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Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs Lenovo Edge Servers comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

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 C-Series Rack Ser...
Ranking in Rack Servers
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
5.8
Number of Reviews
29
Ranking in other categories
Density Optimized Servers (5th)
Lenovo Edge Servers
Ranking in Rack Servers
11th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Rack Servers category, the mindshare of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is 4.6%, down from 4.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Lenovo Edge Servers is 0.7%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rack Servers
 

Featured Reviews

Ehsan Emad - PeerSpot reviewer
The VIC card is the most important feature.
I rate Cisco USC C-Series Rack Servers 10 out 10. If you plan to buy a C-Series, you should be clear about why you want to use it because the uses vary. different. Whether you're using Cisco, HPE, Dell or any other brand, it's essential to define your use case. For example, are you using it for a simulation graphics, calculations, etc.? Depending on the use case, you might want to go with a small server with more CPU. Sometimes you need a light CPU with a powerful GPU. For example, if we have a C-Series with four CPUs at the same time, or we have a server that's handled two CPUs at the same time—the purpose is crucial. C-Series is good enough compared to other competitors like HPE and the other ones. The HPE C20 is one unit and has a lot of RAM support, but the C-series is number one, in my opinion.
Hawi Nadew - PeerSpot reviewer
A budget-friendly tool that offers good stability
I don't have much to comment on what requires improvement in the product because my company is more engaged with Dell's servers than Lenovo's ones. I'm not that much familiar with Lenovo. My company has seen that the servers from Lenovo offer good performance and high scalability, so I don't see any scope for improvement in the solution. With Lenovo, when it comes to its HCI-related part, which includes ThinkAgile, users may face issues as VMware licenses are not linked with ThinkAgile. With ThinkAgile in the picture, there are two different vendors, Lenovo and VMware. Suppose VMware and Lenovo come together, then they produce a common product. In the case of the servers under Lenovo, the virtualization software is again both from VMware and Dell, and the licenses are deployed on the server. Different vendors manage the servers from Lenovo that fall under ThinkAgile and VMware, so if there is a way that allows Lenovo and VMware to produce a system together like ThinKAgile, then it would be a good improvement.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The solution is reliable and easy to use."
"The most valuable features of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers are agileness, ease of operation, and manageability."
"On the Cisco side, there is a benefit in terms of server management. Cisco provides UCS Manager, which is a multi-tenant site manager. We can manage multiple sites while maintaining disaster recovery, a feature not available on other platforms."
"It is very nice and stable with an easy administration GUI."
"The technical support from Cisco is fine."
"The server can be configured easily."
"Cisco rack servers are very easy to integrate with other products from different vendors."
"Excellent server solution with incredible network throughput."
"It is a stable solution. The product doesn't have any problems when it comes to stability."
"I like Lenovo's XClarity Controller, and the ability to control and deploy Edge Servers through this XClarity interface."
 

Cons

"Its accessibility and manageability can be improved. Currently, we have to visit the office to manage it. It should be manageable outside our network. I would like it to be on the cloud."
"Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers could improve integration with third-party solutions."
"Definitely the support area needs improving. Especially the time response in case of hardware failure."
"I would like to see a little more integration with VMware."
"The product must add customer-friendly monitoring features."
"There is room for better integration with other brands."
"The initial setup could be easier."
"The C-Series is not designed to be as scalable. They are designed to have enough RAM and enough CPU on their own side. If you want scalability, it's better to choose the B-Series— the Blade Servers — because those are much more scalable with Fabric Interconnect."
"Airflow in the servers can be a problem. Sometimes we cannot add CPU to Edge Servers because there's not enough airflow in the appliance."
"With Lenovo, when it comes to its HCI-related part, which includes ThinkAgile, users may face issues as VMware licenses are not linked with ThinkAgile."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution requires an annual licensing fee."
"We have to pay for the VMware and Cisco licenses."
"This solution is a little expensive."
"The price of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is high."
"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis, which is only $2,000 or $3,000."
"The price for Cisco is a bit higher than its competitors. We paid 40k for one server."
"If they plan to expand their infrastructure in periods, then simply Cisco is not a good choice."
"This product is quite expensive and it would be better if it were cheaper."
"The solution is available to users at a low price."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
20%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
University
7%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Lenovo Edge Servers?
It is a stable solution. The product doesn't have any problems when it comes to stability.
What needs improvement with Lenovo Edge Servers?
I don't have much to comment on what requires improvement in the product because my company is more engaged with Dell's servers than Lenovo's ones. I'm not that much familiar with Lenovo. My compan...
 

Also Known As

Unified Computing System C-Series, Cisco UCS C-Series
ThinkSystem Edge Servers, ThinkSystem SE Series, Lenovo SE Series, Lenovo ThinkSystem Edge Servers
 

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
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Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. Lenovo Edge Servers and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
850,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.