tl;dr: The Dell PowerSwitch Z9964 Series revolutionizes AI networking with unmatched speed, efficiency, and scalability. Featuring 1.6TbE ports and advanced software, it eliminates bottlenecks, reduces costs, and simplifies management. Designed for future growth, it empowers organizations to scale AI ambitions sustainably while unlocking transformative innovation. Build the network of tomorrow, today. Your guide to Dell AI Factory starts here.
The age of artificial intelligence is here, reshaping industries and creating new possibilities for human progress. From training complex machine learning models to powering data-driven business strategies, the conduit behind this transformation is the network. To unlock the full potential of AI, organizations need an infrastructure that can handle massive data flows without interruption. It’s not just about being faster; it’s about building a smarter, more efficient foundation for innovation.
Enter the Dell PowerSwitch Z9964F-ON and Z9964FL-ON. More than a simple upgrade, these switches mark a leap forward in networking for AI and ML workloads. Their performance and efficiency enable businesses and
service providers to build the robust AI fabrics needed to turn ambitious ideas into reality. Let’s explore how this technology sets a new standard and prepares your organization for what’s next.
Pushing the boundaries of network performance
AI workloads, like training large language models, require an enormous amount of data to move between GPUs seamlessly. Any bottleneck can bring progress to a halt, wasting valuable time and resources. The PowerSwitch Z9964 Series is engineered to eliminate these barriers, providing the bandwidth and capacity to keep your most demanding applications running smoothly.
Doubling Down on Speed with 1.6TbE
At the heart of the PowerSwitch Z9964 Series is the powerful Broadcom® Tomahawk™-6 ASIC chipset, which enables a total switching capacity of 102.4Tbps. This incredible performance is delivered with 64 ports of 1.6Tbps Ethernet (1.6TbE), a groundbreaking speed that provides the bandwidth needed for data-intensive environments. For organizations building out GPU clusters, this translates to faster model training, quicker insights, and a significant competitive advantage.
This new level of performance isn’t just about the top-end bandwidth. The switches also offer incredible flexibility with breakout capabilities, allowing for up to 512 ports running at 200Gbps. This ensures that whether you are scaling a hyperscale data center or building a specialized AI fabric, the network can adapt to your specific needs without compromise.
A smarter design: How to do more with less
Building infrastructure for AI at scale has traditionally been a complex and costly endeavor. Supporting tens of thousands of GPUs requires multi-layered networks with a vast number of switches and optical connections, driving up both capital expenses and ongoing power consumption. The PowerSwitch Z9964 Series changes this equation by enabling streamlined and efficient network architecture.
A real-world example: Increased size for two-tier spine-leaf networks
The PowerSwitch Z9864F-ON (powered by the Tomahawk 5 ASIC) supports the following radixes:
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- Radix 64 at the 800GE speed;
- Radix 128 at the 400GE speed; and
- Radix 256 at the 200GE speed.
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- 2048 (2K) endpoints at the 800GE speed;
- 8192 (8K) endpoints at the 400GE speed; and
- 32768 (32K) endpoints at the 200GE speed.
To compare, the PowerSwitch Z9964F-ON (powered by the Ultra Ethernet compliant Tomahawk 6 ASIC) supports the following radixes:
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- Radix 64 and the 1.6TE speed;
- Radix 128 at the 800GE speed;
- Radix 256 at the 400GE speed; and
- Radix 512 at the 200GE speed.
Therefore, the PowerSwitch Z9964F-ON allows building two-tier networks supporting:
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- 2048 (2K) endpoints at the 1.6TE speed;
- 8192 (8K) endpoints at the 800GE speed;
- 32768 (32K) endpoints at the 400GE speed; and
- 131072 (128K) endpoints at the 200GE speed.
The increased radix enables replacing three-tier networks with two-tier networks. By eliminating an entire layer of switches, the benefits are immediate and substantial:
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- Fewer Switches and Racks: A two-tier design requires significantly fewer physical switches (by 66.7%), networking racks needed to be deployed, reducing your initial hardware investment.
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- Reduced Optics and Cabling: With fewer connections needed between network tiers, you save considerably on expensive optics (by 40%).
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- Lower Power and Cooling Costs: Fewer devices mean less power consumed and less heat generated, leading to major operational savings and a smaller carbon footprint. Furthermore, for environments where heat and energy efficiency are top priorities, the Z9964FL-ON model features direct liquid cooling (DLC). This design ensures optimal operating temperatures even in dense AI/ML deployments, contributing to greater reliability and lower operational costs.
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- Simplified Management: A less complex network is easier to deploy, manage, and troubleshoot, freeing up your IT teams to focus on innovation.
This ability to support up to 131,072 endpoints in a two-tier fabric empowers organizations to scale their AI ambitions efficiently and sustainably.
Built for flexibility and future growth
The technology landscape is always evolving, and a network built for today must be ready for the challenges of tomorrow. The PowerSwitch Z9964 Series was designed with adaptability at its core, ensuring your investment is protected for the long term.
Multi-Rate Support for Seamless Transitions: One of the standout features of these switches is their multi-rate capability. The ports can support a wide range of speeds, including 100GbE, 200GbE, 400GbE, 800GbE, and the full 1.6TbE. This flexibility allows you to modernize your network at your own pace. You can connect to existing infrastructure today while knowing you have the capacity to upgrade to higher speeds in the future without replacing the entire switch.
Advanced Software for an Intelligent Network: Hardware is only half the story. The Z9964 Series is powered by Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies, an open-source network operating system that delivers advanced routing, deep observability, and powerful automation. This software gives you the granular control and insight needed to optimize performance, detect potential issues before they cause downtime, and automate routine management tasks.
The new data highway to AI
Strategically modernizing your network is the first step toward unlocking boundless AI innovation. The Dell PowerSwitch Z9964F-ON and Z9964FL-ON provide the powerful, efficient, and flexible foundation needed to support your most ambitious AI-driven strategies.
This isn’t just about adding another piece of hardware to your data center as part of the Dell AI Factory. It’s about empowering your organization to achieve what was previously impossible. With the PowerSwitch Z9964 Series, you can build the network of the future and start realizing the transformative power of AI today.
Ready to build a network that can keep pace with your AI ambitions? Join us at SuperComputing 2025, Dell booth #1827, or visit us at www.dell.com/networking to learn how the Dell PowerSwitch Z9964 Series can redefine the capabilities of your IT environment.
