N9K-X9736Q-FX= - Nexus 9500 NXOS Agg, ACI Spine, MACSEC, 36p 40G QSFP

A 36-port 40G line card, not a complete switch

N9K-X9736Q-FX= is the spare ordering line for the Cisco Nexus 9500 36-port 40G QSFP line card. Cisco identifies NX-OS aggregation, ACI spine and MACsec capabilities for this exact order. Preserve the Q-FX suffix: the nearby X9736C models are different 100G line cards.

Check the chassis fabric before specifying full bandwidth

For the Nexus 9508, Cisco lists this line card with FM-E, FM-E2 and FM-G fabric options in the hardware guide. The table requires five fabric modules for maximum bandwidth and specifies their installation in FM2 through FM6. This is a 9508 configuration rule; verify the relevant guide separately for another chassis.

Breakout support is narrower than on the 100G models

The NX-OS 9.3(x) interface matrix marks 4x10G breakout as supported on X9736Q-FX, while 4x25G and 2x50G are not supported. Validate the actual software release, optics and cable arrangement for the selected port mode. The line card does not include a chassis, fabric modules or a verified set of optical transceivers.

Plan replacement against the exact lifecycle notice

Cisco lists July 31, 2027 as end of sale and July 31, 2032 as the last support date, subject to entitlement. The migration row points to N9K-X9736C-FX3=, a 100G alternative. That reference is not a drop-in compatibility guarantee: review fabric, software, optics and licensing before changing to the proposed successor.

Cisco exact-model lifecycle notice | Cisco hardware guide | Cisco NX-OS interface guide