IBM Power10 E1080

Review Cycle

February 2026

IBM Power10 E1080 — Source: www.istechnoport.com

The Verdict

Executive Summary

The IBM Power10 E1080 is a cutting-edge server processor designed for enterprise, cloud, and AI inference workloads. With its 7nm fabrication process and Samsung-fabricated chip, it packs 18 billion transistors into a 602mm2 die, offering up to 15 CPU cores per socket. Each core can run up to eight threads simultaneously (SMT8) and is clocked at up to 4GHz. The Power10 processor also features up to 120MB of L3 cache, support for PCIe 5, and IBM's PowerAxon interconnect for adding OpenCAPI accelerators, IO, and more memory. The Power10 processor's architecture has a focus on accelerating matrix math operations for use in AI, with four times as many AES encryption engines compared to the Power9 family. It also provides hardware-level protections for containers running within virtual machines and has built-in defenses to prevent data-leaking side-channel attacks. With its improved memory bandwidth, more L2 cache memory, and support for up to 16 sockets in a single system, the Power10 processor is well-suited for demanding workloads. The IBM Power10 E1080 is a significant improvement over its predecessor, the Power9, with a 2.6 times better performance-per-watt rating. With its advanced architecture and features, it is designed to power mission-critical workloads and provide a reliable and secure server operating system.

Introduction to IBM Power10 E1080

The IBM Power10 E1080 is a high-performance server processor designed for enterprise, cloud, and AI inference workloads. It is built on a 7nm fabrication process and features a Samsung-fabricated chip, packing 18 billion transistors into a 602mm2 die. The Power10 processor offers up to 15 CPU cores per socket, each capable of running up to eight threads simultaneously (SMT8) and clocked at up to 4GHz.

Architecture and Features

The Power10 processor's architecture has a focus on accelerating matrix math operations for use in AI, with four times as many AES encryption engines compared to the Power9 family. It also provides hardware-level protections for containers running within virtual machines and has built-in defenses to prevent data-leaking side-channel attacks. The Power10 processor supports up to 120MB of L3 cache, PCIe 5, and IBM's PowerAxon interconnect for adding OpenCAPI accelerators, IO, and more memory.

Technical Specifications

Performance and Benchmarks

The IBM Power10 E1080 has a 2.6 times better performance-per-watt rating compared to its predecessor, the Power9. With its improved memory bandwidth, more L2 cache memory, and support for up to 16 sockets in a single system, the Power10 processor is well-suited for demanding workloads. The Power10 processor's architecture is designed to accelerate matrix math operations for use in AI, making it an ideal choice for AI inference workloads.

What is the process node used in the IBM Power10 E1080?

The IBM Power10 E1080 is built on a 7nm fabrication process.

How many CPU cores per socket does the Power10 processor offer?

The Power10 processor offers up to 15 CPU cores per socket.

What is the clock speed of the Power10 processor?

The Power10 processor is clocked at up to 4GHz.

Does the Power10 processor support PCIe 5?

Specifications

Feature	Description
Process Node	7nm
Cores per Socket	Up to 15
Threads per Core	Up to 8 (SMT8)
Clock Speed	Up to 4GHz
L3 Cache	Up to 120MB
PCIe Support	PCIe 5
PowerAxon Interconnect	Support for OpenCAPI accelerators, IO, and more memory
Memory Support	Up to 4TB per socket of OMI-connected DDR DRAM