Blake Hoskinson
Solutions Engineering Manager for IBM Power, Pellera Technologies (formerly Mainline Information Systems)
In today’s fast-moving digital landscape, enterprises face a tough balancing act: Modernizing for AI and hybrid cloud while avoiding costly outages and navigating talent gaps. Enter IBM Power11—a next-gen server platform designed to meet these challenges head-on. Whether you’re consolidating databases, scaling AI workloads, or building a resilient private cloud, Power11 delivers the performance, security, and availability your business demands.
Power 11: The Lineup
While the Power11 models may resemble their Power10 predecessors on the outside, under the hood they’re packed with cutting-edge enhancements that redefine performance and efficiency.
Advancements and features common to all the Power11 models include:
- Next-gen Processors: Enhanced 7nm processors with 2.5D Integrated Stacked Capacitors (ISC) for better frequency and power efficiency.
- AI Acceleration: Built-in on-chip AI inferencing support and off-chip Spyre Accelerator coming later this year.
- Faster Memory: DDR5 with up to 3x bandwidth over previous generations.
- Built-in Security: Main Memory Encryption, Quantum-safe boot and Logical Partition Migration (LPM).
- Cyber Resiliency: Less than one-minute ransomware detection with IBM Power Cyber Vault.
- Energy Savings: Energy Efficient mode optimizes power consumption.
- Always-On IT: Zero planned downtime and automated patching for system maintenance. Automated First Failure Data Capture for quicker problem resolution.
- Performance: Resource Groups to maximize system utilization and increase performance of workloads efficiently.
Let’s dive into the specifics of each model.
Power E1180: The Flagship for Enterprise Workloads
Ideal for: Large-scale database consolidation, mission-critical applications, and enterprise-wide virtualization.
Key Specs:
- Form Factor: Up to 4 nodes (5U CEC drawers) and a 2U System Control Unit
- Processors: Up to 256 POWER11 SMT8 cores (10, 12, or 16 cores per socket)
- 16-core offering: Max 256 cores, 3.80 to 4.3 GHz frequency range, for maximum throughput and density.
- 12-core offering: Max 192 cores, 3.90 to 4.4 GHz frequency range, for maximum core/thread performance.
- 10-core offering: Max 160 cores, 3.90 to 4.2 GHz frequency range, serving as an entry price/performance option.
- It includes spare cores (4 per drawer) for increased availability.
- Memory: Up to 64TB DDR5 (16TB per drawer), with speeds of 4000 MHz and peak bandwidth of 1024 GB/s per socket for higher capacity DDIMMs.
- PCIe Slots: 8 per drawer all supporting GEN5 and capable of blind swap for concurrent repair.
- Internal Storage: Up to 4 NVMe Flash 7mm U.2 Bays or 2 15mm U.2 Bays per drawer.
- I/O Expansion: Up to 16 I/O and NVMe drawers (4 drawers per CEC drawer).
- Reliability: 99.9999% uptime, redundant service processors, dynamic failover
- Upgradable: Serial number upgrades are available for E1080 servers.
Power E1150: For Data and Memory-Intensive Workloads
Ideal for: Memory-heavy analytics, ERP systems, and large-scale virtualization.
Key Specs:
- Form Factor: 4U rack-mount
- Processors: Up to 120 cores (30 cores/socket + 2 spare)
- 30-core offering: Max 120 cores, 3.00 to 4.1 GHz frequency range.
- 24-core offering: Max 96 cores, 3.25 to 4.2 GHz frequency range.
- 16-core offering: Max 64 cores, 3.50 to 4.2 GHz frequency range.
- Includes spare cores (2 per socket) for increased availability.
- Memory: Up to 16TB DDR5 across 64 DDIMM slots, with speeds of 4000 MHz and peak bandwidth of 1024 GB/s per socket for higher capacity DDIMMs.
- PCIe Slots: 11 (8 GEN5 capable), all concurrently maintainable.
- Internal Storage: Up to 10 NVMe U.2 bays (up to 153TB)
- I/O Expansion: Supports external PCIe I/O and NVMe storage Expansion Drawers
- Upgradable: Serial number upgrades are available for E1050 servers
Power S1124 & L1124: Scalability for Enterprise Entry
The IBM Power S1124 (Model 9824-42A, 9856-42H) provides robust scalability in a 4U form factor.
- Form Factor: Up to 2 processors in a 4U form factor.
- Processors: Up to 60 cores (30 cores/socket + 2 spare)
- 30-core offering: Max 60 cores, 2.8 to 3.95 GHz frequency range.
- 24-core offering: Max 48 cores, 3.05 to 4.15 GHz frequency range.
- 16-core offering: Max 32 cores, 3.40 to 4.2 GHz frequency range.
- Includes spare cores (2 per socket) for increased availability.
- Memory: Up to 8TB DDR5. Memory speeds are 4800/4000 MHz, with a peak bandwidth of 1228 GB/s per socket for higher capacity DDIMMs.
- PCIe Slots: 10 FHHL slots (8 GEN5), all concurrently maintainable.
- Internal Storage: Up to 16 NVMe U.2 bays (up to 244.8TB)
Power S1122 & LS1122: Compact Power for Edge and Scale-Out
The IBM Power S1122 (Model 9824-22A, 9856-22H) is a 2U server offering flexible consumption and is suitable for scale-out and edge deployments.
- Form Factor: 2 processors in a 2U form factor.
- Processors: Supports both DCM (Dual-Chip Module) and eSCM (entry Single-Chip Module) processors.
- DCM offerings:
- 30-core: Max 60 cores, 2.4 to 3.95 GHz.
- 24-core: Max 48 cores, 2.65 to 4.15 GHz.
- 16-core: Max 32 cores, 3.00 to 4.2 GHz.
- DCMs include spare cores (2 per socket) for increased availability.
- eSCM offerings:
- 10-core: Max 20 cores, 3.05 to 4.00 GHz.
- 4-core: Max 8 cores, 3.60 to 4.00 GHz.
- DCM offerings:
- Memory: Up to 4TB DDR5. Memory speeds are 4800 MHz (4000 MHz for eSCM processors), with a peak bandwidth of 614-1228 GB/s per socket.
- PCIe Slots: 10 HHHL slots (8 are GEN5 capable with DCM), all concurrently maintainable.
- Internal Storage: Up to 8 NVMe U.2 bays (up to 122.4TB).
Adapter Options for Power11
Power11 systems offer a comprehensive range of adapters to meet diverse connectivity and storage needs:
- NVMe SSDs: A variety of NVMe U.2 15mm SSDs are available, ranging from 800GB to 15.3TB capacities, supporting PCIe4 for AIX/Linux and IBM i workloads.
- Network Interface Cards (NIC) & RoCE Adapters:
- 2-Port 25/10 Gb NIC&RoCE (PCIe 3.0/4.0).
- 4-Port 25/10/1 GbE NIC&RoCE (PCIe4 x16).
- 2-Port 100Gb EN CONNECTX-6 DX (PCIe4 x16), capable of 200GbE.
- Transceivers and cables for 1Gb, 10Gb, 25Gb, 40Gb, and 100Gb Ethernet are also available.
- Fibre Channel Adapters:
- 2-port 32Gb Fibre Channel Adapter (PCIe4).
- 4-port 32Gb Fibre Channel Adapter (PCIe4).
- 2-port 64Gb Fibre Channel Adapter (PCIe4).
- Other Adapters:
- USB 3.0 Adapters (2-port, PCIe2).
- Crypto Coprocessors (4769-001, 4770) for encryption (PCIe3).
- SAS Tape HBAs (4x HD Mini-SAS, PCIe3 12Gb).
- External USB DVD Drive for media.
Ready to Power Up?
IBM Power11 is more than just a new generation of servers; it’s a comprehensive platform designed to address the most pressing challenges facing modern enterprises. With its focus on automation, unparalleled resiliency, and integrated AI capabilities, Power11 offers the technical muscle and flexibility needed to accelerate your journey into the AI era and ensure continuous business operations. Whether you’re consolidating databases, running demanding AI workloads, or seeking to optimize your hybrid cloud strategy, Power11 provides the robust foundation you need.
More Information
Pellera’s (formerly Mainline) team of Power Systems experts is here to help you navigate what IBM Power11 means for your organization. Whether you’re evaluating your current infrastructure, exploring licensing changes, or planning for future workloads that demand AI acceleration and hybrid cloud readiness, we can guide you through every step. Reach out to your Pellera Account Executive directly or contact us to start the conversation.
You May Be Interested In:
BLOG: IBM Power11: Unlocking a New Era of Performance, Efficiency, and Autonomous IT
BLOG: Navigating IBM i Shift to Subscription Licensing: Key Facts and Impact