IBM Power E850C (8408-44E)
The E850C (8408-44E) is the refreshed 4-socket Power8 enterprise server. IBM standard support ended October 31, 2024, and IBM i on this box stops at 7.4.
The Power E850C (8408-44E) is the refreshed version of the E850. Four sockets in 4U, aimed at the gap between the scale-out S-series and the node-based E870 and E880 systems.
Where the E850C stands in 2026
The C-generation distinction matters for support planning. IBM listed the E850C at October 31, 2024, while the original 8408-E8E E850 came off standard support earlier. Two machines with almost the same name and a year between their deadlines is exactly the sort of thing that gets missed in a spreadsheet that only records "E850".
Power8 end-of-service dates are set per machine type, not per generation. The spread across the line runs from March 2024 to July 2025, so verify the 8408-44E date specifically rather than applying one Power8 deadline to every box in the room.
Specifications
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | 4-socket, 4U rack mount |
| Sockets | Up to 4 |
| Processor Technology | POWER8 |
| Generation Note | C-generation refresh of the 8408-E8E E850, with updated processor and memory options and bundled cloud entitlement at launch |
Machine type, model designation and support dates verified against IBM published documentation. Configuration details vary by build ... read the system VPD for the machine in front of you.
Lifecycle and support status
| Attribute | Status |
|---|---|
| EOS Date | October 31, 2024 |
| EOS Status | Past IBM standard hardware support. |
| IBM i Ceiling | IBM i 7.4 (IBM i 7.5 dropped Power8 support entirely) |
| IBM i 7.4 Support Ends | September 30, 2026 |
End-of-service dates per the IBM Power8 end of service announcement. IBM i release support dates per IBM i lifecycle documentation.
Best fit
Four-socket consolidation workloads that needed more than a scale-out box but did not justify an E870 or E880 node structure.
Related
IBM Power E850 (8408-E8E)
You have an E850 8408-E8E. Here's what that means in 2026: a 4-socket enterprise Power8 consolidation platform, the first Power8 model to lose IBM support, out of standard support since October 2023.
IBM Power E870 (9119-MME)
You have an E870 9119-MME. Here's what that means in 2026: a modular multi-node enterprise Power8 system, out of standard IBM support since October 2024.
IBM Power S824 (8286-42A)
You have an S824 8286-42A. Here's what that means in 2026: IBM's dual-socket Power8 scale-out server, out of standard IBM support since March 2024, still carrying real production load at many IBM i shops.
IBM Power S812 (8284-21A)
You have an S812 8284-21A. Here's what that means in 2026: IBM's smallest Power8 box, out of standard IBM support since July 2025, and the last model in the family to lose it.