Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary
Updated on Sep 1, 2022

We performed a comparison between Cisco UCS-C Series Rack Servers and Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers based on our users’ reviews in five categories. After reading all of the collected data, you can find our conclusion below.

  • Ease of Deployment: Users of both solutions feel that deployment is straightforward and easy.
  • Features: Users of both products are happy with their stability and scalability.

    Cisco UCS-C Series Rack Servers users like the solution’s performance, ease of use, and interface. Reviewers say its storage and AI capabilities could use improvement.

    Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers users say the solution has a good management system and is user friendly. Reviewers mention that the power efficiency of the program could be better.
  • Pricing: Cisco UCS-C Series Rack Servers users share mixed opinions on the solution’s pricing. Most of Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers’ users note that it is reasonably priced.
  • Service and Support: Cisco UCS-C Series Rack Servers users share mixed regarding the solution’s technical support. Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers’ users are satisfied with the support they receive.
  • ROI: Users of both solutions report seeing an ROI.

Comparison Results: Based on the parameters we compared, Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers seems to be a slightly preferable solution. All other things being more or less equal, our reviewers found Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers to be more affordable and to have better support.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers Report (Updated: March 2024).
772,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"It is very nice and stable with an easy administration GUI.""The VIC card is the most important feature.""The most valuable features of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers are integration and customization.""The technical support from Cisco is fine.""It has centralized our server management and allows us to treat servers like a pool of resources instead of discrete devices.""The most valuable features of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers are agileness, ease of operation, and manageability.""We have many people in my organization using Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers in the administration.""The hardware customization capabilities are great."

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"It is quite flexible when you use it.""Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are easy to manage and install, and it gives us a lot of time to do other things.""Using PowerEdge helped to reduce unplanned production downtime by 20% to 25%.""The iDRAC for remote access is the most useful feature because it's built into the machine. I can reboot them without having to be there physically. We do a lot of what we do remotely, and it handles that fine.""The server itself has the most stable updates. The patches and the updates will take you a long way before they release another one, so you aren't constantly doing more updates and upgrades.""We were running out of memory, and that was the first time we heard of a solution that supports a terabyte of core memory. That was the primary reason we got the first box. We've stayed with it since then because we have so many Dell workstations.""The initial setup is very good, not complex at all.""We can pull out elements and change them ourselves."

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Cons
"The price of the solution is problematic, not the solution itself. It could be less expensive.""Cisco UCS C-Series Rack could improve by selling storage. Cisco doesn't sell storage, which is a problem because some customers ask for storage. There are several brands in the market, such as HPE, and Dell EMC. However, Cisco doesn't have any storage. This is where the tension comes from buying this solution.""The C-Series is not designed to be as scalable. They are designed to have enough RAM and enough CPU on their own side. If you want scalability, it's better to choose the B-Series— the Blade Servers — because those are much more scalable with Fabric Interconnect.""The warranty and support periods should be extended.""The scalability of the product is an area of concern where Cisco needs to focus on making some improvements.""The product's stability and delivery time could be better.""On the contact center and video conferencing, I would definitely like to see more AI features. The AI features are key for us. You will find a lot of them in the cloud-based solution, but in the on-premises solution, they're hardly there. I would like to see the same AI features that are there in the cloud-based Cisco UC.""The initial setup could be easier."

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"The equipment is very good, but the price is a bit too high. In addition, their support for parts can be better.""The way we can manage the environment through the solution's GUI could be improved.""While I wouldn't call it a problem, physically mounting the servers into the rails that come with the servers can be a challenge. They could be engineered to be a little bit easier to use. It's not that significant, we can manage it, but you need at least two people to do it together because they're a bit heavy.""There needs to be more flexibility for business options.""We have experienced some challenges with iDRAC when upgrading firmware.""The scalability could improve. If you want more scalability and high availability, you will have to change to a solution similar to VxRail.""The servers get slower at the end of their life cycle. The technology needs to evolve.""There is a suggestion to potentially revisit pricing."

More Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "If they plan to expand their infrastructure in periods, then simply Cisco is not a good choice."
  • "​Best to buy all the blades configured for the same purposes of load balancing and failover or load shifting.​"
  • "Cisco is expensive, but we didn't look at the cost of the product. We were looking at reliability and support."
  • "This product is slightly more expensive when compared to others."
  • "This product is quite expensive and it would be better if it were cheaper."
  • "This solution is a little expensive."
  • "The solution could be more cost-effective."
  • "Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis, which is only $2,000 or $3,000."
  • More Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "Dell's solution was cheaper than HP's solution."
  • "It's not a very expensive solution."
  • "It is expensive. The price needs to be more competitive. Additional licenses are required to enable some of the features for scalability."
  • "The price of this solution is reasonable. It's very comparable to similar solutions."
  • "The server is a one-time purchase, but the support is on a subscription basis."
  • "It's a one-time licensing fee for the device and we pay a quota per year for the support."
  • "The licensing comes with a warranty."
  • "Dell EMC PowerEdge Rack Servers are very expensive."
  • More Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether the Dell EMC Poweredge or Lenovo Thinksystem rack servers were the better fit for us. We ultimately decided to go with Dell EMC Poweredge… more »
    Top Answer:It has helped us reduce unplanned downtime by 20% to 30%.
    Top Answer:We are quite satisfied with our latest configurations. We don't have big complaints at the moment. The response time could be better. Everyone is very busy nowadays. It's important to get issues… more »
    Ranking
    5th
    out of 22 in Rack Servers
    Views
    5,091
    Comparisons
    2,794
    Reviews
    13
    Average Words per Review
    332
    Rating
    8.4
    1st
    out of 22 in Rack Servers
    Views
    22,390
    Comparisons
    15,422
    Reviews
    100
    Average Words per Review
    764
    Rating
    8.9
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Unified Computing System C-Series, Cisco UCS C-Series
    PowerEdge R
    Learn More
    Cisco
    Video Not Available
    Overview

    UCS C-Series Rack Servers deliver unified computing in an industry-standard form factor to reduce TCO and increase agility. Each server addresses varying workload challenges through a balance of processing, memory, I/O, and internal storage resources.

    Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are designed to optimize performance and efficiency in a data center environment, supporting various applications. Based on user reviews, Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers supporting tasks from basic web hosting to more demanding applications like data analytics and virtualization. They are engineered to offer high performance, reliability, and scalability. With a focus on automation and integrated security, these servers simplify operations and protect against threats, making them a smart choice for businesses of all sizes.

    Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are a robust, secure, and scalable solution that can meet the diverse needs of businesses, backed by comprehensive support. Benefits to look for in reviews include performance, reliability, scalability, and customer support.

    Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers key features include:

    • Scalability: These servers can easily scale to meet growing business needs, supporting more workloads and processing power.
    • Integrated Security: From hardware to firmware to the operating system, Dell PowerEdge servers are designed with security in mind, offering layers of protection.
    • Energy Efficiency: Advanced thermal design and energy-smart technology help reduce operational costs and environmental impact.
    • Automation: With Dell EMC OpenManage, the management of servers is streamlined, allowing for automated deployment, monitoring, and updates.

    In terms of implementation, Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers are used across various industries, from small businesses to large enterprises. They serve as the foundation for IT infrastructure, powering critical applications in healthcare, finance, education, and more. The adaptability of these servers means they can be tailored to specific industry needs, from handling large datasets in research institutions to supporting high-transaction databases in financial services.

    Sample Customers
    Advanced Medical Transport, Aegean Motorway, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Artoni Transporti, BH Telecom, Bowling Green State University, City of Mississauga, Dualtec Cloud Builders, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS), Kind en Gezin, Kuwait Petroleum Italia, Nationwide, Quest, Talbots, University of St. Gallen
    NxtGen Datacenter, Medien-Service Untermain (MSU), Exasol, IndigoVision, Dayco
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm19%
    Comms Service Provider19%
    Computer Software Company13%
    Engineering Company6%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company25%
    Financial Services Firm7%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    University6%
    REVIEWERS
    Manufacturing Company20%
    Computer Software Company11%
    Comms Service Provider8%
    Financial Services Firm6%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company20%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    Government8%
    Comms Service Provider7%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business36%
    Midsize Enterprise21%
    Large Enterprise43%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business25%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise60%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business38%
    Midsize Enterprise22%
    Large Enterprise39%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business32%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise52%
    Buyer's Guide
    Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    772,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is ranked 5th in Rack Servers with 29 reviews while Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is ranked 1st in Rack Servers with 138 reviews. Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is rated 8.4, while Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is rated 8.8. The top reviewer of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers writes "The VIC card is the most important feature". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers writes "We get centralization, remote management, and good customer service with these servers". Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is most compared with HPE ProLiant DL Servers, Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers, Dell XR2 Rugged Server, HPE Synergy and IBM Power Systems, whereas Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers is most compared with Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers, HPE ProLiant DL Servers, IBM Power Systems, HPE Apollo and Huawei FusionServer RH Series Rack Servers. See our Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers report.

    See our list of best Rack Servers vendors.

    We monitor all Rack Servers reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.