Cisco N9300-GX Series Switches are fixed-form-factor data center platforms for Cisco ACI spine, ACI leaf, and Cisco NX-OS deployments. The family combines 100-, 400-, and 40-Gbps interfaces, 12-Tbps or 12.8-Tbps switching capacity, more than 4.3 billion packets per second on selected models, and 1+1 power-supply redundancy. The principal selection decision is port architecture: N9K-C9316D-GX concentrates 400G QSFP-DD interfaces, N9K-C93600CD-GX combines QSFP28 downlinks with QSFP-DD uplinks, and N9K-C9364C-GX provides 64 QSFP28 ports in a 2RU chassis.
Three hardware profiles define the N9300-GX family
The three Cisco N9300-GX platforms address different data center connectivity patterns rather than representing simple port-count variations. N9K-C9316D-GX is the high-speed spine-oriented option with 16 400/100/40-Gbps QSFP-DD ports. N9K-C93600CD-GX is a mixed-speed spine-and-leaf switch with 28 QSFP28 ports and eight QSFP-DD ports. N9K-C9364C-GX supplies the highest native 100/40-Gbps port density with 64 QSFP28 interfaces.
| Model | Description | Form factor | Switching capacity | Packet rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N9K-C9316D-GX | 16 x 400/100-Gbps QSFP-DD ports | 1RU | 12.8 Tbps | Over 4.3 bpps | 400G-capable spine and high-bandwidth fabric roles |
| N9K-C93600CD-GX | 28 x 100/40-Gbps QSFP28 ports and 8 x 400/100-Gbps QSFP-DD ports | 1RU | 12 Tbps | 4.0 bpps | Mixed 100G access and 400G uplink designs |
| N9K-C9364C-GX | 64 x 100/40-Gbps QSFP28 ports | 2RU | 12.8 Tbps | Over 4.3 bpps | Dense 40/100G aggregation and leaf connectivity |
Cisco identifies the N9316D and N9364C descriptions as 16 x 400/100-Gbps QSFP-DD and 64 x 100/40-Gbps QSFP28, respectively. The N93600CD description explicitly separates its 28 QSFP28 interfaces from its eight QSFP-DD interfaces, which matters when designing breakout layouts and matching optics to downlink or uplink roles.
Port speeds and breakout behavior need model-level validation
The supported-speed matrix differs substantially between the three chassis. N9K-C9316D-GX supports 40/100/400-Gbps Ethernet and breakout on all ports. Its stated breakout patterns include 2×200, 4×100, 2×100, 8×50, 4×50, 2×50, 4×25, and 4×10. Ten-Gigabit operation is available with QSA.
N9K-C93600CD-GX supports 40/100-Gbps on downlinks and 40/100/400-Gbps on uplinks. Ports 1 through 24 support 2x50G on all ports, while 4x10G and 4x25G are supported on odd ports with even ports purged. Ports 25 through 28 support 2x50G, 4x10G, and 4x25G on all ports. Ports 29 through 36 are converted downlinks and support 2x50G, 4x10G, 4x25G, and 4x100G. Ten-Gigabit operation is also supported with QSA.
N9K-C9364C-GX supports 40/100-Gbps Ethernet. Its breakout options are 2×50, 2×25, and 2×10 on all ports, plus 4×10 and 4x25G on all odd-numbered ports. Ten-Gigabit operation is supported with QSA.
| Feature | N9K-C9316D-GX | N9K-C93600CD-GX | N9K-C9364C-GX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ports | 16 x 400/100/40-Gbps QSFP-DD ports | 28 x 100/40-Gbps QSFP28 ports and 8 x 400/100-Gbps QSFP-DD ports | 64 x 100/40-Gbps QSFP28 ports |
| Supported speeds | 40/100/400-Gbps Ethernet; breakout on all ports; 10G with QSA | 40/100-Gbps downlinks; 40/100/400-Gbps uplinks; 10G with QSA | 40/100-Gbps; 10G with QSA |
| Breakout detail | 2×200, 4×100, 2×100, 8×50, 4×50, 2×50, 4×25, 4×10 | Ports 1-24: 2x50G on all; 4x10G and 4x25G on odd ports with even ports purged. Ports 25-28: 2x50G, 4x10G, 4x25G. Ports 29-36: 2x50G, 4x10G, 4x25G, 4x100G | 2×50, 2×25, 2×10 on all ports; 4×10 and 4x25G on odd ports |
| CPU | 4 cores | 4 cores | 4 cores |
| System memory | 32 GB | 32 GB | Up to 32 GB |
| SSD Drive | 128 GB | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| System buffer | 80 MB | 80 MB | 80 MB |
The practical procurement implication is that interface count alone is not enough. A design using 400G fabric links should validate QSFP-DD availability on N9K-C9316D-GX or N9K-C93600CD-GX. A dense 100G leaf design should examine QSFP28 port placement and the stated odd/even breakout restrictions on N9K-C93600CD-GX and N9K-C9364C-GX. The datasheet does not provide a transceiver compatibility matrix, so specific third-party optical compatibility should not be inferred from the connector type alone.
ASIC resources support large routing and segmentation tables
The Cisco N9300-GX family provides substantial forwarding scale for data center fabrics. The platform supports 896,000 IPv4 LPM routes and 896,000 IPv4 host entries. IPv6 scale is 448,000 LPM routes and 896,000 host entries. The MAC address table supports up to 512,000 entries.
| Capacity | Cisco N9300-GX Series Switches | Presales interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum IPv4 LPM routes | 896,000 | Large IPv4 fabric and routed-leaf tables |
| Maximum IPv4 host entries | 896,000 | High endpoint density |
| Maximum IPv6 LPM routes | 448,000 | Substantial IPv6 route scale |
| Maximum IPv6 host entries | 896,000 | High IPv6 endpoint scale |
| Maximum MAC address entries | 512,000 | Dense Layer 2 and VXLAN endpoint environments |
| Maximum multicast routes | 32,000 | Multicast-enabled data center services |
| IGMP snooping groups | Shipping: 8000; Maximum: 32,000 | Validate expected multicast group growth |
| Maximum ACL entries | Per forwarding-engine slice: 5000 ingress; 2000 egress; maximum 20,000 ingress and 8000 egress | Account for policy scale and direction |
| Maximum VLANs | 4096 | Standard VLAN segmentation ceiling stated by the source |
| VRF instances | Shipping: 1000; Maximum: 16,000 | Multi-tenant and segmented routing designs |
| Maximum ECMP paths | 64 | Leaf-spine equal-cost path selection |
| Maximum port channels | 512 | Aggregated uplink and host connectivity |
| Maximum links in a port channel | 32 | High-member EtherChannel designs |
| Active SPAN sessions | 4 | Monitoring and troubleshooting allocation |
| VLANs in RPVST instances | 3967 | Rapid per-VLAN spanning-tree scale |
| HSRP groups | 490 | First-hop redundancy planning |
| MST instances | 64 | Multiple Spanning Tree segmentation |
| Cisco Tetration Analytics flow-table size | 64,000 | Flow visibility capacity stated in the datasheet |
| NAT entries | 1023 | Confirm whether the stated NAT scale fits the deployment |
These values describe platform ceilings, not a promise that every deployment will reach them simultaneously. The available forwarding profile, software configuration, feature combination, and operational design should be checked during solution validation.
ACI and software image requirements
All three exact hardware models support both ACI spine and ACI leaf roles. This makes the family suitable for fabrics in which the same hardware generation must serve different fabric positions, although port speed, density, and physical format still determine the appropriate placement.
| Software or fabric function | N9K-C9316D-GX | N9K-C93600CD-GX | N9K-C9364C-GX |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACI spine | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ACI leaf | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum ACI image | ACI-N9KDK9-14.2(2e) | ACI-N9KDK9-14.2(2e) | ACI-N9KDK9-14.2(3) |
| Minimum NX-OS image | NXOS-9.3.3 | NXOS-9.3.3 | NXOS-9.3.3 |
The source identifies Cisco NX-OS image requirements and ACI image requirements, but it does not provide licensing quantities, subscription terms, or a Cisco Networking licensing mapping. Those commercial details should therefore be confirmed separately rather than inferred. The same boundary applies to Cisco IOS XE: these switches are documented with Cisco NX-OS and ACI image identifiers, not IOS XE software requirements.
Power architecture, thermal load, and rack planning
Power selection separates the 1RU models from the 2RU N9K-C9364C-GX. N9K-C9316D-GX and N9K-C93600CD-GX each use two 1100W power supplies with 1+1 redundancy. Their supported supply classes are 1100W AC, 1100W DC, and 1100W HVAC/HVDC. N9K-C9364C-GX uses two 2000W supplies with the same 1+1 redundancy concept across AC, DC, and HVAC/HVDC supply classes.
| Power and environmental item | N9K-C9316D-GX | N9K-C93600CD-GX | N9K-C9364C-GX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power supplies | 2, 1+1 redundancy; 1100W AC, 1100W DC, 1100W HVAC/HVDC | 2, 1+1 redundancy; 1100W AC, 1100W DC, 1100W HVAC/HVDC | 2, 1+1 redundancy; 2000W AC, 2000W DC, 2000W HVAC/HVDC |
| Typical power | 420W | 586W | 811W |
| Maximum power | 1010W | 1071W | 1622W |
| AC input voltage | 100 to 240V | 100 to 240V | 100 to 240V |
| HVAC input voltage | 100 to 277V | 100 to 277V | 100 to 277V |
| DC input voltage | –40 to –72V | –40 to –72V | –40 to –72V |
| HVDC input voltage | –240 to –380V | –240 to –380V | –240 to –380V |
| AC frequency | 50 to 60 Hz | 50 to 60 Hz | 50 to 60 Hz |
| Fans | 5+1 redundancy | 5+1 redundancy | 3+1 redundancy |
| Airflow | Port-side intake and exhaust | Port-side intake and exhaust | Port-side intake and exhaust |
| Dimensions | 1.72 x 17.37 x 25.5 in. (4.37 x 44.13 x 64.8 cm) | 1.72 x 17.37 x 25.5 in. (4.37 x 44.13 x 64.8 cm) | 3.39 x 17.41 x 22.59 in. (8.61 x 44.23 x 57.4 cm) |
| Acoustics | 73.2 dBA at 50% fan, 81.8 dBA at 70%, 88.8 dBA at 100% | 73.2 dBA at 50% fan, 81.8 dBA at 70%, 88.8 dBA at 100% | 77.3 dBA at 50% fan, 88.6 dBA at 70%, 95.8 dBA at 100% |
Typical power is useful for routine electrical and cooling estimation, while maximum power should be used for circuit, UPS, and thermal worst-case planning. The N9K-C9364C-GX has the highest stated maximum power at 1622W and the highest acoustic figures, so it warrants particular attention in room-level sound and heat calculations. All three models specify port-side intake and exhaust airflow options; the selected fan and power-supply airflow direction must match the rack’s cooling layout.
Management interfaces, reliability, and compliance
Each model includes two management ports consisting of one RJ-45 port and one SFP port, one USB port, and one RS-232 serial port. These interfaces provide separate management and console access paths without changing the model-level forwarding specifications.
| Item | N9K-C9316D-GX | N9K-C93600CD-GX | N9K-C9364C-GX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management ports | 2 ports: 1 RJ-45 and 1 SFP | 2 ports: 1 RJ-45 and 1 SFP | 2 ports: 1 RJ-45 and 1 SFP |
| USB Ports | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| RS-232 serial ports | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| RoHS compliance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MTBF | 323,140 hours | 295,515 hours | 237,760 hours |
The source lists RoHS-6 compliance with exceptions for leaded BGA balls and lead press-fit connectors. Safety references include UL 60950-1 Second Edition, CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60950-1 Second Edition, EN 60950-1 Second Edition, IEC 60950-1 Second Edition, AS/NZS 60950-1, and GB4943. EMC emissions references include 47CFR Part 15 Class A, AS/NZS CISPR22 Class A, CISPR22 Class A, EN55022 Class A, ICES003 Class A, VCCI Class A, EN61000-3-2, EN61000-3-3, KN22 Class A, and CNS13438 Class A. EMC immunity references include EN55024, CISPR24, EN300386, and the KN 61000-4 series.
Ordering map for hardware, fans, power, and accessories
The ordering data separates chassis, fan options, power-supply options, and accessories. The fan airflow suffixes identify port-side intake or port-side exhaust. The 1RU models use 35CFM fan options and 1100W supply options, while N9K-C9364C-GX uses 160CFM fans and 2KW supply options.
| Hardware model | Part number | Product description |
|---|---|---|
| N9K-C9316D-GX | N9K-C9316D-GX | N9316D Spine switch with 16p 400/100G QSFP-DD |
| N9K-C93600CD-GX | N9K-C93600CD-GX | N93600CD Spine and Leaf switch with 28p 100/40G QSFP28 and 8p 400/100G QSFP-DD |
| N9K-C9364C-GX | N9K-C9364C-GX | N9364C Spine and Leaf switch with 64p 100/40G QSFP28 |
| Category | Part number | Product description |
|---|---|---|
| Fan option | NXA-FAN-35CFM-PI | Nexus Fan, N2000, 3000, 9000 Single Fan, 35CFM, port side intake airflow |
| Fan option | NXA-FAN-35CFM-PE | Nexus Fan, N2000, 3000, 9000 Single Fan, 35CFM, port side exhaust airflow |
| Fan option | NXA-FAN-160CFM2PI | Nexus Fan, N2000, 3000, 9000 Single Fan, 160CFM, port side intake airflow |
| Fan option | NXA-FAN-160CFM2PE | Nexus Fan, N2000, 3000, 9000 Single Fan, 160CFM, port side exhaust airflow |
| Power supply | NXA-PAC-1100W-PI2 | Nexus AC 1100W PSU Spare – port side intake |
| Power supply | NXA-PAC-1100W-PE2 | Nexus AC 1100W PSU Spare – port side exhaust |
| Power supply | NXA-PDC-1100W-PI | N1100W Platinum DC PS, port side intake |
| Power supply | NXA-PDC-1100W-PE | N1100W Platinum DC PS, port side exhaust |
| Power supply | NXA-PHV-1100W-PI | N1100W Platinum HV-AC-DC PS, port side intake |
| Power supply | NXA-PHV-1100W-PE | N1100W Platinum HV-AC-DC PS, port side exhaust |
| Power supply | NXA-PAC-2KW-PI | Nexus AC 2000W PSU Spare – port side intake |
| Power supply | NXA-PAC-2KW-PE | Nexus AC 2000W PSU Spare – port side exhaust |
| Power supply | NXA-PDC-2KW-PI | N2000W Platinum DC PS, port side intake |
| Power supply | NXA-PDC-2KW-PE | N2000W Platinum DC PS, port side exhaust |
| Power supply | NXA-PHV-2KW-PI | N2000W Platinum HV-AC-DC PS, port side intake |
| Power supply | NXA-PHV-2KW-PE | N2000W Platinum HV-AC-DC PS, port side exhaust |
| Accessory part number | Product description | Applicable ordering group |
|---|---|---|
| NXK-ACC-KIT-1RU | N9000 Fixed Accessory Kit | N9K-C9316D-GX and N9K-C93600CD-GX |
| N9K-C9300-RMK | N9000 Fixed Rack Mount Kit | N9K-C9364C-GX |
| N9K-C9300-ACK | N9000 Fixed Accessory Kit | N9K-C9364C-GX |
Sustainability and source-bound procurement notes
The sustainability section identifies references for product material content laws and regulations under Materials, and electronic-waste laws and regulations covering products, batteries, and packaging under WEEE compliance. These entries are reference labels rather than additional hardware specifications.
| Sustainability topic | Reference |
|---|---|
| Information on product material content laws and regulations | Materials |
| Information on electronic waste laws and regulations, including products, batteries, and packaging | WEEE compliance |
The source records an update concerning features, benefits, and breakout support for N9K-C93600CD-GX, described in Table 2. The publication date is intentionally not reproduced here. No EOL or EOS conclusion is established by this datasheet, and no lifecycle claim should be made from the source alone.
For procurement, the shortest decision path is to match the fabric role and interface speed first, then validate breakout requirements, airflow direction, maximum electrical load, and the exact power and fan part numbers. Use N9K-C9316D-GX where 400G QSFP-DD density is the primary requirement, N9K-C93600CD-GX where 100G QSFP28 and 400G QSFP-DD must coexist, and N9K-C9364C-GX where 64 native 100/40-Gbps QSFP28 ports justify a 2RU chassis and higher power envelope. Submit the complete chassis, fan direction, PSU type, accessory, software-image, and optical requirements through the standard RFQ process before finalizing a bill of materials.