N9K-C9504
7RU
N9K-C9508-B3-E
13RU
Cisco switch comparison
N9K-C9504 vs N9K-C9508-B3-E
N9K-C9504 is a 7RU modular chassis with four line-card slots and four power-supply slots. N9K-C9508-B3-E expands to 13RU, eight line-card slots and eight power-supply slots, with the B3-E bundle defining included chassis components rather than a complete working fabric. Size line cards, supervisors, fabric modules, fan trays and power supplies as one bill of materials before ordering.
2models compared
47specs shown for every model
11differences found
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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-C9504
Cisco NX-OS or ACI licensing depends on deployment and ordered software tier
N9K-C9508-B3-E
NX-OS or ACI software licensing is ordered separately; -E identifies included FM-E fabric modules
N9K-C9504
4
N9K-C9508-B3-E
8
N9K-C9504
Not included; compatible 3000W or 3150W supplies are selected separately
N9K-C9508-B3-E
3 compatible 3000W power supplies included
N9K-C9504
Cisco Nexus 9504 modular chassis
N9K-C9508-B3-E
Cisco Nexus 9508 B3-E chassis bundle
N9K-C9504
4
N9K-C9508-B3-E
8
Buying decision
How to choose between N9K-C9504 and N9K-C9508-B3-E
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.
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02
PoE and power
Total the power required by connected devices and verify the PoE standard, budget, power supplies and redundancy.
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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.
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Detailed comparison
Full specification comparison
| Comparison parameter | ||
|---|---|---|
| Product ID | N9K-C9504 | N9K-C9508-B3-E |
| Product and ordering | ||
| Product TypeDifferent | N9K-C9504 Cisco Nexus 9504 modular chassis | N9K-C9508-B3-E Cisco Nexus 9508 B3-E chassis bundle |
| Form FactorDifferent | N9K-C9504 7RU | N9K-C9508-B3-E 13RU |
| Switch Role | N9K-C9504 Modular data-center core / spine switch | N9K-C9508-B3-E Modular data-center core / spine switch |
| Network LicenseDifferent | N9K-C9504 Cisco NX-OS or ACI licensing depends on deployment and ordered software tier | N9K-C9508-B3-E NX-OS or ACI software licensing is ordered separately; -E identifies included FM-E fabric modules |
| Configuration, licensing and management | ||
| Management Model | N9K-C9504 Cisco Nexus Dashboard; Cisco NX-OS CLI and APIs; Cisco APIC in ACI mode | N9K-C9508-B3-E Cisco Nexus Dashboard; Cisco NX-OS CLI and APIs; Cisco APIC in ACI mode |
| Ports and interfaces | ||
| Downlink Port Count | N9K-C9504 Not applicable | N9K-C9508-B3-E Not applicable |
| Access / Downlink Ports | N9K-C9504 Configuration-dependent: determined by installed line cards and optics | N9K-C9508-B3-E Configuration-dependent: determined by installed line cards and optics |
| Supported Network Modules | N9K-C9504 Nexus 9500 line cards and matching fabric modules; compatibility depends on line-card generation | N9K-C9508-B3-E Nexus 9500 line cards and matching fabric modules; compatibility depends on line-card generation |
| Line Card SlotsDifferent | N9K-C9504 4 | N9K-C9508-B3-E 8 |
| Fabric Module Slots | N9K-C9504 6 | N9K-C9508-B3-E 6 |
| Supervisor Slots | N9K-C9504 2 | N9K-C9508-B3-E 2 |
| System Controller Slots | N9K-C9504 2 | N9K-C9508-B3-E 2 |
| Management Ports | N9K-C9504 Per supervisor: 1 x 10/100/1000BASE-T management port | N9K-C9508-B3-E Per supervisor: 1 x 10/100/1000BASE-T management port |
| Console Ports | N9K-C9504 Per supervisor: 1 x serial console | N9K-C9508-B3-E Per supervisor: 1 x serial console |
| USB Ports | N9K-C9504 Per supervisor: 2 x USB ports | N9K-C9508-B3-E Per supervisor: 2 x USB ports |
| Total System Ports | N9K-C9504 Not applicable | N9K-C9508-B3-E Not applicable |
| Performance and scale | ||
| Switching Capacity (Standalone) | N9K-C9504 Not applicable | N9K-C9508-B3-E Not applicable |
| Forwarding Rate (Standalone) | N9K-C9504 Not applicable | N9K-C9508-B3-E Not applicable |
| PoE and power | ||
| PoE Support | N9K-C9504 Not supported | N9K-C9508-B3-E Not supported |
| PoE Standard | N9K-C9504 Not applicable | N9K-C9508-B3-E Not applicable |
| Default PoE Budget | N9K-C9504 Not applicable | N9K-C9508-B3-E Not applicable |
| Maximum PoE Budget | N9K-C9504 Not applicable | N9K-C9508-B3-E Not applicable |
| Default Power SupplyDifferent | N9K-C9504 Not included; compatible 3000W or 3150W supplies are selected separately | N9K-C9508-B3-E 3 compatible 3000W power supplies included |
| Power Supply SlotsDifferent | N9K-C9504 4 | N9K-C9508-B3-E 8 |
| Power Supply OptionsDifferent | N9K-C9504 3000W AC, 3000W DC, 3000W universal HVAC/HVDC, or 3150W dual-input universal | N9K-C9508-B3-E 3 supplies included; chassis provides 4 PSU slots on N9K-C9504 and 8 on N9K-C9508 |
| Power Input Type | N9K-C9504 Hot-swappable AC, DC and universal high-voltage AC/DC supplies | N9K-C9508-B3-E Hot-swappable AC, DC and universal high-voltage AC/DC supplies |
| Power Redundancy | N9K-C9504 Combined, N+1, N+N or input-source redundancy depending on installed power budget | N9K-C9508-B3-E Combined, N+1, N+N or input-source redundancy depending on installed power budget |
| Stacking and resiliency | ||
| Stacking Technology | N9K-C9504 No physical switch stacking; modular fabric and vPC provide resiliency | N9K-C9508-B3-E No physical switch stacking; modular fabric and vPC provide resiliency |
| Fan ModulesDifferent | N9K-C9504 3 hot-swappable fan trays | N9K-C9508-B3-E 3 fan trays included |
| Memory and software | ||
| Operating System | N9K-C9504 Cisco NX-OS or Cisco ACI mode | N9K-C9508-B3-E Cisco NX-OS or Cisco ACI mode |
| DRAM | N9K-C9504 16–32 GB | N9K-C9508-B3-E 16–32 GB |
| Flash Memory | N9K-C9504 64–256 GB | N9K-C9508-B3-E 64–256 GB |
| CPU | N9K-C9504 Configuration-dependent: 4-core or 6-core x86 by installed supervisor model | N9K-C9508-B3-E Configuration-dependent: 4-core or 6-core x86 by installed supervisor model |
| Physical and environmental | ||
| Dimensions (H × W × D)Different | N9K-C9504 311 × 445 × 842 mm | N9K-C9508-B3-E 577.8 × 445 × 806.7 mm |
| WeightDifferent | N9K-C9504 38.2 kg | N9K-C9508-B3-E Not published by Cisco |
| Operating Temperature | N9K-C9504 0 to 40 °C | N9K-C9508-B3-E 0 to 40 °C |
| Storage Temperature | N9K-C9504 -40 to 70 °C | N9K-C9508-B3-E -40 to 70 °C |
| Storage Humidity | N9K-C9504 5% to 95% | N9K-C9508-B3-E 5% to 95% |
| Operating Humidity | N9K-C9504 5% to 95% | N9K-C9508-B3-E 5% to 95% |
| Operating Altitude | N9K-C9504 0–4,000 m | N9K-C9508-B3-E 0–4,000 m |
| MTBFDifferent | N9K-C9504 1,038,080 hours | N9K-C9508-B3-E 928,910 hours |
| Warranty | N9K-C9504 1-year limited hardware warranty | N9K-C9508-B3-E 1-year limited hardware warranty |
| Environmental Compliance | N9K-C9504 RoHS compliant | N9K-C9508-B3-E RoHS compliant |
| Safety Certifications | N9K-C9504 UL 60950-1; CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60950-1; EN/IEC 60950-1 | N9K-C9508-B3-E UL 60950-1; CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60950-1; EN/IEC 60950-1 |
| EMC Certifications | N9K-C9504 FCC Part 15 Class A; CISPR 22 Class A; EN 55022 Class A | N9K-C9508-B3-E FCC Part 15 Class A; CISPR 22 Class A; EN 55022 Class A |
| Mounting | N9K-C9504 19-inch rack mount | N9K-C9508-B3-E 19-inch rack mount |
| Airflow | N9K-C9504 Front-to-back (port-side intake) | N9K-C9508-B3-E Front-to-back (port-side intake) |
“Not listed” means that no confirmed value is currently available for that model and parameter.
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