IBM Power 9 End of Life and Upgrade Guide
Your Power 9 still runs.
Here is what to do next.
Most IBM Power 9 servers lost standard support on January 31, 2026. A few models still have IBM support, and the E980 keeps it until December 31, 2027.
Find your model below. Then pick one of four next moves: keep it running, upgrade it, buy a used spare, or replace it with Power 10 or Power 11.
When does IBM support end for my Power 9?
Check the machine type on the label on the front of your server. The last letter matters. A 9009-41A and a 9009-41G are both called an S914, but they have different support dates.
| Model | Machine type | IBM standard support | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| S914, S922, S924 (first release, A models) | 9009-41A, 9009-22A, 9009-42A | Ended January 31, 2026 | No new IBM fixes. Keep it with third-party maintenance or plan the replacement now. |
| H922, H924 (SAP HANA models) | 9223-22H, 9223-42H | Ended January 31, 2026 | Same as the A models. |
| S914, S922, S924 (2020 refresh, G models) | 9009-41G, 9009-22G, 9009-42G | No end date posted yet | IBM no longer sells them, but it has not set an end date. That makes them the safest Power 9 to keep or buy used. |
| E950 | 9040-MR9 | No end date posted yet | IBM stopped selling it in October 2023. Watch for the end date announcement. |
| E980 | 9080-M9S | Ends December 31, 2027 | About 15 months left. Big systems take time to replace, so start pricing now. |
Dates come from IBM's product lifecycle pages, checked September 27, 2026. Other Power 9 machine types, such as the L922 (9008-22L), need a lookup by machine type. Support dates by model ... IBM product lifecycle
Every IBM Power 9 Model
Pick your model to see its specs, support status, upgrade options, and the newer system that replaces it.
IBM Power S914 (9009-41A)
The 9009-41A reached its support transition. Compare its processor feature, CPW, IBM i tier, and capacity with S1112 or S1122.
9009-41GIBM Power S914 (9009-41G)
The 9009-41G is end-of-life Power 9 hardware. Compare its processor feature, CPW, IBM i tier, and capacity with S1112 or S1122.
9009-22AIBM Power S922 (9009-22A)
The 9009-22A reached its support transition. Compare its processor, IBM i limit, memory, storage, and I/O with Power 11 S1122.
9009-22GIBM Power S922 (9009-22G)
The 9009-22G is end-of-life Power 9 hardware. Use its processor feature and workload to size Power 11 S1122.
9009-42AIBM Power S924 (9009-42A)
The 9009-42A reached its support transition. Use its processor, CPW, P20 tier, memory, storage, and I/O to size Power 11 S1124.
9009-42GIBM Power S924 (9009-42G)
The 9009-42G is end-of-life Power 9 hardware. Use its processor, CPW, P20 tier, memory, storage, and I/O to size Power 11 S1124.
9008-22LIBM Power L922 (9008-22L)
The 9008-22L is end-of-life Power 9 Linux hardware. Compare its workload, memory, storage, and I/O with Power 11 L1122 or L1124.
9223-22HIBM Power H922 (9223-22H)
The 9223-22H is end-of-life Power 9 hardware. Match its SAP HANA, AIX, IBM i, or Linux workload to the current Power 11 design.
9223-22SIBM Power H922S (9223-22S)
The 9223-22S is end-of-life Power 9 SAP HANA hardware. Compare its certified Linux workload with Power 11 L1122 or L1124.
9223-42HIBM Power H924 (9223-42H)
The 9223-42H is end-of-life Power 9 hardware. Match its SAP HANA, AIX, IBM i, or Linux workload to the current Power 11 design.
9223-42SIBM Power H924S (9223-42S)
The 9223-42S is end-of-life Power 9 SAP HANA hardware. Compare its certified Linux workload with Power 11 L1124.
9040-MR9IBM Power E950 (9040-MR9)
The 9040-MR9 is end-of-life Power 9 enterprise hardware for AIX and Linux, not IBM i. Compare its workload with Power 11 E1150.
9080-M9SIBM Power E980 (9080-M9S)
The 9080-M9S is end-of-life Power 9 enterprise hardware. Use its IBM i, AIX, or Linux workload to size Power 11 E1180.
Power 9 Upgrades and Parts
Memory, disk, NVMe storage, network cards, and firmware. These are the parts that buy a Power 9 more time.
Power 9 DDR4 Memory
DDR4 memory planning for Power 9 S914, S922, S924, H-series, L922, E950, and E980 systems.
Power 9 NVMe Storage
NVMe planning for later Power 9 configurations, especially G-generation systems with stronger PCIe Gen4 I/O.
Power 9 SAS Disk and RAID
SAS disk, SSD, backplane, and RAID planning for mature Power 9 systems.
Power 9 PCIe I/O Adapters
PCIe Gen3 and Gen4 adapter planning for Ethernet, Fibre Channel, SAS, tape, and external storage connectivity.
Power 9 HMC and Firmware Planning
HMC and firmware checks for Power 9 systems before maintenance extension, partition changes, or migration.
Power 9 Third-Party Maintenance Planning
Maintenance planning record for Power 9 systems after IBM standard support becomes constrained.
From the Library
Power 9 Lifecycle Decision Engine: Keep, Maintain, Expand, or Replace
A practical framework for deciding whether a Power 9 system deserves another maintenance cycle or a Power 10 or Power 11 replacement plan.
IBM i 7.5 Is the Power 9 Planning Ceiling
Why IBM i 7.5 can keep selected Power 9 systems useful, while IBM i 7.6 changes the hardware conversation.
Used and Refurbished Power 9 Buying Rules
How to avoid buying the wrong Power 9 system, part, or maintenance problem in a mature reseller market.
Common Questions
Is IBM Power 9 end of life?
Some Power 9 models have reached major lifecycle milestones, and IBM lists January 31, 2026 as the transition to end of support services for original A-generation S914, S922, and S924 models. Later machine types need exact lookup by serial and model.
Which Power 9 models have the January 31, 2026 support date?
IBM lifecycle pages list January 31, 2026 for 9009-41A S914, 9009-22A S922, and 9009-42A S924. Do not automatically apply that date to every G-generation, H-series, L-series, or enterprise Power 9 model without checking.
Can I still buy a Power 9 system?
Yes. Power 9 systems, memory, storage, and adapters remain available through used and refurbished channels, but every quote should be checked for exact machine type, entitlement, firmware, warranty, and support coverage.
Should I keep a Power 9 in 2026?
Keep it when the workload is stable, support risk is acceptable, backups are tested, and IBM i 7.6 is not required. Replace it when support, security, software release, or capacity runway becomes the bigger issue.
Does IBM i 7.6 run on Power 9?
No. IBM states IBM i 7.6 is not supported on servers with Power 9 and earlier processor technology. IBM i 7.5 is the key planning ceiling for selected Power 9 systems.
What replaces a Power 9 S914?
Small environments may evaluate the Power 11 S1112, but IBM lifecycle guidance for the original 9009-41A points to the S1122 class. The right answer depends on IBM i memory, core count, partitioning, and growth needs.
Glossary
- A-generation ... Original Power 9 S914, S922, and S924 models ending in A.
- CPW ... Commercial Processing Workload, IBM i relative performance metric.
- End of Marketing ... The date IBM no longer actively sells a product as a new offering.
- End of Support ... The date standard vendor support ends and the owner must rely on an extension, another maintenance plan, or replacement.
- G-generation ... Later Power 9 S914, S922, and S924 models ending in G.
- HMC ... Hardware Management Console used to manage IBM Power systems.
- IBM i 7.5 ... IBM i release supported on selected Power 9 systems.
- IBM i 7.6 ... IBM i release not supported on Power 9 and earlier processor technology.