At Hot Chips 2025, IBM unveiled its Power11 CPU – a bold step forward that prioritizes raw performance and smarter memory design over chasing smaller process nodes. Instead of shifting to 5nm, IBM chose Samsung’s enhanced 7nm technology, tuned for higher speeds at the request of enterprise clients. 
That decision, paired with Samsung’s iCube SI interposer packaging, introduces 2.5D stacking that improves both power delivery and scalability.
Architecturally, Power11 carries forward the 16-core design of Power10 but amplifies it with higher clocks (up to 4.3 GHz), 160 MB of cache, and improved thread scaling in dual-socket systems reaching 60 cores. Each core integrates in-core MMA (Multiply-Matrix-Accumulator) units, and IBM has built in support for external accelerators, including its Spyre AI accelerators, giving the platform strong footing in AI-heavy workloads.
Performance uplifts are substantial: smaller systems see up to a 50% boost, mid-tier servers gain around 30%, and flagship setups still post a notable 14% improvement. IBM also added Quantum Safe Security – a forward-looking feature preparing its enterprise customers for the quantum computing era, first introduced in Z mainframes.
Perhaps the most radical overhaul lies in memory. Power11 systems now feature 32 DDR5 ports per socket, quadrupling capacity and bandwidth over the prior generation. With bandwidth hitting 1200 GB/s and capacity scaling to 8 TB per socket, IBM is positioning Power11 as a data-hungry engine capable of sustaining modern AI and analytics tasks. The design is also future-proofed with hints at DDR6 support and maintains compatibility with DDR4, DDR5, and beyond.
Looking ahead, IBM teased its upcoming CPU with a triplet architecture and advanced thermal innovations – proof that the Power roadmap is far from finished. With Power11, IBM seems less interested in competing with consumer chips and more focused on carving out dominance in enterprise, AI, and mission-critical systems.
3 comments
damn 32 DDR5 ports?? my gaming rig cries in the corner 😭
Power PCs really need to make a comeback, miss the old days 💾🔥
this thing looks like a beast but prob cost like a small country 🤑