Cisco N9K-C93180LC-EX
Nexus 9300 Series, Upto 32p 40/50G OR 18p 100G
Product Highlights
What's Included
(2) NXA-PAC-500W-PE (Port Side Exhaust) or NXA-PAC-500W-PI (Port Side Intake)
(2) AC Power Cords
(4) NXA-FAN-30CFM-F (Port Side Exhaust) or NXA-FAN-30CFM-B (Port Side Intake)
(1) Rackmount/Rail Kit (NXK-ACC-KIT-1RU)
As data center traffic scales and east-west bandwidth demands intensify, network teams need leaf and aggregation switches that deliver density, flexibility, and programmability without compromise. The Cisco N9K-C93180LC-EX — part of the Nexus 9300-EX series — answers that challenge with up to 32 ports of 40/50-Gbps QSFP+ connectivity or up to 18 ports of 100-Gbps QSFP28, all in a compact 1RU form factor.
Powered by Cisco's purpose-built Cloud Scale ASIC (LSE), the Nexus 93180LC-EX delivers 3.6 Tbps of switching bandwidth and over 2.6 billion packets per second of forwarding capacity. Multiple software-selectable port templates let you tailor the switch to your exact deployment — whether that's a high-density 40/50G leaf layer, a 100G aggregation tier, or a migration path between the two. Breakout cables further extend flexibility, supporting up to 72 x 10G ports from a single chassis.
The switch operates in Cisco NX-OS mode for traditional data center environments or ACI mode for fully automated, policy-driven fabrics. Advanced capabilities including VXLAN EVPN, real-time streaming telemetry, Cisco Tetration Analytics integration, and segment routing make the N9K-C93180LC-EX an ideal building block for modern spine-leaf architectures, cloud-scale deployments, and enterprise data center modernization projects.
Features & Benefits
Flexible Multi-Speed Port Configurations
The N9K-C93180LC-EX supports multiple port templates — from 28x 40/50G + 4x 100G to 24x 40/50G + 6x 100G, and up to 18x 100G — all configurable in software. This template-driven flexibility lets you right-size your port mix for today's workloads and seamlessly migrate to higher speeds as demand grows, protecting your capital investment.
Cisco Cloud Scale ASIC Technology
Built on Cisco's proprietary 16nm Cloud Scale LSE ASIC, this switch delivers wire-rate Layer 2/3 forwarding, hardware-based telemetry, and deep programmable forwarding tables — all without impacting packet throughput. The ASIC's unified forwarding table (UFT) supports up to 896,000 LPM routes and 256,000 MAC addresses, enabling massive endpoint scale.
Dual-Mode Operation: NX-OS & ACI
Deploy in NX-OS mode for traditional CLI-driven or DCNM-managed environments, or switch to ACI mode for Cisco's intent-based, policy-driven automation framework. A single hardware platform supports both operational models, giving you the freedom to evolve your management strategy without replacing infrastructure.
Advanced Overlay & Fabric Support
Native support for VXLAN BGP-EVPN, segment routing, and multi-site fabric architectures enables scalable overlay networks across your data center. Real-time buffer utilization monitoring per port and per queue provides deep visibility into traffic micro-bursts and application patterns, helping you proactively optimize performance.
Enterprise-Grade High Availability
Dual hot-swappable power supplies (1+1 redundancy) and four field-replaceable fan modules ensure continuous operation even during maintenance. The modular NX-OS architecture isolates faults per process and supports In-Service Software Upgrade (ISSU), minimizing planned downtime.
Deployment Scenarios
Data Center Leaf / Top-of-Rack
Deploy the N9K-C93180LC-EX as a high-density leaf switch in a spine-leaf fabric, aggregating 40/50G server connections and uplinking to spine switches at 100G. The flexible port templates let you start with 40G and migrate to 50G or 100G without hardware replacement.
ACI Fabric Leaf Switch
In Cisco ACI mode, the 93180LC-EX serves as a leaf node with 24 downlink ports for server/storage connectivity and 6 uplink ports to ACI spine switches. Policy-driven automation simplifies provisioning and ensures consistent security across the fabric.
40G/100G Aggregation Layer
Use the switch as a mid-tier aggregation point, consolidating multiple 10G access switches via 40G QSFP+ breakout cables and forwarding traffic upstream over 100G QSFP28 uplinks. The 3.6 Tbps switching capacity ensures non-blocking performance at scale.
High-Performance Computing & Storage Clusters
The deep 40 MB system buffer and low-latency forwarding make the 93180LC-EX well-suited for HPC and storage environments where bursty traffic patterns demand consistent, predictable performance across high-bandwidth interconnects.
General
Ports & Interfaces
Performance
System Resources
Power & Cooling
Physical
Software Features
Compliance & Certifications
Compatibility Notes
Operating Modes: Supports Cisco NX-OS mode (standalone) and Cisco ACI mode (fabric leaf). Port template selection depends on NX-OS release — initial release 7.0(3)I6(1) supported template 1 (28x40/50G + 4x100G); later releases added template 2 (24x40/50G + 6x100G) and template 3 (18x100G).
Power Supply Options: Compatible with NXA-PAC-500W-PE / NXA-PAC-500W-PI (500W AC), NXA-PDC-930W-PE / NXA-PDC-930W-PI (930W DC), and N9K-PUV-1200W (1200W HVAC/HVDC). Do not mix AC and DC power sources or airflow directions.
Fan Modules: NXA-FAN-30CFM-F (port-side exhaust) or NXA-FAN-30CFM-B (port-side intake). Match airflow direction to your hot/cold aisle configuration.
Transceiver Compatibility: Supports QSFP+ and QSFP28 optics. Refer to the Cisco Transceiver Modules Compatibility Information document for validated optics.
EOL Notice: Cisco announced End-of-Sale for the N9K-C93180LC-EX on January 18, 2023. The switch remains fully supported under existing service contracts through the published Last Date of Support.
Downloads & Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
| Part Number | Product | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|
| N9K-C93180YC-EX | Nexus 93180YC-EX | 48x 1/10/25G SFP28 + 6x 40/100G QSFP28 — optimized for 10/25G server access vs. the 93180LC-EX's 40/50G density |
| N9K-C93180YC-FX | Nexus 93180YC-FX | Next-gen FX ASIC with MACsec on all ports, larger buffers, and enhanced analytics — the FX-series successor for 10/25G leaf deployments |
| N9K-C9336C-FX2 | Nexus 9336C-FX2 | 36x 40/100G QSFP28 spine switch — higher 100G port density for spine-layer or high-radix leaf-spine fabrics |
| N9K-C92300YC | Nexus 92300YC | 48x 1/10/25G SFP28 + 8x 100G QSFP28 — another EX-generation option with more 100G uplinks for larger fabrics |