IBM Power System E850 (Model 8408-E8E)

The IBM Power System E850 (Model 8408-E8E) is an enterprise-class 4U rack-mount server built on IBM POWER8 architecture. Designed for private clouds, large-scale database consolidation, and mission-critical enterprise workloads, it delivers 2- to 4-socket scalability with high-density memory bandwidth and robust RAS (Reliability, Availability, Serviceability) features.

1. System Overview

2. Processor Architecture & Cache

• Processor Type: IBM POWER8 Dual-Chip Modules (DCM)

• Core Options:

  • 32 cores @ 3.72 GHz POWER8

  • 40 cores @ 3.35 GHz POWER8

  • 48 cores @ 3.02 GHz POWER8

• Multithreading: SMT8 (Simultaneous Multithreading up to 8 threads per core)

• Cache Architecture:

  • L1 Cache: 64 KB Data / 32 KB Instruction per core

  • L2 Cache: 512 KB per core

  • L3 Cache: 8 MB eDRAM shared L3 per core

  • L4 Cache: Up to 128 MB eDRAM off-chip L4 per socket

3. Memory Subsystem

• Memory Technology: Custom Dual In-line Memory Modules (CDIMM) with Chipkill technology

• Slots: Up to 32 CDIMM slots (1600 MHz DDR3)

• Capacity Options: 128 GB minimum up to 2 TB / 4 TB

• Memory Bandwidth: Up to 192 GB/s per socket

4. Storage & I/O Expansion

• PCIe Slots: Up to 11 hot-swap PCIe Gen3 slots (x16 slots: 4 to 8 integrated)

• Internal Storage Bays: 8 hot-swap SFF (2.5″) SAS drive bays + 4 hot-swap 1.8″ SSD bays

• Backplane Controller Options:

  • Dual SAS Controller Backplane with 7.2 GB Write Cache

  • Dual SAS Controller Backplane without Write Cache

  • Split Disk Backplane (two single SAS controllers)

5. Physical & Electrical Specifications

6. Operating Systems & Virtualization

• Supported Operating Systems:

  • IBM AIX (AIX 7.1, 7.2, or later)

  • IBM i (IBM i 7.2, 7.3, or later)

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL for Power)

  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES for Power)

• Virtualization Capabilities:

  • IBM PowerVM (Standard or Enterprise Edition)

  • Up to 20 Micro-Partitions per processor core

  • Dynamic LPAR (DLPAR), Live Partition Mobility (LPM), and Active Memory Sharing (AMS)

7. RAS Features (Reliability, Availability & Serviceability)

• Processor Instruction Retry & Alternate Processor Recovery

• Chipkill Memory with DRAM Sparing and predictive error de-allocation

• Dynamic L3 Cache Column Repair

• Redundant & Hot-Swappable Components: Power Supplies, Cooling Fans, SAS Drive Bays, and PCIe Slots

• Phase Redundant Voltage Regulator Modules (VRMs)