Cisco Nexus N9K-X97160YC-EX: High-Density 100/40/25/10G Data Center Switch

Product Overview

The Cisco Nexus N9K-X97160YC-EX is a high-performance, high-density data center switch designed for enterprise and cloud-scale deployments. Part of the Nexus 9000 Series, this switch delivers 160 ports of flexible-speed connectivity (100G, 40G, 25G, or 10G per port) in a 1RU form factor, making it ideal for leaf-spine architectures, AI/ML workloads, and high-performance storage networks.

Built on Cisco’s Cloud Scale ASIC, the N9K-X97160YC-EX provides ultra-low latency, high throughput, and advanced telemetry, making it a future-proof solution for modern data centers.

Key Specifications

✔ Port Configuration:

• 48x 100G QSFP28 ports (can operate as 100G, 40G, or breakout to 4x25G/10G)

• Supports 100G-SR4/LR4/ER4, 40G BiDi, and 25G DAC/AOC cables

• 1.6Tbps per-slot bandwidth

✔ Performance & Scalability:

• 12.8Tbps system capacity

• 950Mpps forwarding rate

• Sub-microsecond latency (<500ns)

✔ Compatibility & Software:

• Cisco NX-OS (supports VXLAN, EVPN, and ACI modes)

• Compatible with Cisco Nexus Dashboard for centralized management

✔ Power & Cooling:

• Typical power consumption: 600W (varies with optics & load)

• Port-side exhaust (PSE) or port-side intake (PSI) airflow options

✔ Security & Visibility:

• MACsec encryption (256-bit AES-GCM)

• NetFlow, sFlow, and ERSPAN for deep traffic analysis

• Telemetry streaming to Splunk, Prometheus, and Cisco Observability Platform

Advanced Features

Flexible Speed & Breakout Modes

• Each 100G port can be configured as:

• 1x100G (for spine connectivity)

• 1x40G (legacy compatibility)

• 4x25G (for high-density server access)

• 4x10G (cost-effective migration)

Cloud-Scale Performance

• Line-rate forwarding at all packet sizes

• Support for RoCEv2 (RDMA over Converged Ethernet) for AI/ML workloads

Multi-Cloud & Automation Ready

• Native integration with Kubernetes and OpenStack

• Ansible, Terraform, and Python API support

Future-Proof Security

• Hardware-based encryption (MACsec) for every port

• Zero Trust networking with Cisco TrustSec

Next-Generation Evolution: Cisco Nexus N9K-X97200YC-FX (Projected 2026)

Key Upgrades & Innovations

Higher Density & Performance

• 200x 400G/100G/50G ports in 1RU (using QSFP-DD optics)

• 25.6Tbps system capacity (2x improvement over N9K-X97160YC-EX)

• Sub-300ns latency for AI/ML and HPC workloads

AI-Native Networking

• AI-powered traffic optimization (predictive congestion avoidance)

• Self-healing fabric with automated failure recovery

Enhanced Security & Compliance

• Post-quantum cryptography (QKD-ready)

• Real-time encrypted traffic analysis

Sustainability & Efficiency

• 50% lower power-per-bit than previous generation

• Dynamic cooling adjustment based on workload

Why Upgrade to the N9K-X97200YC-FX?

✔ 4x higher density for AI/ML and hyperscale data centers
✔ AI-driven automation for self-optimizing networks
✔ Quantum-safe encryption for long-term security
✔ Seamless integration with Cisco Full-Stack Observability

Conclusion

The Nexus N9K-X97160YC-EX is a high-density, flexible-speed data center switch optimized for modern cloud, AI, and storage workloads. Its successor, the N9K-X97200YC-FX, takes performance to the next level with 400G ports, AI-driven automation, and quantum-resistant security, ensuring future-proof scalability for next-gen data centers.