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Cisco UCS B-Series vs Dell PowerEdge M vs HPE BladeSystem 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 18.1% 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 73 Cisco UCS B-Series reviews
  • 1,200 Views
  • 798 Comparison Views
98% willing to recommend
Dell PowerEdge M
Read 26 Dell PowerEdge M reviews
  • 2,121 Views
  • 1,520 Comparison Views
95% willing to recommend
HPE BladeSystem
Read 139 HPE BladeSystem reviews
  • 1,961 Views
  • 1,287 Comparison Views
95% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary
We performed a comparison between Cisco UCS B-Series, Dell PowerEdge M, and HPE BladeSystem based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Dell Technologies, Cisco and others in Blade Servers.

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To learn more, read our detailed Blade Servers Report (Updated: May 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Blade Servers
May 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
8.2
Cisco UCS B-Series enhances performance and efficiency, reducing costs and power usage, surpassing expectations with minimal maintenance and strong returns.
Sentiment score
7.6
Dell PowerEdge M offers quick ROI with reliability, virtualization efficiency, enhanced communication, and long-term use with AI-driven automation.
Sentiment score
7.7
HPE BladeSystem offers high ROI, reduces costs, enhances performance, and delivers visible returns within two years.
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 M report
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the HPE BladeSystem report
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.3
Users praise Cisco UCS B-Series support for professionalism, quick responses, and reliable 24x7 assistance, with occasional minor delays.
Sentiment score
6.9
Dell PowerEdge M support is praised for responsiveness but criticized for delays and varying expertise from third-party partners.
Sentiment score
6.8
HPE BladeSystem service effectiveness varies by region, with Proactive Care recommended for advanced needs and improvements in support efficiency needed.
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 M report
I would rate technical support from HPE as an eight on a scale from one to ten.
For more quotes and insights, download the HPE BladeSystem report
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Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Cisco UCS B-Series offers robust scalability and flexibility, allowing seamless integration and effortless expansion to meet diverse needs.
Sentiment score
7.5
Dell PowerEdge M excels in scalability for medium and enterprise clients despite chassis limitations, with superior flexibility and integration.
Sentiment score
7.7
HPE BladeSystem is praised for scalability, ease of expansion, and modularity, integrating well with existing infrastructure.
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 M report
I encounter challenges in identifying reasonable prices during the setup cost and licensing process, especially for scalability when we need to contact different vendors for quotes to find competitive offers.
For more quotes and insights, download the HPE BladeSystem report
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Cisco UCS B-Series is praised for its robust stability and reliability, despite minor challenges in certain operations.
Sentiment score
7.8
Dell PowerEdge M offers reliable performance and stability, excelling in power management and maintaining high user satisfaction.
Sentiment score
7.9
HPE BladeSystem is stable and reliable, with minor issues like firmware updates and hardware glitches quickly resolved by support.
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 M report
I do not have to call HP support frequently, which indicates its reliability.
For more quotes and insights, download the HPE BladeSystem report
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco UCS B-Series needs improved storage integration, user-friendly management, lower costs, HTML5 transition, and better support for new technologies.
Dell PowerEdge M needs faster boot times, better support, enhanced networking, intuitive configurations, and improved training and virtualization resources.
HPE BladeSystem users seek better scalability, cloud integration, user interfaces, and support while addressing licensing, network, and pricing issues.
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
There are differences in security configurations, particularly in SNMP and SNMP3, between HP ILO and iDRAC.
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.
For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerEdge M report
To do any customization, we need to contact HP technical support, and the process is not user-friendly.
In general, there is a 10% to 15% price gap compared to competitors.
For more quotes and insights, download the HPE BladeSystem report
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AB
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reviewer1568910 - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Setup Cost

Cisco UCS B-Series is costly but offers value and reliability, with discounts available during year-end negotiations.
Dell PowerEdge M offers competitive, negotiable pricing, budget-friendly for medium enterprises, and often ends lower than IBM, slightly higher than HP.
Enterprise buyers consider HPE BladeSystem's high initial cost justified, though licensing complexity and regional price adaptation are concerns.
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 M report
With around 19 years of exposure in working with various servers, including HPE, I encounter challenges in identifying reasonable prices during the setup cost and licensing process, especially for scalability when we need to contact different vendors for quotes to find competitive offers.
In general, there is a 10% to 15% price gap compared to competitors.
For more quotes and insights, download the HPE BladeSystem report
MB
AK
KP
reviewer1568910 - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Valuable Features

Cisco UCS B-Series excels in scalability, centralized management, ease of deployment, virtualization integration, and offers robust performance and reliability.
Dell PowerEdge M delivers high density, scalability, and reliability with excellent management features, performance, support, and cost-effectiveness.
The HPE BladeSystem is praised for its scalability, manageability, compact design, and seamless integration with existing infrastructure.
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 M report
The integration of storage and networking components within the HPE BladeSystem is quite beneficial as it is easily interoperable if we are using the same system for monitoring with the same software, which eliminates interoperability issues.
The feature I find most valuable is the ease of use.
For more quotes and insights, download the HPE BladeSystem report
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reviewer1568910 - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Blade Servers category, the mindshare of Cisco UCS B-Series is 8.3%, down from 10.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerEdge M is 18.1%, up from 18.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE BladeSystem is 14.1%, down from 16.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
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
Brian Ricci - PeerSpot reviewer
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
Fatai Akinwande - PeerSpot reviewer
Enables you to manage all resources from a single dashboard using the OneView feature
In terms of improvements, I'd suggest enhancing the stability of the HPE BladeSystem, especially regarding network connectivity. We once had an issue where a system didn’t communicate with the network, and it took a while to diagnose the problem. Eventually, we discovered it was a motherboard issue, but we initially thought it was the network card. Improving the onboard administratordashboard to provide more granular insights, like clearly identifying faultycomponents, would make troubleshooting much more efficient. Aside from that, the system is superb and has been reliable.
Read full review
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Healthcare Company
8%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
 

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...
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 ...
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 no...
See all answers
How would you choose between HPE's Bladesystem and Synergy?
For me, choosing between HPE’s Bladesystem and Synergy came down to which solution was more powerful, reliable, and s...
See all answers
What do you like most about HPE BladeSystem?
The solution is scalable, offering flexibility and expansion options to meet changing business needs.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE BladeSystem?
With around 19 years of exposure in working with various servers, including HPE, I encounter challenges in identifyin...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

HPE Synergy vs Cisco UCS B-Series Logo
HPE Synergy vs Cisco UCS B-Series
Compared 33% of the time
Supermicro SuperBlade vs Cisco UCS B-Series Logo
Supermicro SuperBlade vs Cisco UCS B-Series
Compared 14% of the time
Cisco UCS E-Series Servers vs Cisco UCS B-Series Logo
Cisco UCS E-Series Servers vs Cisco UCS B-Series
Compared 14% of the time
More Cisco UCS B-Series Competitors
HPE Synergy vs Dell PowerEdge M Logo
HPE Synergy vs Dell PowerEdge M
Compared 35% of the time
HPE Superdome X vs Dell PowerEdge M Logo
HPE Superdome X vs Dell PowerEdge M
Compared 22% of the time
Supermicro SuperBlade vs Dell PowerEdge M Logo
Supermicro SuperBlade vs Dell PowerEdge M
Compared 9% of the time
Fujitsu Primergy BX900 Series vs Dell PowerEdge M Logo
Fujitsu Primergy BX900 Series vs Dell PowerEdge M
Compared 6% of the time
HPE NonStop vs Dell PowerEdge M Logo
HPE NonStop vs Dell PowerEdge M
Compared 5% of the time
More Dell PowerEdge M Competitors
HPE Synergy vs HPE BladeSystem Logo
HPE Synergy vs HPE BladeSystem
Compared 59% of the time
HPE Superdome X vs HPE BladeSystem Logo
HPE Superdome X vs HPE BladeSystem
Compared 7% of the time
Supermicro SuperBlade vs HPE BladeSystem Logo
Supermicro SuperBlade vs HPE BladeSystem
Compared 5% of the time
More HPE BladeSystem Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Cisco UCS B-Series
June 2025
Cisco UCS B-Series reportDownload Cisco UCS B-Series product report
Buyer's Guide
Dell PowerEdge M
June 2025
Dell PowerEdge M reportDownload Dell PowerEdge M product report
Buyer's Guide
HPE BladeSystem
June 2025
HPE BladeSystem reportDownload HPE BladeSystem product report
 

Also Known As

UCS B-Series, Unified Computing System B-Series
No data available
HP ProLiant BL Series Servers, HP ProLiant BladeSystem
 

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

HP ProLiant BladeSystem share power, cooling, network, and storage infrastructure via the blade enclosure. Since equipment is not needed for each server, you get a dramatic reduction in power distribution units, power cables, LAN and SAN switches, connectors, adapters, and cables. And you can add the newest-generation technologies by simply changing individual components.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise
 

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
EMIS Health
Buyer's Guide
Blade Servers
May 2025
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