HP to build Linux supercomputer
Source: CNet News
Hewlett-Packard announced a high-profile contract Tuesday to build a Linux-powered supercomputer for the U.S. Department of Energy.
The $24.5 million supercomputer will be capable of processing 8.3 trillion calculations per second (8.3 teraflops), according to HP. That would place the system among the current top 10 of the world's fastest supercomputers, if it were operating today.
HP expects to have the supercomputer running at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash., early next year. The supercomputer will be used for biological and environmental research, including genomics work, at the laboratory's Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL).
While supercomputers aren't big revenue producers for PC makers, they are valuable for bragging rights and credibility in high-end business systems. IBM has long been the leader in supercomputing projects, but Sun Microsystems and presumptive HP spouse Compaq Computer have snagged major projects in the past year.
