Intel, in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), announced that its Aurora supercomputer has broken the exascale barrier with 1,012 exaflops. This achievement also makes Aurora the “world’s fastest AI system dedicated to artificial intelligence for open science” by reaching 10.6 artificial intelligence exaflops. While Aurora is slightly behind the Frontier system at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which reached 1,206 exaflops, being the second supercomputer to break the exascale barrier is a significant accomplishment. Intelin partnership with Argonne National Laboratory and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) said its Aurora supercomputer broke the exascale barrier with 1,012 exaflops and also became the “world’s fastest AI system dedicated to artificial intelligence for open science” by achieving 10.6 artificial intelligence exaflops.
According to HPC Cable, Aurora was ranked number 2 in the Top 500 list in November 2023, although only “half of Aurora was running the HPL benchmark” at the time. In the most recent ranking announced in May 2024, Aurora still holds the second spot, but its HPL score has significantly improved from the previous 585.34 petaflops recorded.
Aurora has been specifically designed for AI research, with 10,624 compute blades, 21,248 Intel Xeon CPU Max Series processors, and 63,744 Intel Data Center GPU Max Series units housed in 166 racks. Ogi Brkic, vice president and general manager of data center AI solutions at Intel, stated that Aurora’s breakthrough into exascale computing will pave the way for future discoveries in various fields such as weather patterns, space exploration, and scientific challenges that benefit humanity.
The future plans for Aurora include climate change modeling, advancements in fusion energy, atomistic simulations, and addressing memory-related issues in the design of future power plants. Those interested in exploring Aurora can take a virtual tour provided by Argonne National Laboratory.
In conclusion, the Aurora supercomputer, developed through the collaboration of Intel, Argonne National Laboratory, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, has successfully broken the exascale barrier with 1,012 exaflops. This achievement positions Aurora as the world’s fastest AI system dedicated to artificial intelligence for open science. With future plans focusing on various scientific endeavors, Aurora is set to drive innovation and discovery in critical areas such as climate change modeling and energy research. This breakthrough in supercomputing marks a significant milestone in advancing technology for the betterment of society.
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https://www.techradar.com/pro/intel-says-its-supercomputer-broke-the-exascale-barrier-and-what-makes-that-claim-even-more-impressive-is-its-still-being-built
