Faceplate (business ports)
- 28 × QSFP28 40/100G (ports 1–28)
- 8 × QSFP-DD 40/100/400G (ports 29–36)
Product
Cisco N9K-C93600CD-GX
Nexus 9300-GX fixed leaf/spine: 28×100G QSFP28 + 8×400G QSFP-DD, 12 Tbps / 4.0 Bpps.
- Ports
- 36
- Speed
- 100G / 400G
- PoE
- Non-PoE
- Capacity
- 12 Tbps
- Request a Quote for this model
- Ask an Expert for technical clarification
- Model selection support against port / PoE / uplink needs
- Alternative model support when another catalog model fits better
Product overview
N9K-C93600CD-GX is a 1RU Cisco Nexus 9300-GX fixed-port data-center switch with 28 × 40/100 Gbps QSFP28 ports (1–28) and 8 × 40/100/400 Gbps QSFP-DD ports (29–36). Cisco’s N9300-GX datasheet lists 12 Tbps of bandwidth and 4.0 Bpps forwarding across that faceplate.
It is intended for leaf or compact spine roles in NX-OS or ACI mode where the design needs dense 100G downlinks plus native 400G-capable uplinks. Do not confuse it with N9K-C93180YC-FX3 (48×25G SFP28 + 6×100G QSFP28) or with NS.com marketing copy that incorrectly pastes a 96×25G faceplate onto this PID.
Management ports (1× copper + 1× SFP) are out-of-band only and are not business ports. Breakout and quad speed grouping rules are port-group dependent — confirm NX-OS/ACI release notes for the target software train.
Technical specifications
Key specifications for this model.
| Model | N9K-C93600CD-GX |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer model | N9K-C93600CD-GX |
| Display model | N9K-C93600CD-GX |
| Layer | data-center |
| Port count | 36 |
| Downlink / data ports | 28 × 40/100 Gbps QSFP28 (ports 1–28) |
| Uplink ports | 8 × 40/100/400 Gbps QSFP-DD (ports 29–36); management: 1 × 10/100/1000BASE-T + 1 × 1G SFP (not business ports) |
| Port speed | 100G / 400G |
| Switching capacity | 12 Tbps |
| Forwarding rate | 4.0 Bpps |
| PoE | Non-PoE |
| Stacking | Not a campus StackWise platform — ACI fabric or NX-OS leaf/spine roles |
| Power supply | Hot-swappable AC/DC options (e.g. NXA-PAC-1100W-PI2 / PE families) — confirm airflow and PSU count on RFQ |
| Dimensions | 1 RU fixed-port chassis |
| Weight | Confirm installed fans/PSUs on quote |
| Condition | Quote on request — condition and configuration confirmed on RFQ |
| Availability | Quote on request |
Hardware, performance, and power
Performance (Cisco N9300-GX datasheet)
- 12 Tbps switching bandwidth
- 4.0 Bpps forwarding
Management (not business ports)
- 1 × 10/100/1000BASE-T
- 1 × 1G SFP
- 1 × console + USB
Mode
- NX-OS or ACI fabric roles
Power / cooling
- Hot-swappable fans and PSUs; confirm intake vs exhaust on RFQ
Form factor
- 1 RU fixed chassis
Deployment scenarios
Data-center leaf with dense 100G server/storage attach and 400G fabric uplinks.
Compact spine or leaf-spine designs that need mixed 100G/400G QSFP-DD without a modular chassis.
ACI or NX-OS fabrics where the optic map matches QSFP28/QSFP-DD, not SFP28 campus access.
Technical selection notes
Name the exact PID N9K-C93600CD-GX. Confirm ACI vs NX-OS mode, airflow (port-side intake/exhaust), PSU count, and optic/breakout plan for ports 1–28 vs 29–36. Ports 35–36 have fabric-link reservations in ACI mode per Cisco HIG — do not assume every QSFP-DD port is a free downlink. Ignore third-party copy that lists 96× SFP28 for this PID.
Not recommended for
Not a campus PoE access switch.
Not a 25G SFP28 leaf — use N9K-C93180YC-FX3 when the server edge is SFP28.
Not a modular Nexus 9500 chassis.
Do not order from marketing text that pastes another Nexus faceplate onto this SKU.
What to confirm on the quote
- Exact PID N9K-C93600CD-GX
- ACI or NX-OS mode
- Airflow (PI/PE) and fan/PSU count
- Optic map: QSFP28 vs QSFP-DD speeds and breakouts
- Quantity, destination, documentation needs
- Condition preference (new sealed / verified used — quote only)
Related / alternative models
Same-brand family first, then same deployment role, then cross-brand equivalents when useful. Different power/optic technologies are labeled explicitly.
FAQ
What is the exact faceplate on N9K-C93600CD-GX?
28 × 40/100G QSFP28 (ports 1–28) plus 8 × 40/100/400G QSFP-DD (ports 29–36), per Cisco N9300-GX datasheet and N93600CD-GX hardware installation guides.
Is the NS.com “96 × SFP28” description correct for this PID?
No. That text belongs to a different Nexus faceplate. QianliSwitch uses Cisco OEM port maps for N9K-C93600CD-GX only.
What capacity is listed?
12 Tbps bandwidth and 4.0 Bpps forwarding on the Cisco N9300-GX datasheet for this model.
Are management ports counted as business ports?
No. The copper and SFP management ports are out-of-band only.
How does it differ from N9K-C93180YC-FX3?
93180YC-FX3 is a 48×25G SFP28 + 6×100G QSFP28 leaf. 93600CD-GX is 28×100G QSFP28 + 8×400G QSFP-DD with higher aggregate bandwidth.
Does it support PoE?
No. It is a Non-PoE data-center switch.
What should an RFQ include?
Exact PID, ACI vs NX-OS, airflow, PSU/fan preference, optic/breakout plan, quantity, and documentation needs.
Resources
Request a quote for N9K-C93600CD-GX
Share quantity, preferred condition, and deployment requirements. For exact configuration and availability, request a quote.