Market update · 7 October 2026
AI networking is running short.
Network cards, switches and optics are getting harder to buy. Here is what the supply chain is telling us this month, the part numbers most at risk, and what to do about it.
What we are hearing
Three pressure points
Network cards
- ConnectX-6 and ConnectX-7 lead times are running at 3 to 6 months.
- DPU lead times are poor, so buyers are moving to ConnectX cards and adding to the demand.
- A shortage of ConnectX-7 200G and 400G cards is expected in early 2027.
Switches
- We are hearing of discount pricing being withdrawn on AI data-centre switches.
- Buyers who lose their discount are paying around 10% more.
- The cause is short supply, long lead times and rising demand.
Optical transceivers
- NVIDIA transceivers are quoted at 38 to 52+ weeks.
- Demand for 1.6T optics is forecast to more than double, from 33 million units in 2026 to 71 million in 2027.
- The squeeze is inside the module: DSP chips, lasers and substrates.
Lead times and price movements are as reported to us by the supply chain in October 2026. They change quickly and differ by part and by buyer. The 1.6T forecast is from reported Goldman Sachs estimates, September 2026.
Most at risk
Part numbers flagged very high and high risk
Flagged for supply risk since 1 August 2026, highest first. Send us any of these part numbers, or your own list, and a director replies within one working day with price and lead time.
| Part number | What it is | Supply risk | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCX623106AN-CDAT | NVIDIA ConnectX-6 Dx network card, 2-port 100GbE, QSFP56 | Very high | Request price |
| MCX755106AS-HEAT | NVIDIA ConnectX-7 network card, 2-port 200GbE or NDR200 InfiniBand, QSFP112 | Very high | Request price |
| MCX75310AAS-NEAT | NVIDIA ConnectX-7 network card, 1-port 400GbE or NDR InfiniBand, OSFP | Very high | Request price |
| MCX631102AN-ADAT | NVIDIA ConnectX-6 Lx network card, 2-port 25GbE, SFP28 | Very high | Request price |
| 920-9N42F-00RI-3C1 SN5610 |
NVIDIA Spectrum-4 SN5610 switch, 64-port 800GbE | Very high | Request price |
| 920-9B36F-00RX-8S0 Q3400-RA |
NVIDIA Quantum-X800 Q3400-RA InfiniBand switch, 144 ports of 800Gb/s | Very high | Request price |
| MMA1Z00-NS400 | NVIDIA LinkX 400G SR4 transceiver, QSFP112, multimode | Very high | Request price |
| MCX623436AN-CDAB | NVIDIA ConnectX-6 Dx network card, OCP 3.0, 2-port 100GbE | Very high | Request price |
| MMS4A20-XM800 | NVIDIA LinkX 800G DR4 transceiver, single-port OSFP, single-mode | Very high | Request price |
| MSN2201-CB2RC 920-9N110-00R1-0C0 |
NVIDIA Spectrum SN2201 switch, 48 x 1G plus 4 x 100GbE | High | Request price |
| MSN4700-WS2RC | NVIDIA Spectrum-3 SN4700 switch, 32-port 400GbE | High | Request price |
| MMS1V00-WM | NVIDIA LinkX 400GbE DR4 transceiver, QSFP-DD | High | Request price |
| MMS1V70-CM | NVIDIA LinkX 100GbE DR1 transceiver, QSFP28 | High | Request price |
| MMS4A00-XM | NVIDIA LinkX 1.6T transceiver, twin-port OSFP, 2xDR4 | High | Request price |
| 05-50077-00 | Broadcom MegaRAID 9560-16i RAID controller | High | Request price |
| 05-50077-01 | Broadcom MegaRAID 9560-8i RAID controller | High | Request price |
| 05-50123-00 | Broadcom MegaRAID 9670-24i RAID controller | High | Request price |
| 05-50148-00 | Broadcom MegaRAID 9540-2M2 boot controller for two M.2 drives | High | Request price |
| 05-50148-03 | Broadcom MegaRAID boot controller for two M.2 drives | High | Request price |
What to do now
Three moves to make this month
01
Order the network with the servers
Not after. The network can now take longer to arrive than the GPUs.
02
Buy optics with the switches
Optics have the longest wait. Put them on the first order, with the cables.
03
Line up a second source
Send us the part numbers early, before you need them.
Send us your part numbers.
NVIDIA network cards, switches and optics, sourced to order. Send the part numbers and quantities, or the networking section of your bill of materials. A director replies within one working day.
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