IBM Power 7 CPU
The POWER7 and POWER7+ processor by model: cores, clock speeds, CPW, software tier, what TurboCore actually did, and how to read the CPU out of a Power 7 that is still running.
A Power 7 CPU question in 2026 is almost never about buying one. It is about identifying exactly what is in a machine that is long past IBM support, so you can source a module, price a maintenance contract, or size a replacement honestly. That last one is where most Power 7 owners get it wrong, because they compare core counts across generations and conclude they need far more machine than they actually do.
POWER7 is where IBM put L3 cache on the processor die as embedded DRAM instead of separate chips, and moved the core to four threads. POWER7+ shrank that to 32 nm, roughly doubled the L3 per core, and added on-chip accelerators for encryption, compression and random number generation. A POWER7+ machine and a POWER7 machine can carry the same model badge and behave measurably differently, which is why the machine type suffix matters more than the model number on this generation.
Power 7 CPU options by model
POWER7 and POWER7+ processor configuration by model
| Model | Machine type | Sockets | Cores and clock | Software tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power 710 Express | 8231-E1C / E1D | 1 | 4, 6 or 8 cores, up to 3.55 GHz | P05 |
| Power 720 Express | 8202-E4B / E4C / E4D | 1 | 4, 6 or 8 cores, up to 3.6 GHz | P05 / P10 |
| Power 730 Express | 8231-E2B | 2 | 8, 12 or 16 cores at 3.0 ... 3.55 GHz | P10 / P20 |
| Power 740 Express | 8205-E6B / E6C / E6D | 2 | Up to 16 cores, POWER7 or POWER7+ | P10 / P20 |
| Power 750 Express | 8233-E8B / 8408-E8D | 4 | 4 to 32 cores, POWER7 or POWER7+ | P20 / P30 |
| Power 755 | 8236-E8C | 4 | 32 cores, HPC-optimized | Not applicable, AIX and Linux |
| Power 760 | 9109-RMD | 4 | Up to 32 cores | P30 / P40 |
| Power 770 | 9117-MMB / MMC / MMD | 4 per node, to 4 nodes | Up to 64 cores, POWER7+ at up to 3.1 / 3.5 GHz | P40 / P50 |
| Power 780 | 9179-MHB / MHC / MHD | 4 per node, to 4 nodes | Up to 64 cores, with TurboCore mode | P50 / P60 |
| Power 795 | 9119-FHB | Up to 32 | Up to 256 cores | P60 / P70 / P80 |
The letter suffix on the machine type is the POWER7 against POWER7+ marker. An 8202-E4B is POWER7; the E4C and E4D carry POWER7+. The same applies across the 740, 750, 770 and 780. Confirm the full machine type, not just the model number.
TurboCore: the Power 7 option nobody explains
The Power 780 shipped with a mode that has no equivalent on later generations. TurboCore switched the chip from eight active cores to four, gave those four cores the full L3 cache of all eight, and raised the clock. You gave up half the cores to make the remaining ones substantially faster.
Why it existed
IBM i software was licensed per core. On a workload that could not use eight threads well, TurboCore let you cut the core count in half, cut the license cost with it, and still finish the batch window faster. It was a licensing tool as much as a performance one.
Why it matters now
If you are sizing a replacement from an existing 780, check whether it is running in TurboCore. Reading the activated core count without checking the mode will make you undersize the target machine, because those cores were doing more work each than the core count suggests.
Do not size a replacement on core count
This is the single most expensive mistake made from a Power 7 CPU spec. A modern Power core does several times the work of a POWER7 core, and the software tier is priced against cores. Reading across from a 16-core Power 740 to a 16-core modern machine buys throughput you will never use and puts you in a software tier you did not need. Size on CPW and measured utilization, not on core count.
The modern sizing guide works this through with real numbers, and the Power generation graph shows where POWER7 sits against everything that followed. For the CPW figures behind a specific machine, see its entry in the Power 7 model directory.
How to read the CPU out of a Power 7 you still run
From IBM i
DSPSYSVAL QPRCFEAT returns the processor feature code. WRKHDWRSC *PRC lists processor resources the partition can see. On a machine this old, QPRCFEAT is the fastest reliable answer without opening the covers or trusting the asset register.
From AIX or VIOS
lsconf and prtconf report processor type, implementation and clock speed, which is also how you confirm POWER7 against POWER7+. lscfg -vp returns vital product data with part numbers for sourcing a replacement.
From the HMC
Managed system properties, processor tab. Check installed against activated cores, and on a 780 check whether TurboCore is enabled ... it will not be obvious from the core count alone.
From the operating system level
IBM i 7.3 is the practical ceiling on this generation. If the machine is running an older release, that constrains what a processor upgrade can achieve and usually argues for migration rather than parts.
Every Power 7 model is past IBM support. A processor module can still be sourced through the secondary market and third-party maintenance providers, but availability and price move independently of what the part was worth new. Get a current quote before you build a plan around keeping the machine.
What to do with the answer
Once you know the exact processor, the decision splits cleanly: maintain the Power 7 through a third-party contract, or move. End of support and risk covers what running unsupported exposes, the Power 7 to Power 8/9/10/11 comparison covers what a generational move buys, and Power 7 hardware value covers what the machine is worth if you sell it. The architecture background is on Power 7 history and architecture.