News Release
Intel-Based Systems Move Up In Supercomputing Ranks
The TOP500 supercomputer rankings released today at the Supercomputing 2002 conference show a dramatic increase in the
number of Intel-based systems being deployed in high-performance computing (HPC) or supercomputing areas. Traditionally
made up almost exclusively of proprietary, RISC-based supercomputers, today’s TOP500 list includes 56 Intel-based
systems, versus just two only three years ago.**
The new TOP500 list includes two Intel-based clusters ranked in the top ten. Newly added Intel-based clusters on the
TOP500 list include Lawrence Livermore National Labs at No. 5, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Association (NOAA) Forecast System Laboratory at No. 8, Louisiana State University at No. 17 and Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory at No. 61.
“Moore’s Law has pushed the performance of Intel-based computing platforms to the forefront of scientific and business
innovation. These platforms, based on cost-effective Intel processors and commercial off the shelf networking
technologies, have radically changed grid and HPC deployments,” said Tom Gibbs, director of industry solutions at Intel.
“By combining highly scalable performance and affordable prices, Intel is helping to hasten discoveries and innovation
through worldwide grid computing initiatives in areas such as life sciences, bioinformatics, weather predictions,
financial modeling and energy.”
Intel offers a competitive, top-to-bottom set of HPC solutions that includes Intel® Itanium® 2, Intel Xeon™ and Pentium®
4 processors; platform architectures; interconnect and
networking technology; software tools; and services – all targeted to reach across the range of government, industry and
academic market segments, and software applications.
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Because of the potential for significant price savings offered by “clustering” – using networked servers or workstations
as a single system to solve a large problem – the Aberdeen Group last year predicted Intel-based clusters would account
for at least 80 percent of the high-performance computing market within three years.*** Likewise, research firm IDC
projects the high-performance computing cluster market will climb to $US1.6 billion in 2006, up from $US494 million in
2001.****
About the TOP500
The semi-annual TOP500 supercomputers tracks the highest-performing systems and is compiled by Hans Meuer of the
University of Mannheim, Erich Strohmaier and Horst Simon of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Research
Scientific Computing Center, and Jack Dongarra of the University of Tennessee. For more information, visit
www.top500.org.
About Intel
Intel, the world’s largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communications
products. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom
Intel, Itanium, Xeon and Pentium are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the
United States and other countries.
* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
** TOP500 Supercomputers List, http://www.top500.org.
*** Aberdeen Group, “Is Linux Domination of the High-Performance-Computing Marketplace Imminent?” Oct. 2001.
**** International Data Corporation (IDC), Nov. 2002.
ENDS