ACI mode on supported models | N9K-C93180YC-EX Cisco NX-OS; Cisco ACI mode on supported models |
| Minimum Software ReleaseDifferent | N9K-C93180YC-FX Cisco NX-OS 7.0(3)I7(1) | N9K-C93180YC-EX Cisco NX-OS 7.0(3)I4(2) |
| DRAMDifferent | N9K-C93180YC-FX 32 GB | N9K-C93180YC-EX 24 GB |
| Flash MemoryDifferent | N9K-C93180YC-FX 128 GB | N9K-C93180YC-EX 64 GB |
| CPUDifferent | N9K-C93180YC-FX 6 cores | N9K-C93180YC-EX 4 cores |
| Physical and environmental | ||
| Dimensions (H × W × D) | N9K-C93180YC-FX 44 × 439 × 571 mm | N9K-C93180YC-EX 44 × 439 × 571 mm |
| WeightDifferent | N9K-C93180YC-FX 7.9 kg | N9K-C93180YC-EX 7.8 kg |
| Operating Temperature | N9K-C93180YC-FX 0 to 40 °C | N9K-C93180YC-EX 0 to 40 °C |
| Storage Temperature | N9K-C93180YC-FX -40 to 70 °C | N9K-C93180YC-EX -40 to 70 °C |
| Storage Humidity | N9K-C93180YC-FX 5% to 95% | N9K-C93180YC-EX 5% to 95% |
| Operating Humidity | N9K-C93180YC-FX 5% to 95% | N9K-C93180YC-EX 5% to 95% |
| Operating Altitude | N9K-C93180YC-FX 0–4,000 m | N9K-C93180YC-EX 0–4,000 m |
| MTBFDifferent | N9K-C93180YC-FX 238,470 hours | N9K-C93180YC-EX 390,330 hours |
| Warranty | N9K-C93180YC-FX 1-year limited hardware warranty | N9K-C93180YC-EX 1-year limited hardware warranty |
| Acoustic RatingDifferent | N9K-C93180YC-FX 57 dBA at 40% fan speed; 68.9 dBA at 70%; 77.4 dBA at 100% | N9K-C93180YC-EX 48.5 dBA at 40% fan speed; 64.9 dBA at 70%; 77.8 dBA at 100% |
| Environmental Compliance | N9K-C93180YC-FX RoHS compliant | N9K-C93180YC-EX RoHS compliant |
| Safety Certifications | N9K-C93180YC-FX UL 60950-1; CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60950-1; EN/IEC 60950-1 | N9K-C93180YC-EX UL 60950-1; CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60950-1; EN/IEC 60950-1 |
| EMC Certifications | N9K-C93180YC-FX FCC Part 15 Class A; CISPR 22/32 Class A; EN 55022/55032 Class A | N9K-C93180YC-EX FCC Part 15 Class A; CISPR 22/32 Class A; EN 55022/55032 Class A |
| Mounting | N9K-C93180YC-FX 19-inch rack mount | N9K-C93180YC-EX 19-inch rack mount |
| Airflow | N9K-C93180YC-FX Orderable port-side intake or port-side exhaust airflow | N9K-C93180YC-EX Orderable port-side intake or port-side exhaust airflow |
“Not listed” means that no confirmed value is currently available for that model and parameter.
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