PACKETPERF

Primary Device

Cisco Nexus 9300-GX2 (N9K-C9332D-GX2B)
Cisco Nexus 9300-GX2 (N9K-C9332D-GX2B)
★ 3.3 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Switching Capacity: 25.6 Tbps (per Cisco datasheet c78-743854 and most resellers; some listings show 12.8 Tbps, likely the -M variant or an older revision)
  • Forwarding Rate: 4.17 Bpps per Cisco datasheet copy (other listings show 5.77 Bpps or 14.4 Bpps; verify against current Cisco PDF)
  • Ports (breakdown): 32x 400G QSFP-DD (also run as 100G/200G, supports 4x100G breakout); 2x 1/10G SFP+; 1x management; 1x console
  • PoE Budget: N/A (no PoE)
  • Layer: L2/L3
  • Stacking support: No (multi-chassis redundancy via vPC)

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: 32x 400G QSFP-DD ports in a 1RU chassis gives very high port density; Flexible 100G/200G/400G operation with 4x100G breakout; Full L2/L3 feature set with VXLAN EVPN and optional Cisco ACI support on NX-OS; Large packet buffer (about 120 MB) suits leaf/spine data center and AI/ML fabrics; Strong value per port compared with modular chassis at similar bandwidth
  • ✘ Cons: No PoE and no campus access role, so it is limited to data center and fabric deployments; Requires QSFP-DD optics or DAC/AOC cables, which add significant cost; No stacking, so redundancy depends on vPC or fabric design; Published switching capacity and forwarding rates conflict across Cisco revisions and resellers; Street prices vary widely (about $25k to $78k) and are often third-party or refurbished
  • Est. Price: $25,313 - $77,900

Compare Against

Aruba (HPE) Aruba CX 6200
Aruba (HPE) Aruba CX 6200
★ 4.2 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Switching Capacity: 128 Gbps (24-port models); 176 Gbps (48-port models)
  • Forwarding Rate: 95.2 Mpps (24-port models); 130.9 Mpps (48-port models)
  • Ports (breakdown): 24x or 48x 10/100/1000BASE-T (PoE+ on PoE SKUs) + 4x SFP/SFP+ uplinks (1GbE/10GbE); 6200M models add 4x SFP+ uplinks
  • PoE Budget: 370W Class 4 (24G and 48G 370W SKUs); 740W Class 4 (48-port 6200F PoE SKU); up to 1440W Class 6 (60W per port) on 6200M PoE SKUs. Varies by SKU
  • Layer: L2/L3 (Layer 3 static routing; dynamic routing depends on software license)
  • Stacking support: Yes, VSF virtual stacking up to 8 members (single logical device); VSX redundancy also supported

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Fixed-port, Layer 2/3 managed access switch in a compact 1U form factor; Wide range of PoE and non-PoE SKUs (370W, 740W, and 1440W class 6 PoE options) for IP phones, cameras, and APs; VSF stacking of up to 8 members simplifies management as one logical device; Full Aruba CX OS features with REST API, network analytics, and automation support via Aruba Central; Solid mid-range pricing compared with enterprise-class core switches; 10GbE SFP+ uplinks support aggregation and campus backbone links
  • ✘ Cons: Model and SKU naming (6200F vs 6200M, 24G vs 48G, PoE vs non-PoE) is confusing and specs differ significantly between variants; Public spec sources conflict on some figures (for example, 6200F throughput and uplink types), so exact datasheet values should be verified per SKU; Dynamic routing and advanced L3 features require additional licensing; Power budget is limited on 370W and 740W SKUs, so high-draw PoE devices may not all be supported at full load; Pricing is in USD only for 6200F SKUs. European 6200M pricing was found only in EUR and GBP, and no official HPE list price was confirmed
  • Est. Price: $4,261 - $8,663

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