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

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
4.5
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.
Sentiment score
6.8
HPE Synergy reduces operational costs, accelerates deployments, consolidates workloads, and offers substantial ROI through savings and efficiency.
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
We use technology to support the business.
Data Scientist Assistant at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
We have seen a return on investment through improved troubleshooting efficiency, reduced service disruption, and better visibility into the UC platform.
Co-Founder at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
In terms of percentage, I am saving from 5 to 10%.
IT Consultant at SPE
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
5.9
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.
Sentiment score
6.5
HPE Synergy support praised for knowledgeable responsiveness, though some users faced initial challenges, especially with newer technologies, needing escalation.
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
I would rate the technical support from HPE Synergy, and for all other solutions, as very good and appreciable with a score of nine out of ten on a scale from one to ten.
Presales engineer and consultant at Hybrid Tech
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
5.3
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.
Sentiment score
7.6
HPE Synergy provides scalable expansion with seamless hardware integration, though some users find component management challenging across data centers.
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
7.5
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.
Sentiment score
7.9
HPE Synergy is stable and reliable, with minor setup issues mitigated by updates, redundancy, and strong support.
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.
HPE Synergy users seek better integration, speed, networking simplicity, support, storage sharing, UI enhancements, and improved security and deployment.
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
Currently, it supports only two drives in the blade server, which can be limiting.
Pre-Sale Specialist at a computer software company with 201-500 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.
HPE Synergy's high costs include notable VMware licensing fees, but discounts and strategic value may justify the expense.
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
Pricing in the blade server market is very competitive, with HPE offering a competitive price.
Pre-Sale Specialist at a computer software company with 201-500 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.
HPE Synergy offers composable infrastructure, flexibility, and OneView integration, enhancing deployment, resource management, scalability, and system reliability.
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
The best features of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers are its high performance, scalability, reliability, and centralized management capabilities.
Desktop support Engineer at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees
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
It offers significant compute power in approximately ten rack units, making it practical for workload optimization.
Pre-Sale Specialist at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
 

Mindshare comparison

Rack Servers Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers4.9%
Dell PowerEdge R-Series20.4%
HPE ProLiant DL Servers16.2%
Other58.5%
Rack Servers
Rack Servers Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
HPE ProLiant DL Servers16.2%
Dell PowerEdge R-Series20.4%
Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers7.0%
Other56.400000000000006%
Rack Servers
Blade Servers Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
HPE Synergy8.5%
Dell PowerEdge MX- Series8.2%
HPE BladeSystem8.0%
Other75.3%
Blade Servers
 

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.
MS
Works at Saudi Telecom Company
Manage servers efficiently with an integrated view while reducing downtime
My use case is to serve the complete IT environment of the telecom, including all cloud applications. I use HPE Synergy servers for my private cloud and for network management systems. 70% of my workload is running on HPE servers The integrated view, such as managing complete servers and…
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
10%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Construction Company
7%
Outsourcing Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Healthcare Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business17
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise17
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business56
Midsize Enterprise28
Large Enterprise98
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business31
Midsize Enterprise15
Large Enterprise56
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers?
I believe the pricing should be negotiated. Cisco pricing is not inexpensive, but I think we can reach a reasonable p...
What needs improvement with Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers?
I don't have specific ideas for improvement regarding the most advanced x86 processor, as Cisco has already adapted t...
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 hypervisors, using them as a hypervisor.
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 th...
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...
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 bette...
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...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE Synergy?
As far as the prices are concerned, rack mount solutions are less expensive than HPE Synergy prices; however, HPE Syn...
What needs improvement with HPE Synergy?
In my opinion, for future improvements in HPE Synergy, there should be better management of power consumption complex...
 

Also Known As

Unified Computing System C-Series, Cisco UCS C-Series
HP ProLiant DL series, HP ProLiant DL
No data available
 

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
HudsonAlpha, Virgin Media, EMIS, United
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM and others in Rack Servers. Updated: October 2026.
919,586 professionals have used our research since 2012.