Arista Network Advantage: Lower TCO with Power-Efficient Platforms

The data centers contribute 4-5% of the world’s total electricity usage.  This signifies the role it plays in GHG emissions and the worrying climate changes.  It is important that organizations consider energy-efficient systems for their critical IT requirement to meet their business objectives. And the same time reduces their carbon footprint and gets the benefit of reduced OPEX and TCO.

As organizations looking for ways to reduce their environmental impact and lower their energy costs. One way to do this is to invest in energy-efficient data center solutions. These solutions can help to reduce the amount of power that data centers consume, which can lead to significant savings. This blog compares the usual top-of-the-rack (ToR) data center switch models from Arista Network and Cisco Systems. And compares the power efficiency based on the numbers published in their corresponding switches datasheets

ToR Switches Comparison

SpecificationArista 7050SX3-48YC8Cisco Nexus 93180YC-FX3Arista 7050SDX4-48D8Cisco N9K-C93600CD-GX
Bandwidth
description
48x25G,  8x100G48×1/10/25G
6×40/100GG
48x100G
8x400G
28x100G and 8x400G
Throughput4 Tbps3.6 Tbps16 Tbps12 Tbps
Packet/Second1 Bpps1.2 Bpps2.7 Bpps4 Bpps
Latency800 nsND900 ns1.7 ms
CPUQuad-Core x86Quad-Core x86Quad-Core x86Quad-Core x86
Typical/Max Power124W/301W325W/600W156W/520W586W/1071W
Rack Units1 RU1 RU1 RU1 RU
Size48.3 x 4.4 x 46.8 cm4.4 x 43.9 x 49.6 cm43.99 x 4.37 x 47.46 cm4.37 x 44.13 x 64.8 cm
Weight9.45 Kgs9.52 Kgs10.4 kgs12.7 kg
Power SuppliesPWR-511-AC-RED/BLUENXA-PAC-650W-PIPWR-1011-AC-RED/BLUE1100W AC

As you can see from the table, Arista Network switches offer advantages over Cisco switches. Arista switches typically have lower power consumption, higher throughput, and lower latency. This can make them a more cost-effective and energy-efficient option for organizations looking to improve their data center efficiency. Now let’s come to the pricing part! For this let’s use the UAE power tariff with some relevant assumptions and considerations.

ParametersValues
Power Costs [ in UAE Dirham]0.38 AED /KWh
Annual Usage8760 hours (typical for a datacenter)
Switch life span5 years

For simplicity and easy comparison, the table below only selected two models from the above table, which are almost similar in key specs [ Bandwith, throughput, etc].

OPEX- Power Calculation: Arista-7050SX3-48YC8

Typical Power consumption per switch124W
Annual Power Consumption per switch124W*8760  hours = 1086240.00 Wh
Annual cost per switch1086.24kWh*0.38 AED/kWh = 412
Total 5 year power cost for 10 xToR  switches  [ AED]412*5*10 = 20600
Total 5 year power cost for 10 ToR  switches  [ USD]20600/3.67=5613.07$

OPEX- Power Calculation: Cisco-Nexus 93180YC-FX3

Typical Power consumption per switch325W
Annual Power Consumption per switch325W*8760 hours = 2847000Wh
Annual cost per switch2847 kWh*0.38 AED /kWh = 1081
Total 5 year power cost for 10 xToR  switches  [ AED]1081*5*10=54050
Total 5 year power cost for 10 ToR  switches  [ USD]54050/3.67=14727.52$

Below are the key assumptions and Notes

1As per Arista datasheet, its typical power consumption measured at 25C ambient with 50% load on all ports, excludes transceivers
2Cisco and Arista typical power values are from their switch’s datasheet
key Assumptions and Notes

Summary

Data centers are a major source of energy consumption. By investing in energy-efficient data center solutions, organizations can reduce their environmental impact and lower energy costs. Arista Network and Cisco Systems are both leading providers of data center solutions. Based on the calculation Cisco Switches’ power consumption price/utilization is 162% higher than Arista Network Switches. However please note that the power consumption of the switches varies based on its traffic load, performance capabilities, etc. Hence, you may see a difference in results if you test this in real time. We advise validating and reviewing the numbers and capability before buying. For more information and reading on the related solutions please refer to the Datacenter Networking Section.

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