Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has not only delivered the top three supercomputers in the world but also three of the top four supercomputers in Saudi Arabia. Among these, El Capitan stands out, demonstrating how powerful performance capabilities can accelerate AI-driven scientific discoveries and enable groundbreaking research.
Mohammad Alrehaili, HPE’s Middle East managing director, emphasized the significance of such supercomputing investments in the Middle East, stating, “The success of El Capitan highlights the importance of investing in new supercomputing capabilities to accelerate AI-driven research and foster the development of the AI ecosystem. We are ready to support organizations in the Middle East in realizing their AI ambitions.”
El Capitan, built for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in partnership with AMD, achieved 1.742 exaflops on the November 2024 edition of the TOP500 list, making it the world’s most powerful supercomputer and one of the top 20 most energy-efficient systems globally. Along with El Capitan, two other HPE-built supercomputers, Frontier at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Aurora at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), rank among the top three supercomputers in the world, with Frontier at No. 2 (1.353 exaflops) and Aurora at No. 3.
HPE’s supercomputers are collectively No. 1 in performance share, contributing more than 5.75 exaflops to the TOP500 list. Seven of the top 10 supercomputers worldwide use HPE’s Cray Supercomputing EX systems, powered by the industry’s first 100% fanless direct liquid cooling system architecture.
El Capitan is designed to help the U.S. maintain a competitive edge in national security through high-fidelity modeling and simulation, addressing challenges that only exascale computing can tackle. It will also contribute to advancements in AI, furthering research in fields such as nuclear science, materials discovery, and fusion energy.
Frontier, which broke the exascale barrier in 2022, is the first system of its kind to reach the exascale milestone. It is used in diverse research areas, including cancer research, drug discovery, nuclear fusion, and advanced materials science. Aurora, co-built by Intel and HPE, leverages AI to support data-intensive research in aircraft design, cancer treatments, and sustainable energy.
HPE’s leadership extends to Europe, where HPE Cray Supercomputing EX systems power the region’s three most powerful AI-enabled systems. The company’s innovative, energy-efficient cooling systems, which reduce cooling infrastructure energy consumption by up to 94%, continue to position HPE as a leader in supercomputing.
HPE’s supercomputing solutions also include the liquid-cooled HPE Slingshot interconnect, which accelerates workloads and minimizes overall energy usage. Furthermore, HPE’s HPC software allows customers to monitor and manage power utilization, driving further reductions in energy consumption.
This combination of precision, speed, and energy efficiency makes HPE supercomputers ideal for groundbreaking research in medicine, climate science, space exploration, and more.
