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

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

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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 C-Series Rack Ser...

Ranking in Rack Servers

5th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

5.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Density Optimized Servers (3rd)

HPE ProLiant DL Servers

Ranking in Rack Servers

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

156

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Rack Servers category, the mindshare of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is 4.7%, down from 4.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE ProLiant DL Servers is 21.7%, up from 21.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Rack Servers

Q&A Highlights

it_user729372

Student at TAFE NSW _ South Western Sydney Institute at a tech company with 51-200 employees

Sep 26, 2017

Are there any comparisons of HPE & Cisco servers using Benchmarks?

Have never used Cisco servers. HP is my server preference since they bought out Compaq so long ago. If you have ever called tech support for either company, you would definitely choose HP over Cisco.

Good support, and this product well-suited to our size of environment

Featured Reviews

Kalpesh Savaliya

Asst. Manager IT at APM Terminals, Inc.

We use these rack servers for terminal operating systems The initial setup could be easier. I have been working with Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers for five years. This is a stable product. For our use case, this product is scalable up to 16 blades, including two sites. I don't know how well…

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SHIVAKUMAR A P

Country Manager - Emerging Business at Orbit Techsol

With an easy setup phase in place, it is suitable for small and large-sized businesses

When you speak of any enhancements in the product, you need to shift to the tool's commercial mode. You get more features in the solution if you pour in more money. If a customer needs some features in the solution, they will have to buy it since certain features are not loaded by default in the server. With entry-level licenses, servers are shipped to customers free of cost. Customers need to pay if they want more and more features in the solution. Every OEM solution in the market, including HPE ProLiant DL, operates similarly. The overall cost of the product needs to be lower, as it is one of the areas of concern in the product.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The product doesn't take up too much space on the rack and I like that."

"It has centralized our server management and allows us to treat servers like a pool of resources instead of discrete devices."

"We have many people in my organization using Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers in the administration."

"The most valuable features of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers are integration and customization."

"The most valuable features of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers are agileness, ease of operation, and manageability."

"The VIC card is the most important feature."

"The technical support from Cisco is fine."

"The hardware customization capabilities are great."

More Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers pros

"This solution is very scalable. When we bought the DL580, we bought it with full capacity. It is great for our business."

"The solution is stable and reliable."

"The product is scalable and stable."

"HPE ProLiant DL Servers are a great product. We don't have many complaints."

"The solution is highly scalable."

"It is very stable. This is the feedback that I'm getting from my customers for the hardware. It is also 100% scalable. HPE is also very specialized when it comes up to the server industry. It is not only about the rack servers; it is also about the blade servers. They were the first ones to bring these to the market more than ten years ago."

"It is a stable solution."

"The most valuable feature is stability."

More HPE ProLiant DL Servers pros

Cons

"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."

"The product must add customer-friendly monitoring features."

"Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers could improve integration with third-party solutions."

"In the version we need to use, the manager is still reliant on a full Java install on a Windows OS. This is inconvenient and problematic if you have multiple management tools on different versions of Java or if you move to a machine without the appropriate Java environment."

"Technical support could be more responsive."

"Cisco UCS C-Series Rack could improve by selling storage. Cisco doesn't sell storage, which is a problem because some customers ask for storage. There are several brands in the market, such as HPE, and Dell EMC. However, Cisco doesn't have any storage. This is where the tension comes from buying this solution."

"Definitely the support area needs improving. Especially the time response in case of hardware failure."

"The warranty and support periods should be extended."

More Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers cons

"Most of the servers we use are okay. However, sometimes, you need to change the parts. We'd like the solution to be more robust."

"The solution is a little bit expensive."

"In the HPE ProLiant DL Servers generation nine, there was a problem when the expansion cards were installed on the server. There was only a small amount of room for the top expansion cards that hand could insert or remove the cables inside."

"In DL 500 systems, the flow of air is not good enough, and some components get overheated. IBM systems have better airflow and scalability. We have a data center that has limited physical space. Therefore, we need to maximize the processing or compute systems that we use. In HP servers, such as DL 500, there are only four processors, whereas IBM servers, such as SR 916, have eight processors. We don't get any support from HP because of our geographical location. We solve all problems ourselves by doing research on the internet. It would be good to get HP support."

"They should continue to maintain the stability that is there."

"The solution could improve by providing more best practices from an architectural point of view. What are some recommended configurations for use, such as in a VM environment? HP provides some best practices but they are based on VMware, not on Red Hat. It would benefit for others to see the different use cases. How the HPE ProLiant DL Servers were used in the context of Red hat virtualization, and some configurations as an example to allow us to identify some points that we can improve in our platform. We could make our system more reliable and scalable."

"I want to improve hyper-converged sites."

"The price of the solution could be less expensive to be more competitive."

More HPE ProLiant DL Servers cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco is expensive, but we didn't look at the cost of the product. We were looking at reliability and support."

"The price of the Cisco UCS C-Series Rack could improve. It's a little more expensive in comparison with Dell or HPE solutions."

"This product is quite expensive and it would be better if it were cheaper."

"The solution is expensive and I give the price a four out of ten."

"The price for Cisco is a bit higher than its competitors. We paid 40k for one server."

"Best to buy all the blades configured for the same purposes of load balancing and failover or load shifting."

"The server itself isn't costly at all, but the CPU and the RAM can be pretty expensive. You can buy a UCS for $2,000, but the RAM and CPU can cost up to $80,000. The most expensive asset is the intel processor, but it depends on how many cores you want and the technology you want to use on your CPU, like Hyper-V, etc."

"The price of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is approximately 20 percent more than other solutions."

More Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers pricing and cost advice

"The price is a little too high; it could be reduced."

"Proliant DL Servers have a reasonable cost. They are not as expensive as the Cisco servers. Everything is included when you purchase a server. You just have to install and configure it."

"The iLO (integrated lights out) license is very expensive, but the functionality you receive is worth it."

"The hardware should be cheaper."

"The price of the product is a little high."

"HPE ProLiant DL Servers are one of the best-selling solutions in this industry. There is not a license required for this solution."

"I give the price a five out of ten."

"This product is within our budget."

More HPE ProLiant DL Servers pricing and cost advice

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Answers from the Community

it_user729372

Student at TAFE NSW _ South Western Sydney Institute at a tech company with 51-200 employees

Sep 26, 2017

Are there any comparisons of HPE & Cisco servers using Benchmarks?

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

Bob Whitcombe

Technical Sales Architect at Denali Advanced Integration

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.

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it_user204816

Senior Cloud Consultant in CSIRO at SXiQ

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.

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See all 8 answers

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

19%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

16%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers?

The C-series is the most valuable.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers?

The solution is moderately priced.

What needs improvement with Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers?

The improvement should be done as per customer requirements.

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 do you like most about HPE ProLiant DL Servers?

The most valuable feature of the solution is HPE Integrated Lights-Out (iLO)...Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE ProLiant DL Servers?

The product is expensive. I rate the product price an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price. On the needs of the customers, the product offers a lot of suppor...

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers vs Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers

Comparisons

Compared 56% of the time

Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers vs Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers

Compared 9% of the time

HPE Synergy vs Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers

Compared 3% of the time

IBM Power Systems vs Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers

Compared 2% of the time

HPE Apollo Systems vs Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers

Compared 2% of the time

More Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers Competitors

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers vs HPE ProLiant DL Servers

Compared 47% of the time

Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers vs HPE ProLiant DL Servers

Compared 23% of the time

HPE Synergy vs HPE ProLiant DL Servers

Compared 9% of the time

IBM Power Systems vs HPE ProLiant DL Servers

Compared 6% of the time

Huawei FusionServer RH Series Rack Servers vs HPE ProLiant DL Servers

Compared 2% of the time

More HPE ProLiant DL Servers Competitors

Product Reports

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers

Download Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers product report

HPE ProLiant DL Servers

Download HPE ProLiant DL Servers product report

Also Known As

Unified Computing System C-Series, Cisco UCS C-Series

HP ProLiant DL series, HP ProLiant DL

Overview

UCS C-Series Rack Servers deliver unified computing in an industry-standard form factor to reduce TCO and increase agility. Each server addresses varying workload challenges through a balance of processing, memory, I/O, and internal storage resources.

Cisco

HPE ProLiant DL Servers are utilized by organizations for tasks like virtualization, database hosting, and application hosting, deployed both on-premises and in private clouds for diverse needs.

Organizations depend on HPE ProLiant DL Servers for stability, performance, and reliability. They are essential for running active directories, enterprise applications, and handling high-performance computing. These servers are known for their easy setup, scalability, and extensive management capabilities like iLO. Offering compatibility with many components and energy efficiency, they provide reliable hardware and good performance under demanding conditions. However, there is a need for improved price, stability, scalability, airflow, and power consumption. Enhancements in controller cache, port sizes, SAN connectivity, support availability, and management interface are also required. Faster technical support, better documentation, simplified configurations, and enhanced monitoring features and security integration would benefit users.

What are the key features?

Easy Setup: Quick and straightforward deployment.
Scalability: Adaptable to growing business needs.
Extensive Management: Features like iLO for advanced control.
Energy Efficiency: Optimized for lower power consumption.
Compatibility: Works well with various components.
Reliable Hardware: Robust and dependable technology.
Redundancy: Ensures high availability and minimal downtime.

What are the benefits and ROI?

High Performance: Excellent for demanding computing tasks.
User-Friendly: Easy to maintain and operate.
Flexibility: Versatile for different applications.
Good Technical Support: Access to professional assistance.

HPE ProLiant DL Servers are implemented across industries like finance for active directories and payment solutions, education for virtual desktops, healthcare for database synchronization, and IT firms for high-performance computing and application hosting.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

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

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