IBM Power 8 Enterprise Server

IBM Power E870C (9080-MME)

The E870C (9080-MME) is the C-generation refresh of the E870. IBM standard support ended October 31, 2024. Note the machine type carefully: 9080-MME is the E870C, while 9119-MME is the original E870.

Machine type: 9080-MME

The Power E870C carries machine type 9080-MME. Read that twice, because the original E870 is 9119-MME, and the two get transposed constantly ... including by hardware resellers who should know better.

Where the E870C stands in 2026

The prefix is the whole distinction. 9119 is the original 2014 E870 and E880 pair. 9080 is the 2016 C-generation refresh of the same two machines. Both pairs reuse MME for the 870 and MHE for the 880, so a parts search that drops the prefix will return the wrong system about half the time.

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 9080-MME date specifically rather than applying one Power8 deadline to every box in the room.

Specifications

AttributeDetail
Form FactorNode-based scale-up enterprise system
Processor TechnologyPOWER8
Generation NoteC-generation refresh of the 9119-MME E870, sold with bundled cloud entitlement at launch
Machine Type Warning9080-MME is the E870C. The original E870 is 9119-MME. The 9080 and 9119 prefixes are the only thing separating them in most parts lookups.

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

AttributeStatus
EOS DateOctober 31, 2024
EOS StatusPast IBM standard hardware support.
IBM i CeilingIBM i 7.4 (IBM i 7.5 dropped Power8 support entirely)
IBM i 7.4 Support EndsSeptember 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

Large IBM i or AIX consolidation estates already committed to the E870 node structure that took the C-generation refresh instead of moving to Power9.

IBM no longer sells the E870C new. Used and refurbished 9080-MME systems, replacement parts and memory remain available through IBM i and AS/400 hardware resellers, and third-party maintenance contracts routinely extend hardware support several years past IBM's own end-of-service date.