Cisco switch comparison
N9K-C93180YC-FX vs N9K-C93180YC-EX
N9K-C93180YC-FX and N9K-C93180YC-EX share 48 SFP28 access ports up to 25G and six 100G-capable uplinks. The FX platform lists larger MAC, route and multicast tables and more control-plane resources, but different forwarding and typical-power ratings.
2models compared
59specs published for every model
16confirmed differences
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Key differences
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| Specification | N9K-C93180YC-FX | N9K-C93180YC-EX |
|---|---|---|
Forwarding Rate (Standalone) |
1,200 Mpps | 2,600 Mpps |
Management Ports |
1 x RJ-45 management port | 1 x RJ-45 and 1 x SFP management ports |
MAC Address Scale |
512,000 | 256,000 |
IPv4 Route Scale |
1,792,000 | Up to 896,000 |
Multicast Route Scale |
128,000 | 32,000 |
ACL Scale |
5,000 | 4,000 |
Detailed comparison
Full specification comparison
| Comparison parameter | ||
|---|---|---|
| Product ID | N9K-C93180YC-FX | N9K-C93180YC-EX |
| Product and ordering | ||
| Product Type | Cisco Nexus 9300 Series fixed data-center switch | Cisco Nexus 9300 Series fixed data-center switch |
| Form Factor | 1RU | 1RU |
| Switch Role | Data-center leaf / top-of-rack switch | Data-center leaf / top-of-rack switch |
| Network License | Cisco Data Center Networking Essentials, Advantage or Premier tier | Cisco Data Center Networking Essentials, Advantage or Premier tier |
| Configuration, licensing and management | ||
| Management Model | Cisco Nexus Dashboard; Cisco NX-OS CLI and APIs; Cisco APIC in ACI mode | Cisco Nexus Dashboard; Cisco NX-OS CLI and APIs; Cisco APIC in ACI mode |
| Ports and interfaces | ||
| Downlink Port Count | 48 | 48 |
| Access / Downlink Ports | 48 x 1/10/25G SFP28 | 48 x 1/10/25G SFP28 |
| Downlink Type | 1/10/25G SFP28 | 1/10/25G SFP28 |
| Uplink Interfaces | 6 x 40/100G QSFP28 | 6 x 40/100G QSFP28 |
| Maximum Uplink Speed | 100 Gbps | 100 Gbps |
| Supported Network Modules | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Management Ports | 1 x RJ-45 management port | 1 x RJ-45 and 1 x SFP management ports |
| Console Ports | 1 x RS-232 serial console | 1 x RS-232 serial console |
| USB Ports | 1 x USB port | 1 x USB port |
| PoE-capable Ports | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Connector Types | Model-specific RJ-45, SFP28, QSFP28 and/or QSFP-DD interfaces | Model-specific RJ-45, SFP28, QSFP28 and/or QSFP-DD interfaces |
| Total System Ports | 54 | 54 |
| Performance and scale | ||
| Switching Capacity (Standalone) | 3,600 Gbps | 3,600 Gbps |
| Forwarding Rate (Standalone) | 1,200 Mpps | 2,600 Mpps |
| MAC Address Scale | 512,000 | 256,000 |
| IPv4 Route Scale | 1,792,000 | Up to 896,000 |
| IPv6 Route Scale | 896,000 | Up to 896,000 |
| Multicast Route Scale | 128,000 | 32,000 |
| VLAN Scale | 4,096 | 4,096 |
| ACL Scale | 5,000 | 4,000 |
| Packet Buffer | 40 MB | 40 MB |
| IGMP Multicast Groups | 32,000 | 32,000 |
| Port Channel Support | 512 port channels; up to 32 links per channel | 512 port channels; up to 32 links per channel |
| PoE and power | ||
| PoE Support | Not supported | Not supported |
| PoE Standard | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Default PoE Budget | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Maximum PoE Budget | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Default Power Supply | Power supply selected separately from the compatible options | Power supply selected separately from the compatible options |
| Power Supply Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Power Supply Options | 500W AC; 930W DC; 1200W HVAC/HVDC; up to 2 supplies | 500W or 650W AC; 930W DC; 1200W HVAC/HVDC; up to 2 supplies |
| Maximum System Power | 425 W | 470 W |
| AC Input Voltage | 100 to 240 V | 100 to 240 V |
| DC Input Voltage | -48 to -60 V | -48 to -60 V |
| AC Input Frequency | 50 to 60 Hz | 50 to 60 Hz |
| Power Input Type | Hot-swappable AC and model-dependent DC/HVAC/HVDC supplies | Hot-swappable AC and model-dependent DC/HVAC/HVDC supplies |
| Typical Power Consumption | 260 W | 210 W |
| Power Redundancy | N+1 power-supply redundancy with supported dual-supply configurations | N+1 power-supply redundancy with supported dual-supply configurations |
| Stacking and resiliency | ||
| Stacking Technology | No physical switch stacking; vPC provides multichassis link resiliency | No physical switch stacking; vPC provides multichassis link resiliency |
| Stack Bandwidth | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Maximum Stack Members | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| StackPower | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Fan Modules | 4 hot-swappable fans | 4 hot-swappable fans |
| Memory and software | ||
| Operating System | Cisco NX-OS; Cisco ACI mode on supported models | Cisco NX-OS; Cisco ACI mode on supported models |
| Minimum Software Release | Cisco NX-OS 7.0(3)I7(1) | Cisco NX-OS 7.0(3)I4(2) |
| DRAM | 32 GB | 24 GB |
| Flash Memory | 128 GB | 64 GB |
| CPU | 6 cores | 4 cores |
| Physical and environmental | ||
| Dimensions (H × W × D) | 44 × 439 × 571 mm | 44 × 439 × 571 mm |
| Weight | 7.9 kg | 7.8 kg |
| Operating Temperature | 0 to 40 °C | 0 to 40 °C |
| Storage Temperature | -40 to 70 °C | -40 to 70 °C |
| Storage Humidity | 5% to 95% | 5% to 95% |
| Operating Humidity | 5% to 95% | 5% to 95% |
| Operating Altitude | 0–4,000 m | 0–4,000 m |
| MTBF | 238,470 hours | 390,330 hours |
| Warranty | 1-year limited hardware warranty | 1-year limited hardware warranty |
| Acoustic Rating | 57 dBA at 40% fan speed; 68.9 dBA at 70%; 77.4 dBA at 100% | 48.5 dBA at 40% fan speed; 64.9 dBA at 70%; 77.8 dBA at 100% |
| Environmental Compliance | RoHS compliant | RoHS compliant |
| Safety Certifications | UL 60950-1; CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60950-1; EN/IEC 60950-1 | UL 60950-1; CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60950-1; EN/IEC 60950-1 |
| EMC Certifications | FCC Part 15 Class A; CISPR 22/32 Class A; EN 55022/55032 Class A | FCC Part 15 Class A; CISPR 22/32 Class A; EN 55022/55032 Class A |
| Mounting | 19-inch rack mount | 19-inch rack mount |
| Airflow | Orderable port-side intake or port-side exhaust airflow | Orderable port-side intake or port-side exhaust airflow |
Specifications from Cisco N9300-FX Series Switches Data Sheet and Cisco N9300-EX Series Switches Data Sheet (checked 2026-10-11).
“Not published by Cisco” and “Not listed” indicate that a confirmed direct comparison is unavailable. These rows are not counted as confirmed differences.
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