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

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 2026

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
5.0
Businesses achieved positive ROI with Cisco UCS C-Series Servers through increased efficiency, reduced costs, and improved operational performance.
Sentiment score
3.1
ROI varies widely, with quick returns for some and up to 10% savings, influenced by deployment and downtime support.
Server consolidation allows us to run multiple virtual machines on the same infrastructure, reducing the need for additional physical servers as workload grows.
Desktop support Engineer at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees
It is user-friendly and durable, and I have hardware we are using since 2016 that still runs without issue, showcasing its build quality.
Senior Engineer at Continental Engineering Services
We use technology to support the business.
Data Scientist Assistant at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
In terms of percentage, I am saving from 5 to 10%.
IT Consultant at SPE
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.2
Cisco UCS C-Series support is reliable and expert, yet occasionally inconsistent, with user ratings generally high and favorable.
Sentiment score
6.7
HPE ProLiant DL Servers' support is responsive and knowledgeable, though experiences vary by region and initial contact challenges.
They will send a local technical representative to support us for hardware issues or other concerns.
Data Scientist Assistant at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
Cisco's customer support has been generally good, particularly for technical guidance related to server hardware configurations and troubleshooting.
Desktop support Engineer at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees
Customer support for Cisco is generally reliable, with access to technical expertise, documentation, and escalation resources for the enterprise environment.
Co-Founder at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
I feel very confident with HPE ProLiant DL Servers regarding reliability.
Technical Support at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
We do not communicate directly with HPE's technical support because our local support company is primarily responsible.
Director / Chief Business Artchitect at SMARIF
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
5.7
Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers offer scalable computing resources, integrating with Cisco tools for flexible IT and data applications.
Sentiment score
5.7
HPE ProLiant DL Servers offer scalable and modular expansion with some constraints depending on organizational needs and older models.
Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers offer good scalability because they allow organizations to expand their computing capacity as business requirements grow.
Desktop support Engineer at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees
Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers offer good scalability for enterprise environments, allowing organizations to expand compute capacity by adding servers and upgrading resources to support growing workloads.
Co-Founder at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
The solution provides good scalability in terms of increasing memory capacity and disk capacity.
Sr, Manager- Network Solution Architect at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
From our usage point of view, we rely less on onboard storage, depending instead on SANs and NAS, and the fiber connections and throughput are satisfactory.
Director / Chief Business Artchitect at SMARIF
I cannot give high marks for scalability since servers are designed to be standalone.
Technical Support at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.7
Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers are stable and reliable, needing proper maintenance for optimal performance under demanding workloads.
Sentiment score
5.8
HPE ProLiant DL Servers are praised for their reliability, minimal downtime, and consistent performance, preferred by many organizations.
They provide consistent performance under demanding workloads, and features such as redundant power supplies, hardware monitoring, and remote management help minimize downtime and simplify troubleshooting.
Desktop support Engineer at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees
Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers are generally stable and reliable for enterprise workloads when properly configured and maintained.
Co-Founder at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
I can give HPE ProLiant DL Servers a rating of 10 for stability and reliability.
Technical Support at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
Since the distributors are not physically present in Pakistan, that creates a risk for long-term large customers.
Director / Chief Business Artchitect at SMARIF
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers need better integration, scalability, support, and proactive monitoring while optimizing pricing and management efficiency.
HPE ProLiant DL Servers face challenges with iLO, storage, noise, efficiency, pricing, scalability, support, software, and cloud solutions.
This issue affects the stability of customers using Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers products.
Data Scientist Assistant at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers could be improved by making its management interface more intuitive and simplifying configuration and troubleshooting tasks.
Desktop support Engineer at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees
I believe Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers can be improved by keeping the same level of quality while offering more power and more integration with VMware.
Co-Founder at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Improvements could be made in database engine hosting services because, as it stands, the pricing of Oracle is too high from both the service and software solution perspectives.
Director / Chief Business Artchitect at SMARIF
Dell is much better, especially when configuring the internal storage of the server.
Technical Support at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
 

Setup Cost

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers are costly, requiring negotiation due to high component costs and complex pricing.
Enterprise evaluations find HPE ProLiant DL Server pricing either costly or competitive, with discounts and valued cost-to-benefit ratio.
However, more transparent pricing, simplified licensing options, and predictable maintenance costs would make budgeting and long-term planning easier.
Desktop support Engineer at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees
I believe a simplified licensing model, more transparent pricing, and lower implementation costs would improve overall value and make budgeting more predictable.
Co-Founder at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Cisco pricing is not inexpensive, but I think we can reach a reasonable price through negotiation with the vendor.
Data Scientist Assistant at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
 

Valuable Features

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers excel in integration, scalability, adaptability, and ease of management, enhancing business efficiency and performance.
HPE ProLiant DL Servers are reliable, scalable, and cost-effective, offering enhanced management and efficiency for diverse IT infrastructures.
Cisco support is excellent; they provide instant support via calls, meetings, and WebEx, delivering solutions immediately.
Assistant Manager – Vmware & Computing at syndrometech
It's important because our clients today are seeing hybrid solutions - a solution that they can use on-premises and can use information in the cloud.
Sales Manager at OMNIDATA TRADING, LDA
UCS Central Managed server, which means I can manage multiple servers globally through a single dashboard called the central UCS Manager.
Senior Engineer at Continental Engineering Services
The price-performance ratio is better than IBM counterparts, which is why we have opted for these solutions.
Director / Chief Business Artchitect at SMARIF
The most useful functions in HPE ProLiant DL Servers are its reliability and quick availability.
Technical Support at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Ser...
Ranking in Rack Servers
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
5.9
Number of Reviews
38
Ranking in other categories
Density Optimized Servers (2nd)
HPE ProLiant DL Servers
Ranking in Rack Servers
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.1
Number of Reviews
160
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Rack Servers category, the mindshare of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is 4.9%, down from 5.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE ProLiant DL Servers is 15.8%, down from 21.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rack Servers Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
HPE ProLiant DL Servers15.8%
Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers4.9%
Other79.3%
Rack Servers
 

Q&A Highlights

it_user729372 - PeerSpot reviewer
Student at TAFE NSW _ South Western Sydney Institute at a tech company with 51-200 employees
Sep 26, 2017
 

Featured Reviews

Md Rafique - PeerSpot reviewer
Desktop support Engineer at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees
Centralized servers have improved virtualization and now support critical workloads reliably
Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers could be improved by making its management interface more intuitive and simplifying configuration and troubleshooting tasks. Better automation for routine maintenance, firmware updates, and server provisioning would help reduce manual efforts for IT teams. I would also like to see more detailed real-time monitoring and predictive analytics to identify potential hardware issues before they affect business operations. Additionally, simplifying integration with third-party monitoring and virtualization tools, along with more transparent licensing and support costs, would make the platform even more efficient and easier to manage. One area where Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers could improve is simplifying day-to-day administration through better automation and a more user-friendly management interface. Our team would benefit from having a single clear view of server health, performance, firmware status, and potential hardware issues. Faster firmware updates, easier troubleshooting, and more detailed alerts would also help reduce manual checks and resolve problems more quickly. Additionally, improved documentation and quicker technical support for complex issues would make maintenance smoother and help the team manage the infrastructure more efficiently. The improvement would be to enhance predictive maintenance and capacity planning so that Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers can help identify potential hardware failures and resource bottlenecks before they affect business operations. More detailed performance analytics, proactive alerts, and simpler integration with third-party monitoring tools would be valuable. Additionally, improving the speed of firmware updates, simplifying lifecycle management, and providing clearer guidance during troubleshooting would help reduce maintenance effort. These improvements would make the platform easier to manage, improve infrastructure visibility, and help our IT team operate more proactively.
ArifSheikh - PeerSpot reviewer
Director / Chief Business Artchitect at SMARIF
High availability servers have boosted hosted payment services but still need better local support
We are not using PowerVM because of certain limitations; it is on a back-end engine. However, we are using other components such as vSphere for some small interfaces, and those are the main components we are utilizing. Since these servers are fully dedicated to various high-end solutions, they have some embedded features that their kernel and applications are using, which are bound to that functionality. We may not provide an exact assessment on its usage, but we are considering those products for some AI solutions; however, we are currently in the review stage and have not concluded our evaluation on how those are utilized yet. We are aware of the pricing of HPE ProLiant DL servers, but not off the cuff. We have obviously acquired those solutions ex-Pakistan, so they are on the rise, and while we do not remember those prices offhand, they are generally better than the IBM series, although they are becoming slightly pricey in Pakistan due to processor shortages and demand. Improvements could be made in database engine hosting services because, as it stands, the pricing of Oracle is too high from both the service and software solution perspectives. If pricing can be reduced, especially for DB servers, that could have a direct positive impact on the overall solution. Regarding reliability, it has been satisfactory so far, but since the distributors are not physically present in Pakistan, that creates a risk for long-term large customers. They provide import-based services, necessitating us to over-invest in backup stock and offline servers. If there was a market presence from those players in Pakistan, it could benefit both clients and distributors by reducing the need for investment in backup inventory.
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Answers from the Community

it_user729372 - PeerSpot reviewer
Student at TAFE NSW _ South Western Sydney Institute at a tech company with 51-200 employees
Sep 26, 2017
Sep 26, 2017
Another good question to consider is, how deeply are security and anti-tampering features built in? With the advent of Gen 10 servers HPE is implementing this right down in silicon whereas the rest of the marketplace is still using firmware features to try to accomplish this. This is arguably too late in the process to be able to guarantee what BIOS code you are actually running, what back do...
2 out of 8 answers
BW
Technical Sales Architect at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Sep 24, 2017
I suggest checking the key benchmark sites directly – TPC-C, SAP etc. Each benchmark is designed to test a specific system capability. http://www.tpc.org/tpcc/ http://global.sap.com/solutions/benchmark/sd2tier.epx I have attached the URL’s. The SAP testing is most revealing for overall systems performance and scalability. The most recent certifications show Cisco UCS servers eclipsing their HPE counterparts by notable margins. Standard Proliant systems are lower in total lines processed than Cisco units, and you have to move up to the HPE Synergy line to beat lower end Cisco C240 servers. However, the higher end 4-way Cisco C480 handily beats Synergy.
it_user204816 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Cloud Consultant in CSIRO at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Sep 25, 2017
As per my experience, CISCO UCS C-series is having scalability issue but for HPE ProLiant DL RACk server is good in terms of scalability. HPE tech support is much better than CISCO UCS.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
10%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Construction Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business17
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise18
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business56
Midsize Enterprise28
Large Enterprise98
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers?
The price is the only disadvantage I see.We are comfortable; the client didn't report to us anything that they want to add to this equipment now or in the future. All that they want is more scalabi...
What is your primary use case for Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers?
My main use case for Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is unified communication on UCS servers. A specific example of how I use Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers for unified communication involves the ...
How do Lenovo ThinkSystem rack servers compare with HPE ProLiant DL servers?
Lenovo ThinkSystem rack servers offer flexibility and efficiency in order to meet mission-critical demands. I like that Lenovo blends outstanding performance, reliability, and manageability. The bi...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE ProLiant DL Servers?
The pricing of HPE ProLiant DL Servers depends purely on the configuration, and it is not affordable. However, if you look at the technical caliber of the server, if a customer invests that additio...
What needs improvement with HPE ProLiant DL Servers?
If I had to choose between HP and Dell, I would choose Dell's iDRAC over iLO. iLO is adequate, but Dell is much better, especially when configuring the internal storage of the server. Mostly when w...
 

Also Known As

Unified Computing System C-Series, Cisco UCS C-Series
HP ProLiant DL series, HP ProLiant DL
 

Overview

 

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
AmeriPride Services, iSource, Bolagsverket, BlueShore Financial, British Columbia Assessment Authority, National Stock Exchange, Cardlytics
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. HPE ProLiant DL Servers and other solutions. Updated: November 2026.
920,939 professionals have used our research since 2012.