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

Cisco and Dell Technologies are both solutions in the Rack Servers category. Cisco is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.8, while Dell Technologies is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.7. Cisco holds a 4.5% mindshare in Rack Servers, compared to Dell Technologies’s 1.4% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Dell Technologies users who would recommend it.

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Ser...

Read 29 Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers reviews

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1,896 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Dell PowerEdge FX

Read 13 Dell PowerEdge FX reviews

766 Views
458 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Ser...

Dell PowerEdge FX

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers and Dell PowerEdge FX are competitive server solutions. Cisco UCS C-Series appears to have the upper hand in cost-effectiveness and customer satisfaction, whereas Dell PowerEdge FX stands out for its advanced features.

Features: Cisco UCS C-Series emphasizes integration, scalability, and a seamless expansion capability, aligning with growing business demands. Dell PowerEdge FX's modular design allows for effortless configuration changes to suit varied workloads. Advanced management tools in Dell PowerEdge FX further enhance operational efficiency.

Room for Improvement: Cisco UCS C-Series could benefit from improved documentation and faster support response times. Dell PowerEdge FX users report complexity in initial configuration and ongoing maintenance tasks. Both products could refine their support and maintenance processes for better user experiences.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco UCS C-Series is recognized for straightforward deployment and dependable customer service, aiding in smooth organization-wide implementation. Despite a complicated initial setup, Dell PowerEdge FX offers expert support that helps mitigate these challenges, ensuring effective guidance throughout the deployment process.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco UCS C-Series is favored for its competitive setup costs and notable ROI, appealing to budget-focused organizations. Dell PowerEdge FX, with higher initial costs, delivers significant long-term value through enhanced capabilities. Cisco is viewed as more cost-effective upfront, while Dell's investment benefits are realized over time.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. Dell PowerEdge FX Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. Dell PowerEdge FX

March 2025

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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

5.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Density Optimized Servers (5th)

Dell PowerEdge FX

Ranking in Rack Servers

9th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

8.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Rack Servers category, the mindshare of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is 4.5%, down from 4.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerEdge FX is 1.4%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Rack Servers

Featured Reviews

Ehsan Emad

Head of IT at Synnapex

The VIC card is the most important feature.

I rate Cisco USC C-Series Rack Servers 10 out 10. If you plan to buy a C-Series, you should be clear about why you want to use it because the uses vary. different. Whether you're using Cisco, HPE, Dell or any other brand, it's essential to define your use case. For example, are you using it for a simulation graphics, calculations, etc.? Depending on the use case, you might want to go with a small server with more CPU. Sometimes you need a light CPU with a powerful GPU. For example, if we have a C-Series with four CPUs at the same time, or we have a server that's handled two CPUs at the same time—the purpose is crucial. C-Series is good enough compared to other competitors like HPE and the other ones. The HPE C20 is one unit and has a lot of RAM support, but the C-series is number one, in my opinion.

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MarcGaethofs

ICT manager at Thys Bouwprojecten

A highly stable product that seamlessly integrates with the storage portfolio and provides excellent technical support

We have a lot of questions during the order process. They get answered well. The machines are ready to go when we switch on the power. It will depend on our configuration. If we don't make an order with all the configuration specs in it, we’ll get nothing. We will have to do it all by ourselves. Which isn't a problem, but it will take longer. The solution is deployed on-premise, but we're transitioning to more hybrid solutions. We have a team for storage and connectivity. We also have a team for switching and networking. We need three to five enterprise system engineers to build a normal-sized cluster with 500 users. We also need a project manager.

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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 feature of this solution is the expansion and replacement of parts."

"The product's stability is good. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine to ten out of ten."

"The hardware customization capabilities are great."

"It is very nice and stable with an easy administration GUI."

"The C-series is the most valuable."

"We have many people in my organization using Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers in the administration."

"In terms of the features that I have found most valuable, that is basically the hardware, which is more dynamic."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is performance."

More Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers pros

"It is a scalable solution. My company hasn't faced any difficulties related to the product's performance and scalability since Dell ensures to provide a high-performance service."

"The most valuable feature of Dell PowerEdge FX is you can customize the solution to your specifications, such as speed. Additionally, part orders are shipped and received quickly when a part needs to be replaced."

"The best feature is PowerEdge's ability to stack up eight blade servers in one 2U chassis."

"The remote management is great."

"My advice to new users evaluating Dell PowerEdge FX is that it is definitely value for money, and you should consider it for purchase."

"The console and user-friendly UI of Dell PowerEdge FX are the most valuable features. Its interface is easy to understand even for non-technical users."

"The features that I have found most valuable are that it has very robust servers and a very heavy load. We've been working on servers now for 10 years and those servers are still up and running. Those servers are still very powerful until today."

"We like PowerEdge for its high-performance computing architecture."

More Dell PowerEdge FX pros

Cons

"The improvement should be done as per customer requirements."

"The scalability of the product is an area of concern where Cisco needs to focus on making some improvements."

"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 solution needs more capacity and more scalability."

"The product must add customer-friendly monitoring features."

"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."

"Some customers have complained about delivery time. So, the main weakness is the lead time."

"The only thing I would change is to provide more proactive support."

More Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers cons

"It should have more simplified management. It is a common problem where vendors think that they have simplified a solution, but the users don't look at it in the same way. A vendor thinks that there are only ten steps for a task, but we consider them as many steps. It should also have more support for NVMe. For high performance and speed, there should also be more network cards for the fiber channel and ethernet."

"I would prefer the next releases of Dell PowerEdge FX to be easier to use and flexible to upgrade. Sometimes, we have to do the tasks manually, but automation would be very helpful."

"The product must provide more integration."

"There are times when a part might break down and we need to have Dell replace it."

"I rate Dell support six out of 10. It varies. Sometimes it's good. Sometimes it's bad. The response time could be better."

"When it comes to Dell PowerEdge FX, the area of concern revolves around the delivery time where improvements are required."

"The system is good, but compared to open-source and assembled servers, it is somewhat costly."

"I don't have any technical issues, but I would like to see the commercial side improve as compared to all other OEMs."

More Dell PowerEdge FX cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the Cisco UCS C-Series Rack could improve. It's a little more expensive in comparison with Dell or HPE solutions."

"Cisco is expensive, but we didn't look at the cost of the product. We were looking at reliability and support."

"This solution is a little expensive."

"This product is slightly more expensive when compared to others."

"Best to buy all the blades configured for the same purposes of load balancing and failover or load shifting."

"The price of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is high."

"The solution could be more cost-effective."

"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."

More Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers pricing and cost advice

"The cost of Dell PowerEdge FX depends on the configuration we are using. We usually pay $5,000 to $10,000 based on the configuration, including RAM and storage."

"The price of the license is expensive."

"The price of Dell PowerEdge FX is affordable, and when compared to other solutions, such as Lenovo and HPE it is less expensive. There are any extra costs other than the standard solution."

"Payments are generally made towards the perpetual-based licensing costs attached to the solution, but people can also opt for subscription-based licenses."

"I rate the product price a four on a scale of one to ten, where one is a high price, and ten is a low price."

"Compared to other brands, this solution is the cheapest. I would rate the pricing as a five out of five."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

20%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

University

Manufacturing Company

19%

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

Legal Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers?

The C-series is the most valuable.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers?

The solution is moderately priced.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers?

The improvement should be done as per customer requirements.

See all answers

What do you like most about Dell PowerEdge FX?

The product's initial setup phase was simple and easy.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell PowerEdge FX?

I rate the product price a four on a scale of one to ten, where one is a high price, and ten is a low price.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Dell PowerEdge FX?

When it comes to Dell PowerEdge FX, the area of concern revolves around the delivery time where improvements are required.

See all answers

Comparisons

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

Compared 57% of the time

HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers

Compared 24% of the time

Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers vs Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers

Compared 9% of the time

HPE Synergy vs Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers

Compared 3% of the time

HPE Moonshot vs Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers

Compared 2% of the time

More Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers Competitors

Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers vs Dell PowerEdge FX

Compared 36% of the time

HPE Apollo Systems vs Dell PowerEdge FX

Compared 28% of the time

Lenovo Edge Servers vs Dell PowerEdge FX

Compared 16% of the time

Oracle SPARC Servers vs Dell PowerEdge FX

Compared 12% of the time

HPE Moonshot vs Dell PowerEdge FX

Compared 8% of the time

More Dell PowerEdge FX Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers

April 2025

Download Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers product report

Buyer's Guide

Dell PowerEdge FX

April 2025

Download Dell PowerEdge FX product report

Also Known As

Unified Computing System C-Series, Cisco UCS C-Series

PowerEdge FX

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.

Cisco

The PowerEdge FX converged architecture gives enterprises the flexibility to tailor their IT infrastructure to specific workloads, and the ability to scale and adapt that infrastructure as needs change over time. PowerEdge FX helps deliver the agility, flexibility and secure foundation that businesses need to simplify operations and increase business results.

Dell Technologies

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

Tracewell, Govers, AXA ASSISTANCE ITALIA

Buyer's Guide

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. Dell PowerEdge FX

March 2025

Free Report: Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. Dell PowerEdge FX

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