Power 9 Upgrade Cost: Power 10 vs Power 11
In two of the three common moves off a Power 9, the new Power 11 hardware already prices under the Power 10 it replaces. The exception is the smallest shop, where a new S1012 undercuts the S1112 by about $11,400. Here are the three moves with published prices beside each option.
Every Power 9 scale-out model left IBM standard support on January 31, 2026. So this is not a question of whether to move. It is a question of which box, and the published prices make that question smaller than it looks.
Here is the short version. Most of the hardware math now favors Power 11. The IBM i subscription is the line that decides it.
Move 1: a small IBM i shop on an S914 (P05 or P10)
A used S914 for IBM i is a $7,500 to $8,500 server today, which is exactly why people keep them. The problem is the support date, not the price.
S914 replacement options with published prices
| Option | Published price | What the price covers | Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep the S914 (used replacement unit) | $7,500 to $8,500 | Data Tech Computer, IBM i build in the P05 or P10 tier, 64 GB, 1.698 TB SAS, 60-day warranty | IBM support ended January 31, 2026; third-party maintenance only |
| Power 10 S1012 (new) | $30,100 to $30,400; $84,500 with unlimited users | Data Tech Computer, entry rack or tower in the P05 or P10 tier, sold new | Still sold new by IBM |
| Power 10 S1014 (withdrawn) | $43,216 configurator price; used is a quote | IT Jungle, 4 cores, 128 GB, two 1.6 TB flash drives, P05 or P10 tier | Withdrawn July 31, 2026 |
| Power 11 S1112 (new) | $41,500 to $52,000 | Data Tech Computer 4-core new in P05; IT Jungle 10-core rack with 64 GB and 1.6 TB flash in P10 | Current generation, subscription only |
Prices checked October 27, 2026. Each option links to the model page with every build behind the number.
So the smallest shop has a real Power 10 choice. A new S1012 at $30,100 is about $11,400 under a new S1112 at $41,500, and it is the one Power 10 model IBM still sells.
The S1112 buys a newer processor and a longer runway for the extra money. If the workload fits in eight cores and 256 GB today and stays there, the S1012 is the cheaper box. If it is going to grow, it is not.
Move 2: a mid-size IBM i shop on an S922 (P10)
This is the move where Power 11 already wins on hardware, because the Power 10 answer is gone.
S922 replacement options with published prices
| Option | Published price | What the price covers | Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep the S922 (used replacement unit) | $8,000 to $20,000 for AIX builds; $17,000 for a used 22G with IBM i | Data Tech Computer, P05 or P10 tier, 60-day warranty | IBM support ended January 31, 2026 |
| Power 10 S1022s or S1022 (withdrawn) | Quote only; the S1022s priced a little under $43,216 while it was sold | IT Jungle, November 2025, P10 tier | Withdrawn July 31, 2026 |
| Power 11 S1122 (new) | $86,950 posted for 8 cores; $33,304 hardware alone in the example builds | Data Tech Computer; Midland Information Systems article example builds; P10 tier | Current generation |
| IBM i P10 subscription, 8 cores, 3 years | $46,027 | IT Jungle, IBM configurator, November 2025 | Applies to the S1022s, S1022 and S1122 alike |
Prices checked October 27, 2026.
Same tier, same subscription. The hardware difference is the whole decision, and a new S1122 with a four-year-newer processor is the only one of the three you can still buy new.
Move 3: a larger shop on an S924 (P20)
This is the clean one. Here is the arithmetic for eight cores over three years.
S924 replacement options with published prices
| Option | Published price | What the price covers | Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep the S924 (used replacement unit) | $12,500 to $22,500 for IBM i; $7,500 to $17,500 for AIX; $2,900 for a bare base | Data Tech Computer and Flagship Technologies, P20 tier | IBM support ended January 31, 2026 |
| Power 10 S1024 (withdrawn) | $61,800 for 8 cores; about $1,800 per added core | IT Jungle, 128 GB, two 1.6 TB flash drives, P20 or P30 tier | Withdrawn July 31, 2026 |
| Power 11 S1124 (new) | $54,500 for 8 cores; about $1,400 per added core; $139,950 for a posted 16-core system | IT Jungle; Data Tech Computer with 3 to 5 years of IBM Expert Care; P20 or P30 tier | Current generation |
| IBM i P20 subscription, 8 cores, 3 years | $125,546 on the S1024; $122,503 on the S1124 | IT Jungle, IBM configurator, November 2025 | The subscription is the bigger line on both |
Prices checked October 27, 2026.
Add it up. S1024: $61,800 plus $125,546 is $187,346. S1124: $54,500 plus $122,503 is $177,003.
The Power 11 is about $10,300 cheaper over three years before support and migration, and it does about 4 percent more work per core. There is no version of this move where the withdrawn Power 10 wins on price.
What the IBM i subscription does to all three moves
Notice the pattern. On the S914 move the hardware spread is about $11,400. On the S924 move the three-year software line is twice the hardware.
The tier you land in matters more than the box you pick. A P05 or P10 machine that actually fits the workload saves more than any hardware discount, and that is the first thing to settle before anyone prices a server.
The tier mechanics are on the IBM i tier economics page, and the full published range for every model is in the IBM Power hardware price list.
How we would run your numbers
We would start with the processor feature you actually need, because that sets the tier. Then we would put the published hardware price beside the three-year subscription for that tier.
Then we would add maintenance, migration and facilities with the annualized ownership cost page, and run the result through the upgrade simulator before asking anyone for a quote.
Where these Power 9 upgrade prices come from
Sources behind the three scenarios
| Source | What it gives us | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Data Tech Computer, published Power 9, Power 10 and Power 11 prices | Used S914, S922 and S924 systems; new S1012; S1112, S1122 and S1124 systems | Checked October 27, 2026 |
| IT Jungle: Bang For The Buck On Entry Power10 And Power11 Machines | S1014, S1024 and S1124 hardware prices and the per-core adds | November 10, 2025 |
| IT Jungle: Stacking Up Power10 And Power11 Systems Price/Performance | IBM i subscription prices for eight cores in the P10 and P20 tiers | November 17, 2025 |
| IT Jungle: Finally, Some Pricing Information On The Power S1112 Entry Server | S1112 builds priced by a reseller | September 14, 2026 |
| IT Jungle: IBM Starts Winding Down Power10 System Sales | The July 31, 2026 withdrawal and the S1012 staying on sale | February 9, 2026 |
| Midland Information Systems, Power 11 pricing article | The S1122 example builds with hardware and software split out | Updated January 29, 2026 |
| Flagship Technologies and Vibrant Technologies | A bare S924 base at $2,900; other systems listed as call or contact for pricing | Checked October 27, 2026 |
Prices move. Every figure is dated, and the model pages carry the full list behind each range. Treat this as the shape of the decision, not your quote.