IBM Power 8 CPU
The POWER8 processor by model and feature code: cores, clock speeds, the CCIN numbers that identify a module, IBM i software tier, and how to read the CPU out of a Power 8 that is still in production.
Power 8 machines are past IBM support, which changes what a CPU question is actually about. It is no longer sizing a new order. It is identifying exactly which processor module is in the box, so you can source a spare, price a third-party maintenance contract, or work out what the machine is worth against a migration. This page gives you the POWER8 processor by model, the feature codes that identify each module, and the commands that read it out of a running system.
POWER8 was the generation that took the core to eight threads and put a coherent accelerator interface on the chip. For IBM i shops the more durable change was buffered CDIMM memory, which is why a well-configured S824 still holds up on transactional work a decade later, and why the memory subsystem rather than the processor is often what limits one of these machines today.
Power 8 processor feature codes
POWER8 processor modules by feature code
| Feature code | Cores | Clock speed | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 54E9 | 4 | 3.02 GHz | 8286-41A (S814) |
| 54E1 | 6 | 3.02 GHz | 8286-41A (S814) |
| 54E0 | 8 | 3.72 GHz | 8286-41A (S814) |
| 54E6 | 6 | 3.89 GHz | 8286-42A (S824) |
| 54E5 | 8 | 4.15 GHz | 8286-42A (S824) |
| 54E3 | 12 | 3.52 GHz | 8286-42A (S824) |
| 54E8 | 10 | 3.42 GHz | 8247-42L (S824L) |
| 54E4 | 12 | 3.02 GHz | 8247-42L (S824L) |
These are the CCIN codes you will see in a parts lookup and on a service label. Quote the feature code and the machine type together, because the same core count exists at different clock speeds on different machine types.
Each of these modules has its own entry with FRU part number and service detail in the Power 8 part and feature code directory.
Power 8 CPU options by model
POWER8 processor configuration by model
| Model | Sockets | Processor options | IBM i software tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| S812 (8284-21A) | 1 | 1 core for IBM i, up to 4 cores for AIX | P05 |
| S814 (8286-41A) | 1 | 4, 6 or 8 cores at 3.02 ... 3.72 GHz | P10 |
| S822 (8284-22A) | 2 | 6-core at 3.89 GHz or 10-core at 3.42 GHz per socket | Feature dependent |
| S824 (8286-42A) | 2 | 6, 8 or 12 cores per socket at 3.52 ... 4.15 GHz | Feature dependent |
| S812L (8247-21L) | 1 | POWER8, Linux only | Not applicable |
| S822L (8247-22L) | 2 | POWER8, Linux only | Not applicable |
| S824L (8247-42L) | 2 | 10-core at 3.42 GHz or 12-core at 3.02 GHz per socket | Not applicable |
| E850 (8408-E8E) | 4 | Up to 12 cores per socket at 3.3 ... 3.7 GHz, 48 cores maximum | P30 |
| E850C (8408-44E) | 4 | POWER8, C-generation refresh of the E850 | P30 |
| E870 (9119-MME) | Up to 4 per node, 2 nodes | POWER8 modules, configuration dependent | P30 |
| E880 (9119-MHE) | Up to 4 per node, 4 nodes | POWER8 modules, configuration dependent | P30 |
The enterprise E870 and E880 shipped in too many node and socket combinations to reduce to a single line. Confirm your exact build from the HMC or the original configuration record rather than from the model name.
The C-generation machine types are a genuine trap in parts lookups. The E850C is 8408-44E while the E850 is 8408-E8E; the E870C is 9080-MME while the E870 is 9119-MME; the E880C is 9080-MHE while the E880 is 9119-MHE. The 9080 and 9119 prefixes are the only thing separating them, and processor modules are not interchangeable across that line.
How to read the CPU out of a Power 8 you still run
From IBM i
DSPSYSVAL QPRCFEAT returns the processor feature code directly. WRKHDWRSC *PRC lists the processor resources the partition can see. On a machine this old, QPRCFEAT is the fastest way to know what you actually have without opening the covers.
From AIX, Linux or VIOS
lsconf and prtconf report processor type, implementation and clock speed. lscfg -vp gives the vital product data including part numbers, which is what you want when sourcing a replacement module.
From the HMC
Managed system properties, processor tab, for installed against activated cores. Many Power 8 machines were sold with capacity upgrade on demand and never had the extra cores turned on, which is free capacity sitting in the box.
From the service label
The CCIN on the module itself is definitive and is what a parts supplier matches against. If you are buying a used machine or a spare module, ask for a photograph of the label rather than accepting the model name.
On an out-of-support machine, unactivated cores are worth checking for. If the HMC shows installed cores above activated cores, you may have capacity you already own. Whether it can still be activated depends on entitlement records, so confirm before you count on it.
What the CPU tells you about keeping or moving
The processor is the clearest single input into the keep-or-migrate decision on this generation. A 12-core S824 at 3.52 GHz still does real work and is worth maintaining. A 4-core S814 running a workload that has grown for ten years is being kept alive for reasons that no longer include performance. Knowing exactly which module is installed turns that from an argument into arithmetic.
Use the identification result on the pages that price the decision: identify your Power 8 for the full machine profile, end of support and risk for what running unsupported actually exposes, maintaining Power 8 for the third-party maintenance option, and Power 8 to Power 9, 10 and 11 comparison for what a generational move buys you. Every model in the family is listed in the Power 8 model directory.