IBM Power 780 (9179-MHB / MHC / MHD)
You have a Power 780. Here's what that means in 2026: IBM's flagship modular Power7 system, out of IBM hardware support since 2019-2020, running on borrowed time on IBM i 7.3.
The Power 780 (9179-MHB, later MHC and MHD under the POWER7+ refresh) was IBM's flagship modular Power7 system: architecturally similar to the 770 but with a higher performance ceiling and a distinctive TurboCore mode, which deactivates some cores in exchange for a substantially higher clock speed on the remaining cores -- a configuration IBM specifically aimed at per-core-licensed enterprise database workloads.
780 at a glance
Where it stands in 2026
780 lifecycle status
| Milestone | Date | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Withdrawn from marketing (MHD) | November 20, 2015 | No longer sold new by IBM. |
| End of standard IBM support (MHD / POWER7+) | December 31, 2020 | 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 per IBM's Power7/POWER7+ withdrawal and end-of-service documentation. Used pricing per published reseller data as of 2026.
See our hardware value page for current used-market pricing context and our migration comparison for what a modern Power8/Power9/Power10/Power11 enterprise replacement looks like.
Related
IBM Power 770 (9117-MMB / MMC / MMD)
You have a Power 770. Here's what that means in 2026: a modular enterprise Power7 system, out of IBM hardware support since 2019-2020, running on borrowed time on IBM i 7.3.
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You have a Power 795. Here's what that means in 2026: IBM's largest Power7 system, withdrawn from marketing in 2015, out of IBM hardware support since 2020, and running on borrowed time on IBM i 7.3.
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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.
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.