IBM Power 730 Express (8231-E2B)
You have a Power 730 Express. Here's what that means in 2026: a dual-socket entry Power7 box, out of IBM hardware support since 2019, running on borrowed time on IBM i 7.3.
The Power 730 Express (8231-E2B) was IBM's dual-socket entry Power7 server, offering 8-, 12-, or 16-core configurations at 3.0-3.55 GHz and up to 128 GB of DDR3 memory. A well-documented 4-core, 3.0 GHz feature carries a CPW rating of 44,600, with the top processor feature reaching approximately 97,700 CPW -- among the more clearly benchmarked entry-tier Power7 configurations.
730 at a glance
Where it stands in 2026
730 lifecycle status
| Milestone | Date | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| End of standard IBM support | September 30, 2019 | IBM no longer provides hardware maintenance, machine code updates, or security patches. |
| IBM i ceiling | IBM i 7.3 only | IBM i 7.4 dropped Power7 support entirely -- there is no OS upgrade path on this hardware. |
| IBM i 7.3 standard support ended | September 30, 2023 | Paid Service Extension available through September 30, 2028; no IBM support path after that. |
Dates and CPW ratings per IBM's Power7 end-of-service documentation and published IBM i performance capabilities references.
See our maintenance page for third-party support options and our migration comparison for what a modern Power8/Power9/Power10/Power11 replacement looks like.
Related
IBM Power 720 Express (8202-E4B / E4C / E4D)
Use the 8202 model suffix and processor feature to identify the exact Power 720, its CPW range, its IBM hardware date, and the replacement decision it creates.
IBM Power 740 Express (8205-E6B / E6C / E6D)
You have a Power 740 Express. Here's what that means in 2026: a dual-socket scale-out Power7 box, out of IBM hardware support since 2019, running on borrowed time on IBM i 7.3.
IBM Power 710 Express (8231-E1C / 8231-E1D)
You have a Power 710 Express. Here's what that means in 2026: IBM's smallest Power7 rack server, out of IBM hardware support since 2019, running on borrowed time on IBM i 7.3.
IBM Power 750 Express (8233-E8B / 8408-E8D)
You have a Power 750 Express. Here's what that means in 2026: a 4-socket midrange Power7 box, out of IBM hardware support since 2019-2020, running on borrowed time on IBM i 7.3.
Related Reading
What IBM Power7 End of Support Actually Means
End of support is not a shutdown switch. Here is exactly what changed -- and what didn't -- when IBM Power7 passed its own end-of-service dates in 2019 and 2020.
The IBM i 7.3 Ceiling: What It Means for Power7
IBM i 7.4 dropped Power7 support entirely, making IBM i 7.3 a hard software ceiling -- and that ceiling itself lost standard support in September 2023.
Can Third-Party Maintenance Keep Power7 Running?
Third-party maintenance can cover Power7 parts and break-fix service while you prepare a replacement. It cannot restore IBM i fixes or new IBM machine code.