Cisco UCS C240 M3 vs C240 M7
The UCS C240 M3 (UCSC-C240-M3S) is an end-of-life 2RU storage-dense rack server on Xeon E5-2600 v2 and DDR3; its modern Cisco replacement is the C240 M7 (UCSC-C240-M7SX) with 4th/5th Gen Xeon Scalable, DDR5 up to 8 TB, PCIe Gen5, more drive bays, and GPU support. For new storage-rich or GPU workloads, deploy the C240 M7.
Cisco UCS C240 M3
End-of-life 2RU 2-socket storage server on Xeon E5-2600/v2 with DDR3 and up to 24 SFF drives.
- Up to 2x Intel Xeon E5-2600 / E5-2600 v2
- 24 DDR3 DIMM slots, up to 768 GB memory
- Up to 24 front SFF SAS/SATA/SSD drives
- PCIe Gen3; past Cisco support milestones
Cisco UCS C240 M7
Current 2RU 2-socket storage- and GPU-optimized server with 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 8 TB memory
- Up to 28 SFF SAS/SATA/NVMe drives (up to 8 direct NVMe)
- Up to 8 PCIe Gen4 / 4 PCIe Gen5 slots; GPU-capable; Intersight-managed
Cisco UCS C240 M3 vs Cisco UCS C240 M7: spec comparison
| Spec | Cisco UCS C240 M3 | Cisco UCS C240 M7 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | 2RU 2-socket | 2RU 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 | 24 | 32 |
| Max memory | 768 GB | 8 TB (256 GB DIMMs) |
| Front drive bays | Up to 24 SFF | Up to 28 SFF |
| NVMe support | Limited / none | Yes, up to 8 direct-attach NVMe |
| PCIe slots | Up to 5 (Gen3) | Up to 8 Gen4 / 4 Gen5 |
| GPU support | Limited | Multiple GPUs (incl. double-wide) |
| Lifecycle status | End of Life | Current, actively sold |
Choose Cisco UCS C240 M3 if
Keep the C240 M3 only to sustain an existing storage node or legacy app until migration; it should not be purchased or expanded because it is past support and limited to DDR3 and PCIe Gen3.
Choose Cisco UCS C240 M7 if
Choose the C240 M7 for new storage-dense, virtualization, big-data, or GPU/AI-inferencing workloads needing high core counts, up to 8 TB DDR5, 28 drive bays, and PCIe Gen5.
Verdict
The C240 M3 is end of life and limited to DDR3, Xeon v2, and PCIe Gen3, well short of current storage and accelerator needs. The C240 M7 is the direct 2RU successor, scaling memory to 8 TB, adding NVMe and more drive bays, PCIe Gen5, and GPU support. Migrate C240 M3 storage and compute nodes to the C240 M7.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Cisco UCS C240 M3 still supported?
No. The C240 M3 has passed end-of-sale and support milestones, runs Xeon E5-2600 v2 with DDR3 and PCIe Gen3, and is not supported for current OS and hypervisor releases.
What replaces the UCS C240 M3?
The UCS C240 M7 (UCSC-C240-M7SX) is the current 2RU 2-socket successor, with Xeon Scalable CPUs, DDR5 to 8 TB, more drive bays, NVMe, PCIe Gen5, and GPU support.
Can the C240 M7 handle GPUs for AI inferencing?
Yes. The C240 M7 supports multiple GPUs, including double-wide accelerators, with PCIe Gen5 connectivity, making it suitable for AI inferencing and visualization in addition to storage-dense roles.
How many drives does the C240 M7 support versus the M3?
The C240 M7 supports up to 28 SFF drives (with up to 8 direct-attach NVMe) versus up to 24 SFF SAS/SATA on the C240 M3, alongside far higher memory and PCIe bandwidth.
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.