Cisco UCS C125 M5
The Cisco UCS C125 M5 was a 2-socket high-density server node engineered for the Cisco UCS C4200 2U 4-node chassis. Powered by 1st and 2nd Gen AMD EPYC processors, it delivered up to 256 cores in 2U of rack space for cloud service providers, web scale infrastructures, and dense multi-tenant virtualization.
Specifications
| Brand | Cisco |
|---|---|
| Family | UCS C-Series |
| Form factor | multi-node |
| Released | Sep 2018 |
| End of sale | Sep 2022 |
| End of support | Sep 2027 |
| Processor | Up to 2x AMD EPYC 7001 or 7002 series processors up to 64 cores each (up to 240W TDP) |
| Memory | 16x DDR4 DIMM slots per node supporting up to 2TB DDR4-3200 |
| Drive bays | Up to 6x 2.5-inch SAS/SATA/NVMe SSDs per node in the C4200 chassis |
| Expansion slots | 2x PCIe 3.0 slots plus 1x dedicated OCP 2.0 slot per node |
| Network | OCP 2.0 mezzanine slot supporting 10GbE, 25GbE, 40GbE, and 100GbE adapters |
| Chassis compatibility | Cisco UCS C4200 Series Rack Server Chassis (houses 4 C125 M5 nodes in 2U) |
| Management | Cisco IMC and Cisco Intersight |
Generations
- Next generation: Cisco UCS C225 M6
Compatible parts
Hard drives
UCS-HD12TB10KJ4 Cisco UCS C4200 1.2TB 12Gbps 10K HDD
UCS-HD600G10KJ4 Cisco UCS C4200 600GB 12Gbps 10K HDD
Boot devices
UCS-M2-240G Cisco 240GB SATA M.2
UCS-M2-480G Cisco 480GB M.2 SATA SSD
UCS-M2-960G Cisco 960GB SATA M.2
Memory
UCS-ML-128G4RW Cisco 128 GB LRDIMM QRx4 3200 (16Gb) (non-3DS)
UCS-MR-X16G1RW-M Cisco (8Gb) 16GB 3200MHZ RDIMM
UCS-MR-X32G2RW-M Cisco (8Gb) 32GB 3200MHZ RDIMM
UCS-MR-X64G2RW-M Cisco (16Gb) 64GB 3200MHZ RDIMM
SSDs
UCS-NVMEM6-W3200 Cisco 3.2TB 2.5in U.2 WD SN840 NVMe Extreme Perf. High Endurance
UCS-NVMEM6-W7680 Cisco 7.6TB 2.5in U.2 WD SN840 NVMe Extreme Perf. Value Endurance
UCS-SD120GM1X-EV Cisco UCS C4200 120GB 6Gbps SSD
UCS-SD16T123X-EP Cisco 1.6TB 2.5 inch Enterprise performance 12G SAS SSD(3X endurance)
UCS-SD19TBM3X-EP Cisco 1.9TB 2.5in Enterprise performance 6GSATA SSD(3X endurance)
UCS-SD400G123X-EP Cisco 400GB 2.5 inch Enterprise performance 12G SAS SSD(3X endurance)
UCS-SD960GBM3X-EP Cisco 960GB 2.5in Enterprise performance 6GSATA SSD(3X endurance)
HBAs
UCSC-HBA-C125KIT UCS C125 9400-8i HBA kit
UCSC-PCIE-QD16GF Cisco Qlogic QLE2692 Dual Port 16G Fibre Channel HBA
Network adapters
UCSC-O-ID25GF Cisco Intel XXV710DA2OCP1 2x25/10GbE OCP 2.0
UCSC-O-M5S100GF Cisco Mellanox MCX545B-ECAN 1x100Gb IB/ENET QSFP28
UCSC-OCP-QD10GC Cisco Dual Port QL41132HORJ-CI-BK 10Gbase-T OCP 1.0
UCSC-OCP-QD25GF Cisco Qlogic QL41232HOCU Dual Port 25G SFP28 OCP 1.0
UCSC-PCIE-IQ10GF Cisco Intel X710 quad-port 10G SFP+ NIC
UCSC-PCIE-QD10GC Cisco QLogic dual-port 10GBase-T QL41162HLRJ-11-SP
Power supplies
UCSC-PSU3-2400W UCS 2400W AC Power Supply (Not EU/UK Lot 9 Compliant)
RAID controllers
UCSC-RAID-C125KIT UCS C125 9460-8i RAID kit
Rail kits
UCSC-RAILF-M4 Cisco Friction Rail Kit for C220 M4 and C220 M5 Servers
TPM modules
UCSX-TPM2-002-C Cisco Trusted Platform Module 2.0 for UCS servers
Works together
How the Cisco UCS C125 M5 connects to servers, storage and the network: 4 ways, with the parts and products on each path.
Fibre Channel SAN
Match the speed: 16Gb and 32Gb FC HBAs, switches and array ports work together, and each generation also runs one or two speeds below its own (a 32Gb port runs at 16Gb and 8Gb).
Adapters for the server
- UCSC-PCIE-QD16GF Cisco Qlogic QLE2692 Dual Port 16G Fibre Channel HBA
Switches
Cisco MDS 9148T 1U
Cisco MDS 9396T 2U
Cisco MDS 9132T 1U
Cisco Nexus 93180YC-FX 1U fixed switch
Storage
Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform VSP F350 2U rack
Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform VSP F370 2U rack
Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform VSP G350 2U rack
Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform VSP G370 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DE2000H 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DE4000F 2U rack
Optics
DS-SFP-FC16G-LW Cisco 16Gbps Fibre Channel Longwave SFP+ Transceiver
DS-SFP-FC16G-SW Cisco 16Gbps Fibre Channel Shortwave SFP+ Transceiver
DS-SFP-FC32G-LW Cisco 32Gbps Fibre Channel Longwave SFP28 Transceiver
iSCSI and NVMe/TCP over Ethernet
Keep the speed the same at all three points: a 25GbE server, a 25GbE switch port and a 25GbE array port. Mixed speeds work but the slowest link sets the pace.
Adapters for the server
- UCSC-O-ID25GF Cisco Intel XXV710DA2OCP1 2x25/10GbE OCP 2.0
Switches
Cisco Nexus 34180YC 1U fixed switch
Cisco Nexus 93240YC-FX2 1.2U fixed switch
Cisco Nexus 9336C-FX2 1U fixed switch
Cisco Nexus 9348GC-FXP 1U fixed switch
Storage
- Lenovo ThinkSystem DE2000H 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DM7000F 3U rack
Dell Isilon F810 4U 4-node chassis
Dell PowerMax 2000 system bay / standard rack
Dell PowerMax 8000 system bay multi-cabinet
Dell PowerProtect DD3300 2U appliance
Optics
QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S Cisco 100GBASE-CWDM4 QSFP28 Optical Transceiver
QSFP-100G-LR4-S Cisco 100GBASE-LR4 QSFP28 Optical Transceiver
QSFP-100G-SR4-S Cisco 100GBASE-SR4 QSFP28 Optical Transceiver
Direct-attached SAS
12Gb SAS uses Mini-SAS HD (SFF-8644) connectors; older 6Gb gear uses Mini-SAS (SFF-8088). Adapter cables exist, but the link runs at the slower speed.
Adapters for the server (check the fit list)
UCSC-9400-8E Cisco 12G 9400-8e 12G SAS HBA for external JBOD attach. You can install up to
Storage
Dell PowerEdge MX5016s blade- Lenovo ThinkSystem DE2000H 2U rack
- Lenovo ThinkSystem DE4000F 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME4012 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME4024 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME4084 5U rack
File storage (NFS and SMB)
Front-end ports face the clients; back-end ports (on scale-out systems) connect the nodes to each other and need their own switch pair.
Adapters for the server
- UCSC-O-ID25GF Cisco Intel XXV710DA2OCP1 2x25/10GbE OCP 2.0
Switches
- Cisco Nexus 34180YC 1U fixed switch
- Cisco Nexus 93240YC-FX2 1.2U fixed switch
- Cisco Nexus 9336C-FX2 1U fixed switch
- Cisco Nexus 9348GC-FXP 1U fixed switch
Storage
Lenovo ThinkSystem DM5000F 2U rack- Lenovo ThinkSystem DM7000F 3U rack
- Dell Isilon F810 4U 4-node chassis
Lenovo ThinkSystem DM3000H 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DM5000H 2U rack
Lenovo ThinkSystem DM7000H 3U rack
Optics
- QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S Cisco 100GBASE-CWDM4 QSFP28 Optical Transceiver
- QSFP-100G-LR4-S Cisco 100GBASE-LR4 QSFP28 Optical Transceiver
- QSFP-100G-SR4-S Cisco 100GBASE-SR4 QSFP28 Optical Transceiver
Plan and size it
- Draw this setup in the topology planner mrplanb.com
- Add up rack power and space rack-density.com
- Virtualization storage Ledger: scored storage platforms mrplanb.com
- SAN transport and NVMe over FC for backup mrplanb.com
Check compatibility with Cisco
Before you buy, confirm the exact configuration against the vendor's own lists: firmware levels, operating systems, adapters and optics that Cisco has tested with the Cisco UCS C125 M5.
- Compatibility Cisco UCS Hardware Compatibility List
- Compatibility Cisco Optics-to-Device Compatibility Matrix
- Support Cisco Support and Downloads
Equivalent models from other brands
FAQ
What chassis accommodated the C125 M5 nodes?
The C125 M5 installed exclusively into the 2U 4-node Cisco UCS C4200 chassis.
What processors powered the C125 M5?
The C125 M5 was powered by 1st and 2nd Generation AMD EPYC processors.
Buying or selling UCS C125 M5?
New, refurbished or used. Tell us the quantity and condition and we connect you with a vetted reseller in your region, usually within one working day.
Sources
- Cisco UCS C125 M5 Rack Server Node Data Sheet, checked 2026-10-28
- Cisco UCS C4200 Chassis with UCS C125 M5 Rack Server Node Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-28