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Cisco UCS B-Series vs Dell PowerEdge MX- Series comparison

Cisco and Dell Technologies are both solutions in the Blade Servers category. Cisco is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.4, while Dell Technologies is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.4. Cisco holds a 7.3% mindshare in Blade Servers, compared to Dell Technologies’s 14.7% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Dell Technologies users who would recommend it.
Cisco UCS B-Series
Read 74 Cisco UCS B-Series reviews
  • 1,089 Views
  • 1,056 Comparison Views
98% willing to recommend
Dell PowerEdge MX- Series
Read 26 Dell PowerEdge MX- Series reviews
  • 1,748 Views
  • 1,748 Comparison Views
95% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 2, 2025

Cisco UCS B-Series and Dell PowerEdge MX-Series compete in the server and data center category. Cisco UCS B-Series has the upper hand for its advanced integration and scalability features, while Dell PowerEdge MX-Series shines in ease of management and reliability.

Features: Cisco UCS B-Series offers flexibility with high-level integration with virtualization technologies and storage systems. Its stateless server architecture allows seamless scalability and easy management through UCS Manager. Dell PowerEdge MX-Series focuses on efficient administration and high availability, integrating seamlessly with existing servers and enhancing overall functionality.

Room for Improvement: Cisco UCS B-Series faces challenges with its complexity, requiring proficient deployment knowledge and considerable power and cooling preparations. It also relies on Java-based interfaces and has concerns with storage integration lag. Dell PowerEdge MX-Series could enhance VLAN configurations and provide broader chassis networking options, while also improving scalability with denser nodes. It still needs to catch up with advanced network integrations and strengthen its technical support.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both Cisco UCS B-Series and Dell PowerEdge MX-Series offer primarily on-premises deployment, with Cisco extending to hybrid cloud environments. Cisco's customer service is highly regarded for its technical support, although some users report response delays. Dell provides competitive support, though direct support may not be available in all regions.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco UCS B-Series is perceived as more expensive but offers strong ROI through enhanced usability and operational savings. It presents comprehensive pricing upfront but can become costly with additional licensing and fabric interconnects. Dell PowerEdge MX-Series is seen as more budget-friendly and cost-effective for scalable setups, although some components may be priced higher due to technical advancements.

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To learn more, read our detailed Cisco UCS B-Series vs. Dell PowerEdge MX- Series Report (Updated: September 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Cisco UCS B-Series vs. Dell PowerEdge MX- Series
September 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.6
Cisco UCS B-Series improved performance, reduced costs by 40%, and enabled management of 1600 servers with just two people.
Sentiment score
7.6
Dell PowerEdge MX-Series delivers impressive performance and ROI, with strong reliability and AI enhancements for automation and analysis.
Additionally, we achieved server consolidation, running multiple services on fewer servers without purchasing new ones, resulting in significant financial benefits.
For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco UCS B-Series report
We utilize AI technology with Dell PowerEdge M through a module known as CloudIQ, which provides automation and takes care of predictive analysis and reporting.
For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge MX- Series report
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.1
Cisco UCS B-Series support is praised for efficient, proactive service, though improvements are suggested for response times.
Sentiment score
6.9
Dell PowerEdge MX-Series support is praised for effectiveness but criticized for delays and lack of local specialist availability.
Cisco's technical support is highly helpful and responsive.
For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco UCS B-Series report
Regarding technical support from Dell, I find them to be one of the best support providers in the industry right now.
They provide excellent help when needed.
For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge MX- Series report
MB
AK
AB
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Cisco UCS B-Series excels in seamless scalability and integration, efficiently supporting thousands of servers for diverse industry needs.
Sentiment score
7.5
Dell PowerEdge MX-Series offers scalability and flexibility for medium to enterprise-level businesses, despite some hardware limitations.
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco UCS B-Series report
Regarding scalability, I can scale up to 64 enclosures, and each enclosure can hold around 7 blades.
For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge MX- Series report
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Cisco UCS B-Series is praised for its stability, reliability, and strong performance, with swift resolutions to occasional issues.
Sentiment score
7.8
The Dell PowerEdge MX-Series is highly reliable with minimal downtime, strong performance, excellent stability, and robust scalability.
The stability of Cisco UCS B-Series is impeccable, as it has been running smoothly without any need for maintenance.
For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco UCS B-Series report
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge MX- Series report
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco UCS B-Series requires improved user-friendliness, integration, pricing, storage management, and software update processes per user feedback.
Dell PowerEdge MX-Series needs improved boot times, chip reliability, scalability, and pricing with better connectivity, iDRAC access, and support.
Last year, we faced challenges with firmware upgrades, but they were quickly resolved with assistance from Cisco TAC.
For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco UCS B-Series report
In terms of potential room for improvement regarding Dell PowerEdge M, I would want to see something such as dense nodes and additional storage, as well as multiple network connectivity on the blades.
There are differences in security configurations, particularly in SNMP and SNMP3, between HP ILO and iDRAC.
For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge MX- Series report
MB
AK
AB
 

Setup Cost

Cisco UCS B-Series has high pricing, complex licensing, but offers discounts and long-term value through reliability and integration.
Dell PowerEdge MX-Series offers competitive pricing, starting around $10,000, with costs impacted by configuration and market.
The management software, Cisco One, is priced a bit high but still considered reasonable.
For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco UCS B-Series report
Sometimes Dell may be a little costlier, but that is considering the services and solutions we are providing, which can be adjustable.
For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge MX- Series report
 

Valuable Features

Cisco UCS B-Series provides centralized management, scalability, high memory, virtualization support, and reduced costs, enhancing efficiency and performance.
Dell PowerEdge MX-Series excels in performance, scalability, and manageability, offering efficiency and excellent support for virtualized environments.
Its administration capabilities provide easy access to performance reports, logs, and utilization data, which are essential for effective server management.
For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco UCS B-Series report
The ease of troubleshooting and managing through remote access, using tools like iDRAC, significantly saves me time.
If the customer is changing their network infrastructure from 1GB or 10GB to 25GB or 400GB, the MX7000 fabric switch can support that.
For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge MX- Series report
MB
AB
AK
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco UCS B-Series
Ranking in Blade Servers
4th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
74
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Dell PowerEdge MX- Series
Ranking in Blade Servers
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
26
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Blade Servers category, the mindshare of Cisco UCS B-Series is 7.3%, down from 9.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerEdge MX- Series is 14.7%, down from 19.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Blade Servers Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Dell PowerEdge MX- Series14.7%
Cisco UCS B-Series7.3%
Other78.0%
Blade Servers
 

Featured Reviews

DavidMbugua - PeerSpot reviewer
Reliable product with efficient automation capabilities
Cisco UCS B-Series manages various processes, including handling payments for over 650,000 growers, running group financials, managing human resources, and operating our main ERP system, SAP. The servers' resilience was particularly impactful. Even during power outages, the servers resumed operations from the last saved point without human intervention. The enhanced processing speed also allowed us to complete tasks that took two days in just one hour. The automation capabilities enhanced efficiency and facilitated integration with our networking components, particularly since we also used Cisco switches. The servers' security was reliable, and formal training on Cisco products made management easier. I rate the product an eight.
Read full review
Ravi Ramananda - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhance infrastructure automation and security with reliable hardware
PowerEdge has high functionality, especially for automation on the firmware, which allows us to receive alerts for issues. The service and support from Dell have been excellent, typically providing resolution within four hours. Security features were initially a significant attraction, as Dell offered a lot of in-built security. The hardware is stable, which is essential due to the low outage rates.
Read full review
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
11%
Performing Arts
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Healthcare Company
9%
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business20
Midsize Enterprise15
Large Enterprise41
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business12
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise10
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco UCS B-Series?
The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it is easily scalable.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco UCS B-Series?
Comparing Cisco UCS B-Series with traditional servers, while its initial cost may be slightly higher, it is not as expensive as Oracle Exadata, making it a worthwhile investment. It pays off in the...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Cisco UCS B-Series?
There is a need for Cisco UCS B-Series to evolve and scale vertically, particularly with the increasing data demands and the integration of AI, ensuring the solution remains certified and capable u...
See all answers
What do you like most about Dell PowerEdge M?
The best feature is the idrac tools, which allows me to manage/config the platform from the Linux level.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell PowerEdge M?
When rating Dell's pricing model, it varies case by case and configuration by configuration. Sometimes Dell may be a little costlier, but that is considering the services and solutions we are provi...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Dell PowerEdge M?
In terms of potential room for improvement regarding Dell PowerEdge M, I would want to see something such as dense nodes and additional storage, as well as multiple network connectivity on the blad...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Compared 15% of the time
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Compared 14% of the time
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HPE Synergy vs Dell PowerEdge MX- Series
Compared 30% of the time
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HPE Superdome X vs Dell PowerEdge MX- Series
Compared 22% of the time
Supermicro SuperBlade vs Dell PowerEdge MX- Series Logo
Supermicro SuperBlade vs Dell PowerEdge MX- Series
Compared 14% of the time
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Compared 12% of the time
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Fujitsu Primergy BX900 Series vs Dell PowerEdge MX- Series
Compared 7% of the time
More Dell PowerEdge MX- Series Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Cisco UCS B-Series
October 2025
Cisco UCS B-Series reportDownload Cisco UCS B-Series product report
Buyer's Guide
Dell PowerEdge MX- Series
October 2025
Dell PowerEdge MX- Series reportDownload Dell PowerEdge MX- Series product report
 

Also Known As

UCS B-Series, Unified Computing System B-Series
No data available
 

Overview

Based on Intel Xeon processor E7 and E5 product families, Cisco UCS B-Series Blade Servers work with virtualized and non-virtualized applications to increase: Performance, Energy efficiency, Flexibility and Administrator productivity.
Cisco

Dell PowerEdge MX-Series servers excel in high-density, high-performance computing, ideal for modular environments requiring efficient rack-scale solutions. They optimize space, power, and cooling while offering scalable architecture for diverse, demanding workloads.

PowerEdge MX-Series offers unmatched efficiency in high-performance computing infrastructures, leveraging a disaggregated architecture in the IR7000 rack. This approach separates power and cooling from nodes, enhancing flexibility and serviceability for AI, HPC, and large-scale virtualization. Featuring the latest processors and advanced interconnects, it supports robust scalability and superior performance, driving businesses to modernize their infrastructure confidently.

What are the standout features?
  • High Compute Density: Integrates compute nodes efficiently to optimize space.
  • Scalable Architecture: Adaptable configuration with disaggregated power and cooling.
  • iDRAC Management: Streamlines management, ensuring reliability and scalability.
  • OpenManage Integration: Enhances ease of use with centralized management tools.
What benefits and ROI can be expected?
  • Cost-Effectiveness: Offers consolidated hardware infrastructure with competitive pricing.
  • High Availability: Provides robust solutions with high uptime and reliability.
  • Adaptability: Evolves seamlessly with modern infrastructure demands.
  • Enhanced Security: Delivers robust security features for enterprise needs.

Dell PowerEdge MX-Series is extensively employed for virtualization, data center consolidation, and hyper-converged infrastructures. Widely adopted for storing virtualization on blade servers and handling compute tasks, it is a trusted foundation for diverse workloads like private clouds and scientific computing. Notably effective for data logging in solar power plants and delivering scalable infrastructure where compute and processing speed are critical, without dependence on traditional virtualization platforms.

Dell Technologies
 

Sample Customers

Aegean Motorway, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Anonymous Banking Group, Artoni Transporti, Bellevue, BH Telecom, Bowling Green State University, Children's Hospital Colorado, City of Biel, Dimension Data, Dualtec Cloud Builders, Hertz, Houston Methodist, Kuwait Petroleum Italia, Lufthansa Systems GmbH & Co.KG, Outscale, Sony Corporation, Talbots
Newport City Homes, Neuroblastoma and Medulloblastoma Translational Research Consortium (NMTRC), Georgian College, AgreeYa Solutions, IIHT Cloud Solutions, Arizona State University, AudienceScience, University of the Incarnate Word (UIW), The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), Holy Cross School
Buyer's Guide
Cisco UCS B-Series vs. Dell PowerEdge MX- Series
September 2025
Free Report: Cisco UCS B-Series vs. Dell PowerEdge MX- Series
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