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

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 26, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Ser...
Ranking in Rack Servers
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
4.3
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
Density Optimized Servers (3rd)
Dell PowerEdge XE-Series
Ranking in Rack Servers
10th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Rack Servers category, the mindshare of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is 5.0%, up from 4.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerEdge XE-Series is 1.1%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rack Servers Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers5.0%
Dell PowerEdge XE Servers1.1%
Other93.9%
Rack Servers
 

Featured Reviews

Berthold Manz - PeerSpot reviewer
Seamless server transitions enhance IT infrastructure for AI projects and improve management capabilities
If you are integrated into the Cisco management solution, it is very easy to handle. The performance aspects of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers are very strong. The ability to move from one server to another without changing anything is excellent. We can transfer all the identity of the servers between the servers.
Muzammil Nasim - PeerSpot reviewer
We're hardly using 15 percent of their computing power, so there's a lot left over that we could utilize
It should be easier to extend PowerEdge XE servers. We haven't architected them with an eye toward scalability. They have a fixed number of slots for hard drives, which is enough for our present use case, However, we would have more options if we could extend that. We could deploy the servers in a broader range of use cases with different requirements. It's fine for our current deployment with only a few thousand users. We're exploring other solutions like such as VxRail or PowerFlex for larger public-facing use cases.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The server can be configured easily."
"In most cases, computes compute, and there isn't much differentiation, but one point of differentiation is Intersight cloud management."
"The VIC card is the most important feature."
"The most valuable feature of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack is the use of databases, such as MySQL."
"We have many people in my organization using Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers in the administration."
"The most valuable feature of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is server management."
"The solution is easily scalable."
"The C-series is the most valuable."
"Its reliability and consistency are most valuable."
"In general, it works well. We haven't had issues."
"The most valuable feature is that it can support up to 32 drives of internal storage."
"The most valuable feature of these servers is the ability to store a lot—the capacity and the number of hard disk drives."
"The most valuable feature is the trusted platform module."
"The resource management features are valuable."
"The solution is flexible in my experience."
"PowerEdge XE servers are high-performing. We're hardly using 15 percent of their computing power, so there's a lot left over that we could utilize."
 

Cons

"The scalability of the product is an area of concern where Cisco needs to focus on making some improvements."
"I think the pricing is high. Cisco has to look for bundling this solutions with other applications."
"The warranty and support periods should be extended."
"Its accessibility and manageability can be improved. Currently, we have to visit the office to manage it. It should be manageable outside our network. I would like it to be on the cloud."
"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."
"There is room for better integration with other brands."
"The pricing is too high and no discounts are available for our country."
"The solution needs more capacity and more scalability."
"It should be easier to extend PowerEdge XE servers. We haven't architected them with an eye toward scalability. They have a fixed number of slots for hard drives, which is enough for our present use case, However, we would have more options if we could extend that. We could deploy the servers in a broader range of use cases with different requirements. It's fine for our current deployment with only a few thousand users. We're exploring other solutions like such as VxRail or PowerFlex for larger public-facing use cases."
"Dell PowerEdge XE Servers can improve by adapting HCI technology."
"The quality and reliability could be improved."
"I would like to have support for performing a detailed analysis of the server from a mobile device."
"It is mostly stable, but the usual problem would be, for example, upgrading to a newer version of VMware or dealing with compatibility issues during the process."
"We use OpenManager a lot, and that can be a bit clunky at times. They can make that better."
"Upgrading can be a bit difficult."
"In future releases, there should be more support options for the latest processor."
 

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.​"
"We have to pay for the VMware and Cisco licenses."
"This product is slightly more expensive when compared to others."
"The server itself isn't costly at all, but the CPU and the RAM can be pretty expensive. You can buy a UCS for $2,000, but the RAM and CPU can cost up to $80,000. The most expensive asset is the intel processor, but it depends on how many cores you want and the technology you want to use on your CPU, like Hyper-V, etc."
"The price of the Cisco UCS C-Series Rack could improve. It's a little more expensive in comparison with Dell or HPE solutions."
"The price of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is approximately 20 percent more than other solutions."
"The price for Cisco is a bit higher than its competitors. We paid 40k for one server."
"Dell has competitive pricing."
"You always want slightly cheaper, but overall, they are quite comparable and quite neutral."
"The pricing model is quite competitive."
"This solution is priced very reasonably."
"There are different types of licensing available, that works well for customers. The product is not very much to purchase."
"If you want an SLA for parts and equipment then you need to purchase a support agreement."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Retailer
8%
Comms Service Provider
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise13
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise3
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers?
I may not be the right person to comment on advanced improvements because we are just using basic functionalities. We are getting all the functionalities which we used to get in other OEM rack serv...
What do you like most about Dell PowerEdge XE Servers?
The resource management features are valuable.
What needs improvement with Dell PowerEdge XE Servers?
The support team must improve the speed of response. The product should be promoted more in the market.
 

Also Known As

Unified Computing System C-Series, Cisco UCS C-Series
PowerEdge XE Servers
 

Overview

 

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
Epsilon, ROZETTA CORP, JIGUANG, RACKSPACE, NEW BELGIUM BREWING
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. Dell PowerEdge XE-Series and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
866,218 professionals have used our research since 2012.