Identify Your Power 8 By Machine Type
Match your machine type to its exact IBM Power 8 model, specs, end-of-service date, and IBM i compatibility before you decide what to do next.
Start with the machine type, not the model name. The machine type is the seven-character code on the system label, in the form 8286-41A, and it is the only identifier that is unambiguous. Model names are not: there are two different machines called E870 and two called E880, and they are four years and one hardware generation apart.
IBM Power 8 spans thirteen machine types across four families. Find yours below, then open its directory page for full specifications, processor feature codes, and its own end-of-service date.
Scale-out systems that run IBM i
8284-21A ... Power S812
Entry single-socket Power 8, 1-core P05 IBM i tier or up to 4 AIX cores. The last Power 8 machine type to lose IBM support, in July 2025.
8284-22A ... Power S822
Two-socket 2U machine, up to 20 cores. IBM support ended March 31, 2024.
8286-41A ... Power S814
The mainstream single-socket workhorse. 4, 6 or 8 cores, up to 1 TB memory. IBM support ended May 31, 2024.
8286-42A ... Power S824
Two-socket 4U scale-out, up to 24 cores. IBM support ended March 31, 2024.
Linux-only scale-out systems
The 8247 machine types are Linux only. They cannot run IBM i, and no upgrade changes that. If an inventory list has one of these sitting next to an 8286 and treats them as interchangeable, the list is wrong.
8247-21L ... Power S812L
Single-socket Linux-only 2U. IBM support ended May 31, 2024.
8247-22L ... Power S822L
Two-socket Linux-only 2U. IBM support ended March 31, 2024.
8247-42L ... Power S824L
Two-socket Linux-only 4U, the machine type sold with NVIDIA GPU options. IBM support ended March 31, 2024.
Enterprise systems
Read the prefix carefully here. 9119 is the original 2014 pair. 9080 is the 2016 C-generation refresh of the same two machines, and it reuses the same MME and MHE suffixes. A parts search that drops the prefix returns the wrong system roughly half the time.
8408-E8E ... Power E850
Four-socket enterprise, up to 48 cores. The earliest Power 8 machine type to lose IBM support, in October 2023.
8408-44E ... Power E850C
The C-generation refresh of the E850. IBM support ended October 31, 2024, a full year after the original.
9119-MME ... Power E870
Multi-node modular enterprise system, up to 16 TB memory across a full build. IBM support ended October 31, 2024.
9119-MHE ... Power E880
The largest Power 8 system, up to 32 TB memory across a full multi-node build. IBM support ended October 31, 2024.
9080-MME ... Power E870C
C-generation refresh of the E870. Note the 9080 prefix ... this is not the 9119-MME.
9080-MHE ... Power E880C
C-generation refresh of the E880. Note the 9080 prefix ... this is not the 9119-MHE.
Every machine type above is past IBM's standard end-of-support date, and those dates are set per machine type rather than per generation. The spread runs from October 2023 to July 2025, so verify the specific box in front of you rather than applying one Power 8 deadline to the whole room. Once you have identified it, open its directory page for full specifications, then check the end-of-support and risk page and the migration comparison for what comes next.
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.
8286-41AIBM Power S814 (8286-41A)
You have an S814 8286-41A. Here's what that means in 2026: IBM's mainstream single-socket Power8 box, out of standard IBM support since May 2024, running on borrowed time on IBM i 7.4.
8286-42AIBM 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.
8408-E8EIBM 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.
8408-44EIBM 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.
9119-MMEIBM 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.
9080-MMEIBM 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.
9080-MHEIBM Power E880C (9080-MHE)
The E880C (9080-MHE) is the C-generation refresh of the E880, the largest Power8 system. IBM standard support ended October 31, 2024. Do not confuse 9080-MHE with 9119-MHE, which is the original E880.
8247-21LIBM Power S812L (8247-21L)
The S812L (8247-21L) is a Linux-only Power8 machine ... it does not run IBM i at all. IBM standard support ended May 31, 2024.
8284-22AIBM Power S822 (8284-22A)
The S822 (8284-22A) left IBM standard support on March 31, 2024. It is the 2-socket 2U Power8 box, it tops out at IBM i 7.4, and that release itself stops being supported on September 30, 2026.
8247-22LIBM Power S822L (8247-22L)
The S822L (8247-22L) is the two-socket Linux-only Power8 server. It does not run IBM i. IBM standard support ended March 31, 2024.
8247-42LIBM Power S824L (8247-42L)
The S824L (8247-42L) is the 4U Linux-only Power8 server, the one sold with NVIDIA GPU options. It does not run IBM i. IBM standard support ended March 31, 2024.
9119-MHEIBM Power E880 (9119-MHE)
You have an E880 9119-MHE. Here's what that means in 2026: IBM's flagship Power8 enterprise system, out of standard IBM support since October 2024, and the largest single point of consolidated risk in the whole Power8 family.