Cisco UCS B-Series vs Dell PowerEdge M comparison

Cisco and Dell Technologies are both solutions in the Blade Servers category. Cisco is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.3, while Dell Technologies is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.3. Cisco holds a 8.3% mindshare in Blade Servers, compared to Dell Technologies’s 17.7% 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

1,158 Views
1,135 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

Dell PowerEdge M

Read 26 Dell PowerEdge M reviews

2,017 Views
2,017 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Cisco UCS B-Series

Dell PowerEdge M

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 3, 2025

Cisco UCS B-Series and Dell PowerEdge M compete in the enterprise server market. Cisco UCS B-Series has the upper hand due to its central management and scalability advantages, while Dell PowerEdge M offers cost-effective solutions with robust management capabilities.

Features: Cisco UCS B-Series supports high memory capacity, centralized management through UCS Manager, and seamless scalability with minimal cabling. The platform integrates virtualization technologies and employs stateless servers. Dell PowerEdge M optimizes cost management and scalability with strong networking and is ideal for scientific workloads, though its networking flexibility is less than Cisco's.

Room for Improvement: Cisco UCS B-Series users report integration complexities, cumbersome management due to Java reliance, and high power consumption. A shift to HTML5 could improve its interface. Dell PowerEdge M faces limitations in networking flexibility and iDRAC's cumbersome interface across multiple blades. Enhancements in customization and hyper-converged integrations are recommended.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco UCS B-Series offers hybrid cloud deployment options and receives praise for strong technical support despite occasional delays. Dell PowerEdge M is predominantly on-premises, hindered by regional support limitations, though known for strong customer service.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco UCS B-Series is priced at a premium, justified by its enterprise-grade features and long-term ROI. Price negotiation with Cisco, especially at fiscal year-end, is advised. Dell PowerEdge M offers competitive pricing with substantial discounts achievable through negotiation, delivering strong ROI, particularly for budget-focused organizations.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco UCS B-Series vs. Dell PowerEdge M Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco UCS B-Series vs. Dell PowerEdge M

July 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 M offers quick ROI with reliability, virtualization efficiency, enhanced communication, and long-term use with AI-driven automation.

Additionally, we achieved server consolidation, running multiple services on fewer servers without purchasing new ones, resulting in significant financial benefits.

Muhammad AlihyderBhuiyan

Head of IT Operations at NCC BANK LIMITED

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.

Ashic Joice Kureethadom

Business Development Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge M 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 M support is praised for responsiveness but criticized for delays and varying expertise from third-party partners.

Cisco's technical support is highly helpful and responsive.

Muhammad AlihyderBhuiyan

Head of IT Operations at NCC BANK LIMITED

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.

Ashic Joice Kureethadom

Business Development Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

They provide excellent help when needed.

Asa Asdas

Technician at Sheeltron Digital Systems Private Limited

For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge M report

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 M excels in scalability for medium and enterprise clients despite chassis limitations, with superior flexibility and integration.

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.

Ashic Joice Kureethadom

Business Development Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge M 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

Dell PowerEdge M offers reliable performance and stability, excelling in power management and maintaining high user satisfaction.

The stability of Cisco UCS B-Series is impeccable, as it has been running smoothly without any need for maintenance.

Muhammad AlihyderBhuiyan

Head of IT Operations at NCC BANK LIMITED

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco UCS B-Series report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge M 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 M needs faster boot times, better support, enhanced networking, intuitive configurations, and improved training and virtualization resources.

Last year, we faced challenges with firmware upgrades, but they were quickly resolved with assistance from Cisco TAC.

Muhammad AlihyderBhuiyan

Head of IT Operations at NCC BANK LIMITED

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.

Ashic Joice Kureethadom

Business Development Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

There are differences in security configurations, particularly in SNMP and SNMP3, between HP ILO and iDRAC.

Asa Asdas

Technician at Sheeltron Digital Systems Private Limited

For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge M report

Setup Cost

Cisco UCS B-Series has high pricing, complex licensing, but offers discounts and long-term value through reliability and integration.

Dell PowerEdge M offers competitive, negotiable pricing, budget-friendly for medium enterprises, and often ends lower than IBM, slightly higher than HP.

The management software, Cisco One, is priced a bit high but still considered reasonable.

Muhammad AlihyderBhuiyan

Head of IT Operations at NCC BANK LIMITED

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.

Ashic Joice Kureethadom

Business Development Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge M report

Valuable Features

Cisco UCS B-Series provides centralized management, scalability, high memory, virtualization support, and reduced costs, enhancing efficiency and performance.

Dell PowerEdge M delivers high density, scalability, and reliability with excellent management features, performance, support, and cost-effectiveness.

Its administration capabilities provide easy access to performance reports, logs, and utilization data, which are essential for effective server management.

Muhammad AlihyderBhuiyan

Head of IT Operations at NCC BANK LIMITED

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.

Asa Asdas

Technician at Sheeltron Digital Systems Private Limited

If the customer is changing their network infrastructure from 1GB or 10GB to 25GB or 400GB, the MX7000 fabric switch can support that.

Ashic Joice Kureethadom

Business Development Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge M report

Categories and Ranking

Cisco UCS B-Series

Ranking in Blade Servers

4th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Dell PowerEdge M

Ranking in Blade Servers

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Blade Servers category, the mindshare of Cisco UCS B-Series is 8.3%, down from 10.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerEdge M is 17.7%, down from 18.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Blade Servers

Featured Reviews

DavidMbugua

Group General Manager-ICT at SkyLink

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

Brian Ricci

President at Pinnacle Computer Services, Inc.

Offers a good interface and return on investment to users

My impression of the scalability of the product is good. You can put a lot of memory in the tool now, and you have a good choice in processors, so you can go wherever you want or do whatever you want with your money. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Read full review

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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?

The licensing cost for three years, followed by an AMC for two years, is reasonable. However, the management software, Cisco One, is priced a bit high but still considered reasonable. No additional...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco UCS B-Series?

Last year, we faced challenges with firmware upgrades, but they were quickly resolved with assistance from Cisco TAC.

See all answers

What do you like most about Dell PowerEdge M?

The solution's most valuable features are centralized monitoring and management and the ease of upgrading firmware.

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?

See all answers

Comparisons

HPE Synergy vs Cisco UCS B-Series

Compared 35% of the time

Supermicro SuperBlade vs Cisco UCS B-Series

Compared 17% of the time

Cisco UCS E-Series Servers vs Cisco UCS B-Series

Compared 16% of the time

HPE BladeSystem vs Cisco UCS B-Series

Compared 15% of the time

More Cisco UCS B-Series Competitors

HPE Synergy vs Dell PowerEdge M

Compared 35% of the time

HPE Superdome X vs Dell PowerEdge M

Compared 21% of the time

HPE BladeSystem vs Dell PowerEdge M

Compared 14% of the time

Supermicro SuperBlade vs Dell PowerEdge M

Compared 10% of the time

Fujitsu Primergy BX900 Series vs Dell PowerEdge M

Compared 6% of the time

More Dell PowerEdge M Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco UCS B-Series

July 2025

Download Cisco UCS B-Series product report

Buyer's Guide

Dell PowerEdge M

July 2025

Download Dell PowerEdge M 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

The Dell PowerEdge M-Series blade servers address the challenges of an evolving IT environment by delivering leading enterprise classfeatures and functionality. The M-Series delivers a unique array of options configured to meet the needs of your IT environment both now and in the future.

Multiple blade form-factor choices.
Long life cycle providing better life cycle management and improved TCO.

Modular I/O switches for future scalability.
Breakthrough fan technologies for reduction in power consumption.

Configuration management via chassis management controller.

Persistent MAC/WWN/iSCSI addresses in a switch-agnostic environment.

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 M

July 2025

Free Report: Cisco UCS B-Series vs. Dell PowerEdge M

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco UCS B-Series vs. Dell PowerEdge M and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.

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