IBM Power 11 Models Overview
A plain-English overview of all seven current IBM Power11 models and how to tell them apart before opening the full spec directory.
IBM Power 11 splits into three families: entry/scale-out (S1112, S1122, S1124), Linux-optimized (L1122, L1124), and enterprise scale-up (E1150, E1180). Within the scale-out family, S1122 and S1124 share machine-type licensing but differ sharply on per-core throughput; within the Linux family, L1122 and L1124 mirror the hardware of their S-series siblings under different licensing.
S1112 -- smallest footprint
The only tower-capable Power 11 model, built for branch, edge, and small IBM i P05/P10 refreshes.
S1122 -- mainstream scale-out
IBM's dense dual-socket workhorse, up to 60 cores and 4 TB memory, P10 tier throughout.
S1124 -- high-throughput scale-out
Same footprint as S1122 but far higher CPW per core, stepping into P20/P30 IBM i tiers.
L1122 / L1124 -- Linux-first
Same hardware ceilings as S1122/S1124 but licensed for Linux and OpenShift, with IBM i/AIX capped at ~25% of cores.
E1150 -- enterprise scale-up
Multi-node design up to 120 cores and 16 TB memory per node, for data-intensive consolidation.
E1180 -- flagship
IBM's largest Power 11 system, up to 256 cores and 64 TB memory across two nodes.
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.
9824-22AIBM 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.
9824-42AIBM 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.
9856-22HIBM Power L1122 (9856-22H)
The Linux-optimized sibling of the S1122: a dual-socket 2U server with the same hardware ceiling but licensed for Linux-first environments, with limited AIX/IBM i core use.
9856-42HIBM Power L1124 (9856-42H)
The Linux-optimized sibling of the S1124: a high-throughput scale-out server for open-source databases and Red Hat OpenShift, with the same DCM processor ceiling as the S1124.
9043-MRUIBM 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.
9080-HEUIBM 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.