AMD and US Department of Energy Announce Two New Supercomputers
AMD has partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy to construct two new supercomputers in another huge collaboration that will see AMD's latest AI chips deployed against scientific problems. For AMD, this deal represents a big stride in getting its technology into broader use within high-performance computing.
Introducing Project Lux and Discovery
Under this arrangement, the two systems are to be funded by a nearly $1 billion investment from the DoE, and each will have its own timeline and technology focus.
Project Lux Approved for Fast Deployment with MI355X
The first system, dubbed "Lux", is about to be deployed in an extremely rapid manner. The details are as follows:
- Timeline: Online in six months.
- Technology: AMD new Instinct MI355X AI chips.
- Partners: HP, Oracle, and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) will be collaborating.
This duration of deployment has reportedly set a record according to AMD CEO Lisa Su.
Project Discovery: The Custom-Led Solution Targeting 2028
The second supercomputer "Discovery" is a long-range project concerned with custom-designed hardware.
- Timeline: To be delivered by 2028.
- Technology: Custom variant of the Instinct MI430 AI chip tailored for HPC jobs.
Considerations for Project Discovery have been in place since last year when AMD was chosen as the nominated prime computing supplier.
The Rationale behind the Decision to Choose AMD
The Reuters report did not disclose the official rationale for the selection, yet it points to the experience and success the DoE has had using AMD technology at the HPC level as a strong consideration. The DoE has been using AMD hardware in major systems, including the Frontier supercomputer, and therefore, it becomes a known and trusted platform.
The DoE is also looking to foster more partnerships in the private sector to bolster its computing capacity, which could lead to future collaborations with other hardware suppliers. For now, however, it appears to be AMD's turn on the priority list for these strategic projects.
Source: Reuters.
