8205-E6D: IBM Power 740 Express POWER7+ Server

The 8205-E6D is the IBM Power 740 Express, a 4U two-socket server built on POWER7+ processors. One or two processor modules go in, each 6-core at 4.2 GHz (feature EPCP), 8-core at 3.6 GHz (EPCQ) or 8-core at 4.2 GHz (EPCR), so a system runs 6 or 12 cores, or 8 or 16 cores. The chips carry 10 MB of L3 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 per core, and each module needs its own activation features (EPDP, EPDQ or EPDR).

Memory slots total 32 DDR3 positions: eight on the base board and 24 more through three optional memory riser cards, which brings the maximum to 1,024 GB at 1066 MHz. An integrated SAS controller offers RAID 0, 1 and 10 behind either a six-bay or an eight-bay 2.5-inch backplane, and the eight-bay version adds dual 175 MB write-cache RAID 5 and 6 plus an external SAS port.

The 8205-E6D has five PCIe Gen2 x8 full-height slots, four optional low-profile slots on a riser and two GX++ slots, and the standard PCIe x4 slot holds a 4-port 10/100/1000 Ethernet adapter. External PCIe drawers (#5802 or #5877) are limited to four, and with only one processor card installed just two can be attached. Two 1,925 W hot-swap power supplies are required, and IBM recommends separate power distribution units for full redundancy.

The chassis is 440 mm wide, 610 mm deep and 173 mm high and weighs 48.7 kg. IBM dates general availability to 20 February 2013, withdrawal from marketing on 24 February 2015 and the transition to end-of-support services on 31 December 2020. The one-processor-module Power 720 is the 8202-E4C, and the larger Power 750 is the 8408-E8D; the IBM Power7 server parts hub covers the rest.