Power 10 vs Power 11
A structured, numeric comparison of IBM Power10 and Power 11 across matching model tiers: max cores, memory, and I/O bandwidth.
Power 11 succeeds Power10 as IBM's current Power server generation, announced in July 2025. The core architecture, DDR5 memory interface, and PowerVM virtualization model carry forward, but every model tier gains meaningful headroom in cores, storage, and I/O bandwidth.
Price both choices against the same workload
A fair Power 10 versus Power 11 decision uses the same capacity, software, support, migration, and growth assumptions for both generations. Review the IBM reseller shortlist and ask providers to explain where the newer generation changes the five-year operating case.
Model tier comparison: max cores and memory
| Tier | Power 10 Model | P10 Max Cores | P10 Max Memory | Power 11 Model | P11 Max Cores | P11 Max Memory | Core Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scale-out, dual-socket entry/mid | S1022 (9105-22A) | 40 | 4 TB | S1122 (9824-22A) | 60 | 4 TB | +50% |
| Scale-out, high-throughput | S1024 | 48 | 8 TB | S1124 (9824-42A) | 60 | 8 TB | +25% |
| Enterprise scale-up, mid | E1050 | 96 | 16 TB | E1150 (9043-MRU) | 120 | 16 TB | +25% |
| Enterprise scale-up, flagship | E1080 | 240 | 64 TB | E1180 (9080-HEU) | 256 | 64 TB | +7% |
What Else Changed
- IBM states Power 11 delivers up to 2.5x higher performance than Power 10, workload-dependent.
- IBM states Power 11 delivers approximately 20% lower energy consumption than Power 10 at the same utilization level.
- Power 11 adds adaptive frequency boost reaching up to 4.8 GHz under low load, and reserves additional spare cores per socket for improved reliability versus Power 10.
- Power 11 requires HMC v11 (7063-CR2 or vHMC); Power 10 HMC requirements do not carry forward.
Sources: https://www.ibm.com/products/power, https://www.ibm.com/products/power-e1080, https://www.ibm.com/products/power-s1024