The Cisco Nexus N9K-C93180YC-FX3 is a high-performance data center switch delivering 3.6 Tbps throughput. Featuring 48x 10/25G SFP28 ports and 6x 100G QSFP28 uplinks, it offers wire-rate MACsec, advanced telemetry, and seamless ACI support for scalable cloud-scale networking.
Quick Specs:
· Downlinks: 48 x 1/10/25G SFP28
· Uplinks: 6 x 40/100G QSFP28
· Bandwidth: 3.6 Tbps
· OS Support: Cisco NX-OS & ACI mode
· Airflow: Port-side intake or exhaust options
· Form Factor: 1RU Top-of-Rack (ToR)
Comprehensive Product Overview
The Cisco Nexus N9K-C93180YC-FX3 is a premier 1-Rack-Unit (1RU) Top-of-Rack (ToR) switch belonging to the Cisco Nexus 9300-FX3 Series. Powered by Cisco’s groundbreaking Cloud Scale ASIC technology, this switch is engineered to meet the rigorous demands of modern, highly distributed enterprise data centers, cloud providers, and service provider environments.
Designed to facilitate a seamless migration from 10G to 25G at the server access layer, and from 40G to 100G at the aggregation layer, the N9K-C93180YC-FX3 provides immense architectural flexibility. Whether you are running traditional standalone Cisco NX-OS routing or deploying a Software-Defined Networking (SDN) infrastructure via Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI), this switch delivers ultra-low latency, deep buffers, and uncompromising wire-rate encryption.
Key Features & Business Benefits
Massive Cloud-Scale Performance: Delivers a staggering 3.6 Terabits per second (Tbps) of switching capacity and up to 1.2 billion packets per second (bpps), easily absorbing traffic bursts in high-density virtualized environments.
Seamless 10G to 25G Migration: The 48 downlinks utilize SFP28 technology, which is fully backwards compatible. You can connect 1G, 10G, or 25G servers today, allowing you to upgrade your server connectivity at your own pace without replacing the switch.
End-to-End MACsec Security: Unlike earlier generations, the FX3 model features hardware-based, wire-rate IEEE 802.1AE MACsec encryption on all ports (both 25G downlinks and 100G uplinks), ensuring maximum data security across your data center fabrics.
Dual Operating Modes (NX-OS & ACI): Protect your investment. Run traditional, robust BGP/EVPN VXLAN fabrics using Cisco NX-OS, or transition to Cisco ACI mode for policy-driven, automated Spine-Leaf architectures managed by the Cisco APIC controller.
Deep Visibility & Telemetry: Features integrated hardware-based stream telemetry, flow table logging, and PTP (Precision Time Protocol), providing real-time, granular visibility into network traffic for instant troubleshooting.
Technical Specifications
Specification
Details for N9K-C93180YC-FX3
Product Series
Cisco Nexus 9300-FX3 Series
Downlink Ports
48 x 1/10/25-Gbps SFP28 (Fiber/DAC)
Uplink Ports
6 x 40/100-Gbps QSFP28 (Fiber/DAC)
Switching Bandwidth
3.6 Tbps
Forwarding Rate
1.2 bpps
MAC Addresses
512,000
Security Encryption
Wire-rate MACsec on all ports
System Memory / Flash
24 GB / 128 GB SSD
Buffer Size
40 MB
Power Supplies
Dual redundant hot-swappable (AC, DC, or HVAC/HVDC)
Cooling / Airflow
4 Redundant Fan Trays (Port-side Intake or Port-side Exhaust)
Dimensions (H x W x D)
1.72 x 17.3 x 19.6 in. (4.37 x 43.9 x 49.8 cm)
Ideal Application Scenarios
Data Center Top-of-Rack (ToR) / Leaf Switch: The perfect Leaf switch in an ACI or NX-OS Spine-Leaf architecture, connecting high-performance 10G/25G servers and flash storage arrays to 100G Spine switches.
High-Frequency Trading & HPC: Thanks to its Cloud Scale ASIC, the switch delivers ultra-low latency and precision timing (PTP/SyncE), making it ideal for financial trading floors and High-Performance Computing clusters.
Secure Hybrid Cloud Environments: With wire-rate MACsec encryption on all 100G uplinks, data centers can securely transmit massive volumes of data between geographically dispersed sites (Data Center Interconnect – DCI).
Supported Accessories & Optics
To ensure optimal performance and warranty compliance, configure your N9K-C93180YC-FX3 with these original Cisco components: NXA-PAC-500W-PI / PE: 500W AC Power Supplies (PI = Port-side Intake / PE = Port-side Exhaust). NXA-FAN-35CFM-PI / PE: Nexus Fan Trays (Must match the airflow direction of the power supplies). SFP-10/25G-CSR-S: 10/25G dual-rate SFP28 transceivers for server downlinks. QSFP-100G-SR4-S: 100GBASE-SR4 QSFP28 transceivers for high-speed core uplinks. Cisco DAC/AOC Cables: Direct Attach Copper or Active Optical Cables for cost-effective, low-latency in-rack server connections.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Can I use 10G SFP+ modules in the 25G SFP28 ports?
A1: Yes, the 48 downlink ports on the N9K-C93180YC-FX3 are highly versatile. They natively support 1G SFP, 10G SFP+, and 25G SFP28 optics and copper cables, allowing you to seamlessly upgrade server speeds over time.
Q2: What is the main difference between the Nexus 93180YC-FX2 and 93180YC-FX3?
A2: While both are 48x25G + 6x100G switches, the newer FX3 model introduces a more powerful CPU, larger SSD storage, higher memory, and most importantly, supports wire-rate MACsec encryption on ALL ports (downlinks and uplinks). The FX2 only supported MACsec on specific ports.
Q3: Are the 100G QSFP28 uplinks backwards compatible with 40G?
A3: Yes. The 6 uplink ports can accept 40G QSFP+ transceivers, allowing you to connect to legacy 40G core networks while future-proofing your data center for an eventual 100G upgrade.
Q4: Do I need a special license to run Cisco ACI on this switch?
A4: To operate the switch in ACI mode and manage it via the Cisco APIC controller, you must purchase a Cisco DNA Advantage or Cisco ACI Advantage subscription license.
Q5: What airflow options are available, and can they be mixed?
A5: The switch supports either Port-Side Intake (Blue coloring) or Port-Side Exhaust (Red coloring) airflow to match your data center’s hot-aisle/cold-aisle containment design. You cannot mix PI and PE fans/power supplies in the same chassis.
