No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.

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

Why PeerSpot?
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 2026

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 E-Series Servers
Ranking in Blade Servers
12th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Dell PowerEdge C- Series
Ranking in Blade Servers
4th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
42
Ranking in other categories
Density Optimized Servers (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Blade Servers category, the mindshare of Cisco UCS E-Series Servers is 3.7%, up from 3.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerEdge C- Series is 5.4%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Blade Servers Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Dell PowerEdge C- Series5.4%
Cisco UCS E-Series Servers3.7%
Other90.9%
Blade Servers
 

Featured Reviews

AK
Solution Architect at COPYCAT LIMITED
Automation and integration capabilities streamline IT infrastructure management
The most valuable feature of Cisco UCS E-Series Servers is the Cisco interface. The server management and automation capabilities have been outstanding in automation, greatly benefiting our IT team. Pricing is acceptable, and these servers have had a significant impact on cost savings and operational efficiency. The integration with Cisco routers simplifies the IT infrastructure.
Sanjay Singh Bisht - PeerSpot reviewer
Assistant Manager at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees
High-density servers have maximized compute efficiency and have powered critical workloads reliably
Regarding how Dell PowerEdge C- Series can be improved, I would highlight a couple of areas. While it's excellent for dense and scale-out workloads, it isn't perfect for every scenario, and the complex I/O and component upgrades pose challenges since each server node is compressed into a narrow removable sled, making physical space inside the node tight. Replacing components requires pulling the entire node out and dismantling the protective casing. PCI expansion is also limited compared to standard 2U single-node servers such as the PowerEdge R700 series, which can hold up to eight PCI slots. Dell PowerEdge C- Series typically supports only two to three slots, restricting the addition of multiple specialized network interface cards. Finally, the initial capital expenditure is heavy; acquiring a PowerEdge C chassis and its multiple sleds requires significant upfront commitment, making it less cost-efficient if you need one or two nodes now, as you generally need to commit to the ecosystem upfront.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The product is overall stable."
"Cisco has better visibility and manageability for disaster recovery."
"The most valuable features are that they are efficient and easy to setup."
"What I can advise other prospective customers is that they should not worry about Cisco's support, stability, and performance."
"The server management and automation capabilities have been outstanding in automation, greatly benefiting our IT team."
"Overall, the Cisco chassis is pretty good, pretty stable and easier to configure as compared to HP and others."
"Stability-wise, it is a good product that remains stable."
"The product's most valuable features are stability, speed, and scalability."
"The scalability of the product is good since it offers high performance and capacity."
"Dell PowerEdge C- Series has positively impacted our organization; due to hardware reduction, we have significantly decreased the infrastructure capital because a single 2U chassis houses up to four independent server nodes, effectively reducing the number of physical racks, PDUs, or the top-of-rack switch we need to buy."
"Dell PowerEdge C- Series is a contemporary solution and the best solution."
"I appreciate the reliability, as they perform exceptionally well and we never experience any issues with them."
"The hybrid solution is much more stable than other products."
"Using Dell PowerEdge C- Series has helped to reduce unplanned production downtime because we configure it redundantly with redundant configurations."
"Since we changed to Dell PowerEdge C- Series, we have not encountered any downtime or hardware crash in the last two to three years, which has been very helpful for me."
"I do not see any regular issues coming up from Dell PowerEdge C- Series, and even though we run them on virtualized platforms, they are quite consistent, and we do not find many issues with respect to hardware."
 

Cons

"It is not a solution that is cloud ready."
"One thing that could be improved is the cost - it is very high for this Blade chassis as compared to other vendors. Especially in Asia. Asian customers mostly prefer a cost effective, cheaper solution."
"The platform's pricing needs improvement. There could be more collaborative tools included."
"The processing capacity could be improved."
"I think that's probably one of the biggest failure points with Cisco, from their documentation all the way to their products."
"The product should also be available in a standard edition or a standard license since currently there is a need to pay for an extra license, which is very expensive, especially when considering the budgeting part of our company."
"The biggest pain point for us is the matrix for the firmware upgrades. It is a pain. You look at that thing, you might as well be reading Greek. It would be a whole lot better if they could clean up their documentation on it."
"The tool must be made compatible with multi-vendor ecosystems."
"The current memory could be improved."
"I am uncertain about the return on investment and whether I have seen a return on investment with Dell PowerEdge C- Series."
"Using Dell PowerEdge C- Series has not affected the overall flexibility of my operations or business."
"Dell PowerEdge C- Series can be improved in a couple of ways. While it is a powerhouse for dense and scale-out workloads, the complex I/O and component upgrades due to each server node being compressed into a narrow removable sled make parts replacement difficult."
"It would be easier if data center management and disaster recovery were combined."
"Its customer service could be better."
"For improvements, the iDRAC application isn't very intuitive to handle."
"Cost is an important factor needing improvement. The pricing of PowerEdge solutions is very high nowadays."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is expensive."
"The pricing of the solution is reasonable. From a commercial point of view, the prices are okay."
"It's expensive, they are quite pricey."
"There is a need to pay towards the licensing costs of the solution. The most expensive server from Cisco is Cisco UCS B-Series."
"The solution is expensive."
"I would rate the pricing 4 out of 10, in terms of its cost expense."
"There is a need to pay towards the annual subscription-based licensing model offered by the solution. The product is moderately priced. Price is a critical issue, and it is always good to have moderately priced solutions."
"The product costs can be high, especially for disks and other components."
"I don't handle the financial aspects, so I don't know the exact costs, but in terms of the value it brings, it's worth it."
"The price could be reduced."
"When we talk about pricing it is the cheapest on the market that I have found."
"PowerEdge C is a reasonably priced product, and the pricing depends on how many years you need the product. The cost also includes the support."
"The licensing cost of PowerEdge C is very high."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Blade Servers solutions are best for your needs.
920,929 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
17%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Outsourcing Company
7%
Outsourcing Company
23%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise5
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business27
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise15
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco UCS E-Series Servers?
The pricing of Cisco UCS E-Series Servers is okay, costing around 30,000 per year. Support is included in this cost.
What needs improvement with Cisco UCS E-Series Servers?
I would like to see improvements in VMware integration with Cisco, especially in terms of documentation and integration tools. Support of NVIDIA integration would also make it better.
What is your primary use case for Cisco UCS E-Series Servers?
I use Cisco UCS E-Series Servers ( /products/cisco-ucs-e-series-servers-reviews ) for managing our IT infrastructure and supporting AI-driven projects. The integration with Cisco routers simplifies...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for PowerEdge C?
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Dell PowerEdge C- Series is that so far, it is acceptable.
What needs improvement with PowerEdge C?
The product is very good, and I believe it can be improved, but I have nothing else to add.
What is your primary use case for PowerEdge C?
My main use case for Dell PowerEdge C- Series is for AI applications. I am currently using ChatGPT as a specific example of an AI application I'm running on Dell PowerEdge C- Series. Using ChatGPT ...
 

Also Known As

UCS E-Series Servers
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Navaho,  MiroNet AG, Columbia Sportswear
NxtGen Datacenter, Medien-Service Untermain (MSU), Exasol, IndigoVision, Dayco
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco UCS E-Series Servers vs. Dell PowerEdge C- Series and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
920,929 professionals have used our research since 2012.