NVIDIA Spectrum SN3420

NVIDIA Spectrum SN3420 – 25/100GbE Data Center Switch

Power, Performance, and Precision in a 1U Form Factor

The NVIDIA Spectrum SN3420 is a next-generation Top-of-Rack (ToR) switch designed to meet the growing demands of modern data centers, cloud infrastructure, and enterprise networking environments.

As part of the Spectrum SN3000 Series, the SN3420 combines exceptional bandwidth, advanced software-defined networking (SDN) support, and rich telemetry capabilities in a compact and cost-efficient 1U chassis.

With 48 ports of 10/25GbE SFP28 and 12 ports of 40/100GbE QSFP28, the SN3420 provides unmatched flexibility and scalability for a wide range of applications from traditional enterprise data centers to hyperconverged and cloud-native deployments.

Whether you’re upgrading from 10GbE infrastructure or building a high-speed leaf-spine architecture, the SN3420 delivers the performance, efficiency, and future-proof design your network needs.

Key Features at a Glance

• Port Configuration: 48x SFP28 (10/25GbE) + 12x QSFP28 (up to 100GbE)
• Network Interface Support: SFP28 and QSFP28
• Switching Capacity: Up to 4 Tbps
• Packet Processing Rate: 58 billion packets per second (Bpps)
• Form Factor: Space-saving 1U rackmount design
• Supported Technologies: Ethernet, L2/L3 networking, SDN-ready
• Ideal for: Leaf, spine, and super-spine topologies; cloud-scale and enterprise networks

High-Speed Connectivity & Scalability

One of the most compelling features of the SN3420 is its port versatility and bandwidth capabilities.

The 48 SFP28 ports support both 10GbE and 25GbE speeds, allowing for gradual upgrades from legacy 10G infrastructure to 25G without replacing the entire network fabric.

This dual-speed capability is a cost-effective solution for organizations planning for future expansion.

The 12 QSFP28 ports offer flexible uplink options supporting 40GbE and 100GbE speeds. These ports can also be used in splitter mode for additional connectivity options.

With up to 2.4 terabits per second of switching throughput, the SN3420 supports non-blocking, line-rate performance across all ports, ensuring zero bottlenecks even under full load.

This switch enables seamless communication between servers, storage, and aggregation layers, making it ideal for spine-leaf topologies, hybrid cloud environments, and software-defined data centers.

Built for Modern Data Center Architectures

The SN3420 is purpose-built for leaf/spine/super-spine deployments, supporting flexible port speeds and topologies.

Its high-density design allows full rack connectivity to servers at 10GbE or 25GbE, while the 100GbE uplinks provide scalable backbone connections to spine switches or aggregation layers.

This makes the SN3420 a natural fit for environments requiring:

• Cloud-native infrastructure
• Hyperconverged and disaggregated storage
• Big data and analytics workloads
• High-performance computing (HPC)
• Virtualized network functions and containers

Advanced Telemetry & Visibility

In today’s networked world, visibility is just as important as performance.

The NVIDIA SN3420 integrates rich telemetry features that provide deep insight into traffic patterns, port utilization, latency metrics, and congestion points.

Using streaming telemetry, operators can proactively identify anomalies, enforce policies, and optimize traffic flows in real-time.

This granular visibility is crucial for ensuring application performance, meeting SLAs, and improving overall operational efficiency.

Additionally, the SN3420 supports hardware-based traffic monitoring and flow tracking to provide accurate and low-latency data for network analytics tools.

Flexible Operating System Options

The SN3420 switch supports a variety of open network operating systems, offering unparalleled flexibility for data center operators:

• NVIDIA Onyx – A robust, feature-rich operating system optimized for performance, automation, and telemetry.
• Cumulus Linux – A Linux-based, open-network OS with native integration to automation tools like Ansible and Puppet.
• ONIE (Open Network Install Environment) – For rapid deployment and flexibility in choosing third-party OS images.

These OS options allow organizations to tailor the SN3420 to their existing software environments and leverage modern DevOps workflows.

Software-Defined Networking Ready

As networks continue to evolve toward automation and virtualization, the SN3420 supports a rich suite of SDN capabilities, including:

• OpenFlow and REST APIs for programmable control
• VXLAN for scalable overlay networks
• EVPN for multi-tenancy and dynamic MAC/IP learning
• BGP and OSPF for dynamic Layer-3 routing

These features enable dynamic network provisioning, load balancing, and traffic engineering—all critical in cloud-scale environments.

Compact Design with Enterprise-Class Reliability

Despite its powerful specifications, the SN3420 fits neatly into a standard 1U rackmount, optimizing space without sacrificing performance.

Designed with hot-swappable redundant power supplies and front-to-back/back-to-front airflow options, it ensures continuous operation and thermal efficiency in dense server environments.

In high-availability deployments, SN3420 switches support industry-standard high availability protocols, including MLAG, VRRP, and BFD, offering the resiliency that mission-critical networks demand.

Energy-Efficient and Cost-Effective

Energy costs and operational efficiency are top concerns in today’s data centers.

The SN3420 is engineered for low power consumption per port, delivering exceptional performance-per-watt.

Its efficient architecture reduces cooling requirements, which helps lower total cost of ownership (TCO) without compromising performance or scalability.

This efficiency, combined with support for evolving technologies like 25G and 100G, makes the SN3420 a future-ready investment that grows with your infrastructure.

Product SKUs and Ordering Options

SKU	OPN	Port Configuration	Interface	Data Rate
920-9N213-00F7-0C0	MSN3420-CB2FC	48x 25GbE SFP28 + 12x 100GbE QSFP28	QSFP28 and SFP28	100GbE
920-9N213-00R7-0C0	MSN3420-CB2RC	48x 25GbE SFP28 + 12x 100GbE QSFP28	QSFP28 and SFP28	100GbE

Both models offer the same high-performance architecture and interface compatibility. Selection typically depends on power supply and airflow direction preferences.

Ideal Use Cases

• Top-of-Rack (ToR) in high-density server environments
• Cloud service providers scaling from 10G to 25G
• Enterprise networks adopting leaf-spine architectures
• Hyperconverged infrastructure and storage backbones
• High-performance workloads in AI, ML, and data analytics

Why Choose the NVIDIA Spectrum SN3420?

• Future-Proof Bandwidth Options: Eases transition from 10G to 25G and integrates 100G uplinks for scalable growth.
• Exceptional Throughput & Packet Rate: Handles massive traffic loads with no performance drop.
• Enterprise-Grade Reliability: Redundant, hot-swappable hardware with excellent thermal design.
• Operational Flexibility: Supports multiple operating systems and automation tools
• Cloud & SDN Ready: Delivers advanced L2/L3 features with full VXLAN, EVPN, and OpenFlow support.
• Compact Yet Powerful: High port density and performance in a space-saving 1U form factor.

Conclusion

The NVIDIA Spectrum SN3420 is more than just a switch it’s a strategic investment in the future of your data center.

With its flexible port speeds, high-density design, software-defined networking features, and rich telemetry capabilities, the SN3420 enables businesses to scale, adapt, and thrive in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

Whether you’re modernizing an enterprise data center or building a next-generation cloud architecture, the SN3420 gives you the performance and reliability you need today and tomorrow.