Cisco UCS B-Series vs Supermicro SuperBlade comparison

Cisco and Supermicro are both solutions in the Blade Servers category. Cisco is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.3, while Supermicro is ranked #10. Cisco holds a 8.8% mindshare in Blade Servers, compared to Supermicro’s 5.6% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 80% of Supermicro users who would recommend it.

Cisco UCS B-Series

Read 73 Cisco UCS B-Series reviews

1,334 Views
941 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

Supermicro SuperBlade

Read 4 Supermicro SuperBlade reviews

775 Views
616 Comparison Views

80% willing to recommend

Cisco UCS B-Series

Supermicro SuperBlade

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 20, 2025

Supermicro SuperBlade and Cisco UCS B-Series compete in the blade server market. Supermicro leads in support and pricing, whereas Cisco is preferred for its robust features, making it a top choice for feature-prioritized users.

Features: Supermicro SuperBlade offers customizable configurations, high-density computing, and energy efficiency. Cisco UCS B-Series features integrated management, scalability, and enterprise-grade performance, appealing to businesses seeking seamless IT environments.

Room for Improvement: Supermicro could enhance its management tools, expand scalability options, and improve storage integration. Cisco might simplify its deployment models, reduce upfront costs, and streamline management complexity.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Supermicro provides easy setup and reliable support, targeting straightforward installation and maintenance. Cisco offers sophisticated deployment with detailed guidance, supporting complex environments but with a more intricate process.

Pricing and ROI: Supermicro ensures a cost-effective investment with quick ROI, ideal for budget-conscious businesses. Cisco requires higher initial costs but promises substantial ROI through advanced features and long-term scalability, focusing on value through feature-rich deployments.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco UCS B-Series vs. Supermicro SuperBlade Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco UCS B-Series vs. Supermicro SuperBlade

April 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 B-Series

Ranking in Blade Servers

4th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Supermicro SuperBlade

Ranking in Blade Servers

10th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Blade Servers category, the mindshare of Cisco UCS B-Series is 8.8%, down from 10.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Supermicro SuperBlade is 5.6%, down from 7.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Blade Servers

Featured Reviews

Filip Kopecký

Chief Technology Officer at HOPI HOLDING a.s.

A highly stable and secure solution that has a straightforward setup

We are running many applications for a logistics provider. We do the storing of goods for our partners and transport and so on The most valuable features of the solution are stability and security. The solution’s pricing could be improved and made cheaper. I have been using Cisco UCS B-Series…

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Gergely Lakos

DevOps Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

With many servers in one, these blade servers are easier to manage

The service could be improved by faster servers, more widely available VMs, and more storage in one place. Then, in the event of a blade failure, we could start our VMs on another blade in a couple of minutes. This is why we wanted to buy storage. But now, we want to buy a twin server with 24 VMware discs to create test storage. The next product release should allow more servers to be controlled simultaneously.

Read full review

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 that the B-Series has is related to the structure and architecture of the solution because in these solutions, you are using fabric interconnect as an interconnect device. The beauty of fabric interconnect is that it can work as in-house mode."

"I like that the hardware is separated from the software definition of the components."

"The solution is stable."

"The scalability is good because it comes with Fabric Interconnects, and you can directly add more blades as you go. Therefore, scalability is not a problem."

"The most beneficial feature is UCS Manager. It's the best way to manage hardware, creating group policies, like scrub policies and maintenance policies."

"The product's tech support has good people."

"The most valuable features are monitoring and processing, which can handle a lot of throughput and are more powerful than the HPE series."

"The solution has the ability to reuse or divide the networking, making it a flexible networking environment."

More Cisco UCS B-Series pros

"The initial setup was straightforward."

"The ability to save resource is a key feature."

"I think the IPMI is a really good feature."

Cons

"We have to have Java to manage the infrastructure. It would be great if we can manage the infrastructure through a web browser."

"There are some shortcomings in the product when you look at it from the perspective of the area involving multiple configurations, making it an aspect where improvements are required."

"The high price of the solution is an area of concern where improvements are required."

"It needs a better UI. Cisco makes a great product, but doesn't know how to make a UI."

"HTML5 interface is a much needed improvement over the old Java interface, but still needs a little work."

"This model does not support virtualization of the switch."

"The monitoring features and integration with other products can be improved."

"The graphic code that UCS can support is limited and less accessible than other systems."

More Cisco UCS B-Series cons

"Supermicro blade servers are not the best. They could improve in scalability but are not really scalable right now."

"The solution does not scale well."

"There is a lack of support for fiber channels currently that needs to be added."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is a need to pay towards the licensing costs of the solution on a yearly basis. Price-wise, it is an expensive product"

"UCS is expensive, and we will be migrating to the cheaper HP servers."

"Cisco UCS B-Series is not a cheap solution."

"It is highly-priced."

"It is not a yearly subscription but a yearly support renewal that you need to do for Cisco UCS B-Series."

"The price of this solution is a little bit higher, but given that this system is Cisco, it feels more secure and dependable."

"The licensing cost is a little bit expensive because by default, it depends on your fabric interconnect model. Most of the time, however, Cisco provides a lot of promotions to the customers, so the cost can be waived for many projects. The price of the chassis itself is fair."

"We have to pay a monthly licensing fee for the solution."

More Cisco UCS B-Series pricing and cost advice

"The product is not expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

19%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Manufacturing Company

14%

Computer Software Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

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...

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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.

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Comparisons

HPE Synergy vs Cisco UCS B-Series

Compared 31% of the time

Dell PowerEdge M vs Cisco UCS B-Series

Compared 21% of the time

HPE BladeSystem vs Cisco UCS B-Series

Compared 20% of the time

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

Compared 12% of the time

More Cisco UCS B-Series Competitors

Dell PowerEdge M vs Supermicro SuperBlade

Compared 24% of the time

Pure Storage FlashBlade vs Supermicro SuperBlade

Compared 19% of the time

HPE Synergy vs Supermicro SuperBlade

Compared 13% of the time

HPE Integrity vs Supermicro SuperBlade

Compared 13% of the time

Cisco UCS E-Series Servers vs Supermicro SuperBlade

Compared 11% of the time

More Supermicro SuperBlade Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco UCS B-Series

April 2025

Download Cisco UCS B-Series product report

Buyer's Guide

Blade Servers

April 2025

Download Supermicro SuperBlade product report

Also Known As

UCS B-Series, Unified Computing System B-Series

SuperBlade

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

Supermicro SuperBlade delivers innovative computing performance and efficiency, perfect for data-intensive tasks. With its modular design, it optimizes space and power, providing a flexible and scalable infrastructure for demanding business workloads.

Supermicro SuperBlade is specifically engineered for modern data centers needing high-density computing. It offers a compact, modular architecture that simplifies system management and enhances agility. It integrates seamlessly with cloud and virtualization technologies, supporting diverse applications and workloads. Its design focuses on reducing operational costs while achieving peak performance. Users appreciate its balance of power efficiency and high computing capacity.

What are the key features of Supermicro SuperBlade?

High-Density Design: Packs multiple servers in a small form to maximize computing power per square foot.
Scalability: Easily expand or modify with modular components to adapt to growing demands.
Efficient Cooling: Advanced cooling systems ensure optimal performance and energy efficiency.
Built-In Management: Integrated management tools for streamlined operations and monitoring.
Green Computing: Focuses on energy savings for cost-effective and ecological operation.

What benefits and ROI can be expected from Supermicro SuperBlade?

Cost Savings: Reduces energy and operational expenses with its efficient design.
Improved Performance: Delivers exceptional processing power for faster task execution.
Resource Optimization: Maximizes IT resource utilization and efficiency.
Ease of Management: Simplifies management processes, reducing administrative overhead.
Future-Proofing: Provides flexible expansion options to accommodate future growth.

Supermicro SuperBlade is widely implemented in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and research where high computational power and storage are critical. In finance, it's used for real-time analytics and transactions. Healthcare facilities use it for patient data analysis and complex simulations, while research institutions leverage SuperBlade for simulations and data-intensive research tasks. Its adaptability allows enterprises to efficiently meet technical requirements unique to each industry.

Supermicro

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

Prace

Buyer's Guide

Cisco UCS B-Series vs. Supermicro SuperBlade

April 2025

Free Report: Cisco UCS B-Series vs. Supermicro SuperBlade

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