Cisco UCS C24 M3 vs C240 M7
The UCS C24 M3 is an end-of-life 2RU storage-dense server on Xeon E5-2400, and the UCS C240 M7 is its modern 2RU replacement. The C240 M7 adds 4th/5th Gen Xeon Scalable CPUs, DDR5, NVMe, and PCIe Gen5 while keeping high drive density, so C24 M3 fleets should refresh to the C240 M7.
Cisco UCS C24 M3
End-of-life 2RU storage-optimized rack server based on Intel Xeon E5-2400.
- Up to two Intel Xeon E5-2400 CPUs
- 12 DDR3 DIMM slots
- Up to 24 SFF (or 12 LFF) drives
- Storage-dense; end-of-life platform
Cisco UCS C240 M7
Current 2RU 2-socket storage- and I/O-rich rack server with Xeon Scalable CPUs, DDR5, and NVMe.
- Up to two 4th/5th Gen Xeon Scalable CPUs, up to 64 cores each
- 32 DDR5 DIMM slots, up to 8 TB
- Up to 24 SFF SAS/SATA/NVMe drives
- PCIe Gen5, GPU-capable, TAA-compliant
Cisco UCS C24 M3 vs Cisco UCS C240 M7: spec comparison
| Spec | Cisco UCS C24 M3 | Cisco UCS C240 M7 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | 2RU rack | 2RU rack |
| Sockets | 2 | 2 |
| CPU family | Intel Xeon E5-2400 | 4th/5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable |
| Max cores per socket | 8 (E5-2400) | Up to 64 |
| Memory type | DDR3 | DDR5 up to 5600 MT/s |
| DIMM slots | 12 | 32 |
| Max memory | Up to 384 GB | Up to 8 TB |
| Drive bays | Up to 24 SFF / 12 LFF | Up to 24 SFF (SAS/SATA/NVMe) |
| PCIe generation | PCIe Gen3 | PCIe Gen5 |
| GPU support | Limited | Yes (GPU-capable) |
| Management | Cisco IMC / UCS Manager | Cisco IMC / Intersight |
| Lifecycle status | End-of-life | Current, fully supported |
Choose Cisco UCS C24 M3 if
Keep a C24 M3 only for a legacy storage workload under existing support that you cannot yet re-platform. As an end-of-life DDR3 server it should not anchor new storage or virtualization builds.
Choose Cisco UCS C240 M7 if
Choose the C240 M7 for any 2RU storage-dense or general-purpose refresh. It keeps up to 24 drive bays while adding NVMe, far higher core counts, 8 TB DDR5, PCIe Gen5, and GPU options, and it is Intersight-ready and TAA-compliant for federal buyers.
Verdict
Migrate to the UCS C240 M7. It matches the C24 M3 on 2RU drive density while replacing DDR3 and Xeon E5-2400 with DDR5, modern Xeon Scalable CPUs, NVMe, and PCIe Gen5. A single C240 M7 consolidates multiple end-of-life C24 M3 servers with current support and security updates.
Frequently asked questions
Is the UCS C24 M3 end of life?
Yes. The UCS C24 M3 is an end-of-life storage-optimized rack server based on Intel Xeon E5-2400 processors and DDR3 memory. Cisco no longer sells it, and workloads should be migrated to a current C-Series M7 server.
What replaces the UCS C24 M3?
The UCS C240 M7 is the current 2RU 2-socket storage- and I/O-rich rack server and the successor to storage-dense M3 servers like the C24 M3.
Does the C240 M7 keep the high drive count of the C24 M3?
Yes. The C240 M7 supports up to 24 front SFF drives including SAS, SATA, and NVMe options, so it preserves the storage density of the C24 M3 while adding modern NVMe performance.
Is the UCS C240 M7 TAA-compliant?
Yes. Cisco UCS C240 M7 rack servers are available in TAA-compliant configurations for US federal procurement and can be purchased through authorized partners on government 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.