Cisco UCS E180D-M3 vs UCS E1100D-M6
The UCS-E180D-M3/K9 is a double-wide M3 branch server with an 8-core Xeon D and DDR3 memory; its modern replacement is the UCS-E1100D-M6, which moves to a 10-core Intel Xeon D Ice Lake-D CPU, DDR4 memory, and current ISR 4000 / Catalyst 8300 support. For any branch compute refresh, migrate to the M6 for better performance per watt and a supported platform.
Cisco UCS E-Series M3 (E180D)
Double-wide UCS E-Series blade for ISR 4000 branch routers with an 8-core Intel Xeon D processor and DDR3 memory.
- 8-core Intel Xeon D-1548 at 2.0 GHz
- Up to 128 GB DDR3 across DIMM slots
- Four hot-swappable 2.5-inch SFF drive bays
- Double-wide module for Cisco ISR 4000 branch routers
Cisco UCS E-Series M6 (E1100D)
Current double-wide UCS E-Series blade with a 10-core Intel Xeon D Ice Lake-D CPU and DDR4 memory for branch virtualization.
- 10-core Intel Xeon D-1749NT at 3.0 GHz (Ice Lake-D)
- Up to 128 GB DDR4 memory
- Four hot-swappable SFF drive bays with RAID
- Fits ISR 4000 and Catalyst 8300 Series branch platforms
Cisco UCS E-Series M3 (E180D) vs Cisco UCS E-Series M6 (E1100D): spec comparison
| Spec | Cisco UCS E-Series M3 (E180D) | Cisco UCS E-Series M6 (E1100D) |
|---|---|---|
| Generation | M3 | M6 |
| Form factor | Double-wide (2 SM slots) | Double-wide (2 SM slots) |
| CPU | Intel Xeon D-1548 | Intel Xeon D-1749NT (Ice Lake-D) |
| Cores | 8 cores | 10 cores |
| Base clock | 2.0 GHz | 3.0 GHz |
| Memory type | DDR3 | DDR4 |
| Max memory | Up to 128 GB | Up to 128 GB |
| Drive bays | 4x 2.5-inch SFF hot-swap | 4x SFF hot-swap |
| Host routers | Cisco ISR 4000 Series | ISR 4000 and Catalyst 8300 Series |
| Lifecycle status | Legacy / EOL phase | Current, actively sold |
Choose Cisco UCS E-Series M3 (E180D) if
Stay on the E180D-M3 only if you have existing branch routers fully provisioned with M3 blades, your hypervisor workload is light, and a hardware refresh is not yet budgeted for those sites.
Choose Cisco UCS E-Series M6 (E1100D) if
Choose the E1100D-M6 for new branch compute or any refresh: it adds cores and clock speed, moves to DDR4, and is the supported module for current Catalyst 8300 branch platforms.
Verdict
Migrate from the M3 to the UCS-E1100D-M6 for branch compute refreshes. The M6 delivers more cores, higher clock speed, and DDR4 on a platform that is still sold and supported, while the M3 is aging out. Keep M3 blades only as a short-term measure where the host routers and workloads do not yet justify replacement.
Frequently asked questions
What replaces the Cisco UCS-E180D-M3?
The current double-wide branch server is the UCS-E1100D-M6, which uses a 10-core Intel Xeon D Ice Lake-D CPU and DDR4 memory and is supported on ISR 4000 and Catalyst 8300 routers.
How much faster is the UCS-E1100D-M6 than the M3?
The M6 moves from an 8-core 2.0 GHz Xeon D to a 10-core 3.0 GHz Ice Lake-D part and from DDR3 to DDR4, so branch virtualization and edge workloads see a meaningful per-core and memory-bandwidth uplift.
Will the UCS-E1100D-M6 fit my existing ISR 4000 router?
Yes, the double-wide M6 fits two service-module slots in supported ISR 4000 platforms, and it also supports the newer Catalyst 8300 Series for forward migration.
Do both servers support the same maximum RAM?
Both list up to 128 GB maximum, but the M6 uses DDR4, which provides higher bandwidth and headroom for virtualized branch workloads than the M3's DDR3.
More UCS E-Series comparisons
Specs are for planning and may change; Uniqcli confirms the current Cisco bill of materials and pricing on your quote. Cisco, Catalyst, Nexus, Meraki, and Firepower are trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc.; Uniqcli LLC is an independent authorized Cisco partner.