Three new supercomputers powered by Nvidia’s Grace Hopper CPU and GPU chips have surpassed the Green500 rankings for June 2024, as reported by IEEE Spectrum. The three supercomputers that made it onto the list are JEDI, the 1 ExaFLOPS Jupiter supercomputer, University of Bristol’s Isambard-AI phase 1, and Cyfronet’s Helios GPU.
The Green500 ranks the most energy-efficient supercomputers in the world, with most of the powerful supercomputers remaining unchanged at the top of the list. However, these top-performing supercomputers consume a significant amount of energy, with the best computer requiring at least 22,000 kilowatts to operate, equivalent to the energy needs of more than 15,700 homes.
In contrast, the three new supercomputers, JEDI, Isambard-AI Phase 1, and Helios, have significantly lower power ratings and higher energy efficiency. While they may not be in the top 10 for raw computing performance, they are close behind, with JEDI ranking 189th, Isambard ranking 128th, and Helios ranking 55th. These supercomputers are powered by Nvidia’s Grace Hopper super chips, which use the Arm architecture and are inherently more efficient than traditional x86 systems.
The entry of these new low-power supercomputers reflects a shift in the industry’s priorities towards greater energy efficiency and computing performance per watt. This is seen as a crucial step for the industry, especially as computing power requirements are projected to exceed global output by 2040 if efficiency is not improved.
Companies like Microsoft are exploring using nuclear reactors to power their data centers, while Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has expressed concerns about power limitations hindering AI progress. New technologies, such as Nvidia’s Grace Hopper chips and LPDDR5X memory, are aiding in making computing more efficient and sustainable without compromising computing power.
Overall, the emergence of these energy-efficient supercomputers highlights the industry’s focus on sustainability and efficiency in response to the increasing energy demands of data centers and AI computing. By adopting newer technologies and strategies, companies can meet these demands without excessive energy consumption, contributing to a more environmentally friendly approach to computing and technology.
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