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Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs IBM Power Systems comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

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)
IBM Power Systems
Ranking in Rack Servers
4th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
3.9
Number of Reviews
71
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 IBM Power Systems is 9.0%, up from 8.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
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.
Rohintan-Karanjia - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers security features, including HIPs, Postgres, intrusion prevention systems, and AI for specific tasks
We've found that sometimes, certain setups require better servers. Ideally, the next level of model that IBM offers would be perfect for those situations. Sometimes, the availability of additional services can be a challenge for some software. Certain IBM software takes time to deliver to the client. It can be slow. So deployment is an area for improvement.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable features of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers are agileness, ease of operation, and manageability."
"The product's stability is good. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine to ten out of ten."
"It has centralized our server management and allows us to treat servers like a pool of resources instead of discrete devices."
"The solution is stable."
"The server can be configured easily."
"It is very stable and easy to use. It integrates easily with Cisco's cloud-based UC solutions. There are tools for management that make the management a bit easier, but we don't use them. We don't use what you would term as power users."
"The initial setup is straightforward and easy to do."
"The processors are so strong that they can deliver AI solutions without any additional GPU card, but we are also using some GPUs, which surely gives even better results."
"Power runs our resilient data systems, our high-end databases, stuff that can't go down."
"On the security side, we get regular security patch updates and system hardening. There are free tools available to harden the system."
"The most valuable feature of IBM Power Systems is its performance."
"IBM Power Systems' best features are its reliability, resilience, and performance per rack unit."
"The best features of the solution are its robustness and service level."
"The SMT that they've improved has really helped open up boundaries for other applications that can use it."
"BM Power Systems get updated every two years and are scalable and stable."
"We have had a good experience with the technical support team at IBM."
 

Cons

"Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers could improve by adding a wider portfolio because they only have two main categories, the C-220 and 240. There is no wide range of options as other solutions have, such as Dell. Additionally, if it was more flexible with the configuration it would be good."
"Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers could improve integration with third-party solutions."
"I would like to see a little more integration with VMware."
"The product's stability and delivery time could be better."
"Technical support could be more responsive."
"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 solution needs more capacity and more scalability."
"There is very little scalability for the cluster. If you need a higher availability, there is a user limitation. So that is the low side."
"Sometimes, the availability of additional services can be a challenge. Certain IBM software takes time to deliver to the client. It can be slow."
"I think IBM needs a little more work on managing the overall environment with eliminating Systems Director."
"Everyone likes speed. Not that speed has been an issue up until now but you can never be too fast."
"I think the cost should be cheaper."
"The pricing is high."
"I would like to see the scaling model improved so it's not just either tiny or huge."
"The price has room for improvement."
"One of the main challenges with IBM Power Systems is the functionality of live partnership mobility."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis, which is only $2,000 or $3,000."
"This product is slightly more expensive when compared to others."
"The pricing is expensive."
"The price of the Cisco UCS C-Series Rack could improve. It's a little more expensive in comparison with Dell or HPE solutions."
"My company has an agreement with Cisco to get discounted rates. It is one of the reasons why we chose the product."
"The price of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is high."
"The solution is expensive and I give the price a four out of ten."
"The price of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is approximately 20 percent more than other solutions."
"IBM Power is more expensive than other rack-mount servers, and you have to have a license for everything, including cores and memory."
"There is a yearly licensing cost, and it's an expensive solution."
"The price of the solution could be somewhat better and this is what lowers my rating of it to a seven or eight out of ten."
"It is designed for a large workload, as opposed to a small workload. For our circumstances, and even as an independent, I can't buy a Power system to experiment on. It can't happen. You cannot buy them."
"The price of the solution depends upon the configuration part of it. Based on what configuration you want to go for it, there is a range like IBM Power Systems POWER9 and IBM Power Systems Power10."
"IBM Power Systems is very expensive."
"Its price is too high."
"The cost model is great. There is so much built in to the technology, that if you know how to use it you can save yourself a lot of money."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Energy/Utilities Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

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 IBM Power Systems?
IBM Power Systems provides very good performance and stability compared to other brands or processors.
What needs improvement with IBM Power Systems?
There are definitely areas for improvement, but that's not really from the technological side of things. I rarely find any people with Power skills on the market. When I get young people from unive...
What is your primary use case for IBM Power Systems?
I use IBM Power Systems for online transactional processing, and in parts, also for online analytical processing. We mainly use IBM Power Systems' IBMI, which is an operating system with an integra...
 

Also Known As

Unified Computing System C-Series, Cisco UCS C-Series
IBM OpenPOWER LC
 

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
Cipher
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. IBM Power Systems and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.