TLDR: IBM has launched its next-generation Power11 chips and servers, marking the first major update to its Power systems since 2020. The new lineup emphasizes enhanced AI capabilities through the upcoming Spyre AI chip, unparalleled uptime with 99.9999% availability and zero planned downtime, and robust security features including quantum-safe cryptography and rapid ransomware detection. These systems are designed to meet the demanding needs of enterprises across various sectors, offering significant performance and energy efficiency gains.
ARMONK, N.Y. and MUNICH – July 8, 2025 – IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced the release of its highly anticipated Power11 chips and servers, representing a significant leap forward in enterprise computing. This new generation of IBM Power systems, the first major update since 2020, is engineered to deliver exceptional performance, unparalleled resiliency, advanced security, and superior energy efficiency, catering to the evolving demands of modern hybrid cloud and AI workloads.
Central to the Power11’s innovation is its deep integration with artificial intelligence. The Power11 will be the first IBM Power server to support the new IBM Spyre AI chip, purpose-built for AI inference workloads. Expected to be generally available in Q4 2025, the Spyre accelerator boasts 32 individual cores and approximately 25.6 billion transistors, capable of delivering up to 300 TOPS (Tera Operations Per Second) in AI inference processing power. This chip, produced using 5nm node process technology, will also roll out across IBM z17 and LinuxONE systems later this year, providing a powerful foundation for AI operationalization across hybrid environments when combined with Red Hat OpenShift AI and open-source toolkits.
Resiliency and uptime are paramount for enterprise operations, and Power11 sets a new industry benchmark. The systems are designed for an extraordinary 99.9999% uptime, translating to an average of just over 30 seconds of unplanned downtime per year. Furthermore, IBM highlights ‘zero planned downtime for system maintenance,’ a groundbreaking feature achieved by the ability to move applications to another machine during patching or updates, and an automated patching workflow that streamlines IT operations.
Security has also been significantly bolstered with the introduction of IBM Power Cyber Vault. This integrated cyber resiliency solution enables ransomware detection in under a minute through automated response and immutable data backups. Power11 also incorporates NIST-approved, built-in quantum-safe cryptography, designed to protect systems from ‘harvest-now, decrypt-later’ attacks and firmware integrity breaches, addressing future cybersecurity threats.
Performance enhancements are substantial, with Power11 offering up to 55% better core performance compared to Power9 and comparable x86 servers. It also delivers 45% more capacity in entry and mid-range systems over the Power10. In terms of energy efficiency, Power11 provides twice the performance per watt compared to comparable x86 servers and achieves up to 28% better server efficiency with its new Energy Efficient Mode.
Tom McPherson, General Manager of Power Systems at IBM, emphasized the transformative potential of the new lineup: “IBM Power11 changes the game for enterprise computing. With Power11, clients can accelerate into the AI era with innovations tailored to their most pressing business needs. We are taking advantage of the full IBM stack to deliver hybrid cloud, AI, and automation capabilities while building on our decades-long reputation as a trustworthy hybrid infrastructure for essential workloads.”
The initial Power11 product family includes four machines: the high-end Power E1180, a full rack system with up to 256 Power11 cores and 64TB of DDR5 memory; the Power E1150, a 4U server with up to 120 cores and 16TB of RAM; and the more compact Power S1124 (4U) and Power S1122 (2U) servers, both supporting up to 60 cores with 8TB and 4TB of RAM respectively. For the first time, general availability on July 25, 2025, will simultaneously include high-end, mid-range, and entry servers, as well as IBM Power Virtual Server in IBM Cloud.
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IBM Power11 is poised to serve mission-critical, data-intensive workloads for organizations across diverse industries, including finance, healthcare, manufacturing, banking, retail, and government. Looking ahead, IBM plans to make watsonx.data, its hybrid, open data lakehouse, available on Power11 by the end of 2025, further enhancing its capabilities for data-driven enterprises.
