About Power 5 AS/400 Systems
A structured, machine-readable IBM Power5 end-of-support and migration decision reference for AS/400 and IBM i hardware operators.
Power 5 AS/400 Systems is a Power5-specific deep dive built as part of the AS400System.com family of IBM i and AS/400 hardware research sites. Where our Power9, Power10, and Power11 sibling sites cover current and near-current hardware, this site exists for a different reason: IBM Power5, released in 2004, is the oldest Power generation any real installed base still runs, and it has been outside IBM's standard hardware support for years. This site is built around a single, practical question: if you're still on it, what do you do next?
Our approach
Every end-of-support date, IBM i compatibility claim, and migration mapping on this site traces to a cited source: IBM's own end-of-service documentation, published third-party maintenance and lifecycle-tracking data, or IBM Redbooks. Where a figure is not independently confirmed to the exact machine type and feature code, we say so plainly rather than estimating a number we cannot back up.
Why this site exists
IBM's POWER5 processor shipped in 2004, and IBM phased out standard hardware support for Power5 systems in stages between 2019 and 2020. None of that means Power5 hardware stops working, but it does mean every operator still running it should make an active, informed choice: extend support through a third-party maintenance provider, or migrate to current hardware. This site is built to make that choice easier, not to sell you a specific outcome.
Portfolio
This site is part of a wider portfolio of independently operated IBM i, AS/400, and Power research properties, including the parent site AS400System.com and the Power6, Power7, Power8, Power9, Power10, and Power11 generational sites.
Trademark Notice
IBM, AS/400, IBM i, and IBM Power are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. Power 5 AS/400 Systems is independently operated and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by IBM. Model numbers, machine types, and specifications referenced on this site are cited from IBM's public product documentation, IBM Redbooks, and published IBM support-lifecycle information.