Cisco UCS C220 M3 vs C220 M7
The UCS C220 M3 (UCSC-C220-M3S) is an end-of-life 1RU rack server on Xeon E5-2600 v2 and DDR3; its modern Cisco replacement is the C220 M7 (UCSC-C220-M7S) with 4th/5th Gen Xeon Scalable, DDR5, PCIe Gen5, and NVMe. For new 1RU rack workloads, deploy the C220 M7.
Cisco UCS C220 M3
End-of-life 1RU 2-socket rack server on Xeon E5-2600/v2 with DDR3 and SFF drives.
- Up to 2x Intel Xeon E5-2600 / E5-2600 v2
- 16 DDR3 DIMM slots, up to 512 GB memory
- Up to 8 front SFF SAS/SATA/SSD drives
- PCIe Gen3; past Cisco support milestones
Cisco UCS C220 M7
Current 1RU 2-socket rack server with 4th/5th Gen Xeon Scalable, DDR5, and PCIe Gen5.
- Up to 2x 4th/5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable (up to 64 cores per CPU)
- 32 DDR5 DIMM slots, up to 4 TB memory
- Up to 10 SFF drives with all-NVMe (PCIe Gen4 x4) option
- PCIe Gen5 slots, up to 3 GPUs; Intersight-managed
Cisco UCS C220 M3 vs Cisco UCS C220 M7: spec comparison
| Spec | Cisco UCS C220 M3 | Cisco UCS C220 M7 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | 1RU 2-socket | 1RU 2-socket |
| CPU family | Xeon E5-2600 / v2 | 4th/5th Gen Xeon Scalable |
| Max cores per CPU | 12 (E5-2600 v2) | Up to 64 |
| Memory type | DDR3 | DDR5 (4800/5600) |
| DIMM slots | 16 | 32 |
| Max memory | 512 GB | 4 TB (128 GB DIMMs) |
| Front drive bays | Up to 8 SFF | Up to 10 SFF |
| NVMe support | Limited / none | Yes, up to 10 direct-attach NVMe |
| PCIe generation | Gen3 | Gen5 (and Gen4) |
| Max GPUs | 1 (low-profile) | Up to 3 |
| Lifecycle status | End of Life | Current, actively sold |
Choose Cisco UCS C220 M3 if
Keep the C220 M3 only for an isolated legacy app pinned to old firmware; it should not be purchased or expanded because it is past support and limited to DDR3 and PCIe Gen3.
Choose Cisco UCS C220 M7 if
Choose the C220 M7 for new dense 1RU compute, virtualization, web/app tiers, or NVMe-backed databases that need modern cores, DDR5 capacity, PCIe Gen5, and GPU options.
Verdict
The C220 M3 is a DDR3, Xeon v2, PCIe Gen3 server that is end of life and far behind on cores and memory. The C220 M7 is the direct 1RU successor with 4th/5th Gen Xeon Scalable, up to 4 TB DDR5, all-NVMe options, PCIe Gen5, and Intersight management. Replace C220 M3 fleets with the C220 M7 for the best consolidation and support runway.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Cisco UCS C220 M3 end of life?
Yes. The C220 M3 has passed end-of-sale and support milestones. It runs Xeon E5-2600 v2 with DDR3 and PCIe Gen3 and is not supported for current OS and hypervisor releases.
What is the direct replacement for the C220 M3?
The UCS C220 M7 (UCSC-C220-M7S) is the current 1RU 2-socket rack server and the recommended successor, moving you to Xeon Scalable, DDR5, PCIe Gen5, and NVMe.
How much more memory does the C220 M7 support?
The C220 M7 has 32 DDR5 DIMM slots for up to 4 TB using 128 GB DIMMs, compared with the C220 M3's 16 DDR3 slots and 512 GB ceiling.
Is the C220 M7 available TAA compliant for federal buyers?
Yes, Cisco offers TAA-compliant C220 M7 configurations. Confirm the exact TAA SKU and country of origin on your quote with your authorized partner; it is available on GPC-payable and federal contract vehicles.
More UCS C-Series M 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.