IBM Power E1180 (9080-HEU)
IBM's flagship Power 11 system: a modular multi-node enterprise server scaling up to 256 cores and 64 TB of DDR5 memory across up to four system nodes, built for the largest mission-critical AI-era workloads.
The 9080-HEU is the machine type of the IBM Power E1180, the largest system IBM builds on Power 11. A full configuration is four 5U CEC drawers plus a 2U System Control Unit, sixteen sockets, 256 cores, 64 TB of DDR5 and more than 3.1 million CPW. It also carries the highest clock in the entire Power 11 line, 4.4 GHz on the EDQ9 feature.
On a machine type this size the node count matters more than any other number. Core counts, memory and CPW all scale with how many system nodes are installed, so a 9080-HEU quote is meaningless without the node count attached. A single-node build at 40 cores and a four-node build at 256 cores share this machine type and share almost nothing else.
E1180 at a glance
Processor options and node scaling
E1180 processor feature codes
The commonly quoted 2-node configuration tops out at 128 cores. The full 4-node maximum configuration doubles that to 256 cores and 64 TB of memory; IBM has not published CPW/rPerf figures for the full 4-node maximum at this time.
| Feature Code | Cores | Clock Speed | Sockets | Nodes | CPW | rPerf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDQ0 | 40-core | 3.9-4.2 GHz | 4 | 1 | 1,049,100 | 1,500 |
| EDQ9 | 48-core | 3.9-4.4 GHz | 4 | 1 | 1,290,000 | 1,849 |
| EDQD | 64-core | 3.8-4.3 GHz | 4 | 1 | 1,572,800 | 2,285 |
| EDQ0 | 80-core | 3.9-4.2 GHz | 8 | 2 | 2,098,300 | 3,000 |
| EDQ9 | 96-core | 3.9-4.4 GHz | 8 | 2 | 2,580,100 | 3,698 |
| EDQD | 128-core | 3.8-4.3 GHz | 8 | 2 | 3,145,600 | 4,571 |
| EDQD | 256-core | 3.8-4.3 GHz | 16 | 4 | Not published | Not published |
IBM positions the E1180 around 99.9999% availability with zero planned downtime for maintenance, built-in AI acceleration via Power 11's on-chip Matrix Math Acceleration, and autonomous operational features. See our Power 11 AI Redbook reference for the full technical detail.
IBM 9080-HEU datasheet
IBM Power E1180 (9080-HEU) published specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Machine type-model | 9080-HEU |
| Generation | IBM Power 11 |
| Nodes | Up to 4 system nodes plus a System Control Unit |
| Sockets | 4 per node, up to 16 in a full build |
| Maximum cores | 256 in a 4-node, 16-socket configuration |
| Memory | Up to 64 TB DDR5 across up to 4 nodes, 64 DDIMM slots per node |
| Internal storage | 102.4 TB per node (16x 6.4 TB NVMe) or 30.6 TB (2x 15.3 TB) |
| PCIe | 4 Gen4 or Gen5 slots per node |
| I/O expansion | Up to 4 NED24 drawers per node and up to 4 Gen4 I/O drawers (24 slots each) per node |
| Highest clock in the Power 11 line | 4.4 GHz on the EDQ9 feature |
| Operating systems | IBM i, AIX, Linux |
Figures are the published maximums for this machine type. A specific installed system is defined by its processor feature code and activated core count, not by the machine type alone.
How to confirm you have a 9080-HEU
From IBM i
DSPSYSVAL QMODEL returns the model portion and DSPSYSVAL QPRCFEAT returns the processor feature code. Together those two values identify a 9080-HEU build exactly, which is more than the E1180 name alone tells a vendor.
From AIX, Linux or VIOS
lsconf reports the machine type and model on the first lines of output. prtconf gives the same alongside processor implementation and clock speed.
From the HMC
Managed system properties shows the machine type-model and serial together, plus installed against activated cores. This is the view to screenshot when requesting a quote.
From the bezel
The 9080 prefix is shared with the Power 9 E980 (9080-M9S) and the Power 10 E1080 (9080-HEX). The suffix is the generation marker, so read the full machine type-model rather than the prefix alone.
Next steps for a 9080-HEU
Feature codes across the family are compared on the Power 11 CPU page, with the full listing at IBM Power E1180. For the AIX and Linux enterprise alternative see the 9043-MRU E1150, and price a specific node count through Power 11 pricing and the quote checklist.
Sources
- IBM Power 11 E1180 Redbook ... IBM Redbooks
Reference Documents
Related
IBM Power E1150 (9043-MRU)
A 4U enterprise scale-up server built for memory- and data-intensive AIX and Linux workloads, offering up to 120 Power 11 cores and 16 TB of DDR5 memory per node. Does not support IBM i.
IBM Power S1112 (9242-21B / 9242-21T)
The entry point into the IBM Power 11 generation: a single-socket, half-width 2U rack or tower system built for branch, edge, and smaller IBM i, AIX, and Linux deployments.
IBM Power S1122 (9824-22A)
A dense, dual-socket 2U scale-out server offering up to 60 Power 11 cores and 4 TB of DDR5 memory, IBM's mainstream choice for growing IBM i, AIX, and Linux environments.
IBM Power S1124 (9824-42A)
A quad-socket-capable, high-performance 4U scale-out server offering up to 60 Power 11 cores and 8 TB of DDR5 memory, built for enterprises and regional data centers.
Related Reading
CPW and rPerf Explained: How to Actually Compare Power 11 Processor Options
CPW and rPerf are IBM's relative-performance benchmarks for IBM i and AIX/Linux respectively. Here is how to read them correctly when comparing Power 11 feature codes.
HMC v11 Requirements for Power 11: What Changed From 7063-CR1
Every Power11 server requires HMC v11 on either the 7063-CR2 hardware appliance or IBM's vHMC software appliance. The prior 7063-CR1 is not supported.
Frequently Asked
What are the IBM Power 11 model numbers?
There are seven current IBM Power 11 models: the entry S1112 (machine type 9242-21B rack, 9242-21T tower), the scale-out S1122 (9824-22A) and S1124 (9824-42A), the Linux-optimized L1122 (9856-22H) and L1124 (9856-42H), and the enterprise scale-up E1150 (9043-MRU) and flagship E1180 (9080-HEU). See our full Power 11 model directory for structured specs on each.
What is the largest or flagship IBM Power 11 model?
The Power E1180 (9080-HEU) is IBM's flagship Power 11 system, scaling up to 256 cores and 64 TB of DDR5 memory across a two-node configuration, built for the largest mission-critical enterprise workloads.