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Discovery, the game-changing successor to Frontier, is coming!

Discovery is an HPE system powered by AMD processors and accelerators that will arrive in 2028 featuring impressive speed and enhanced bandwidth across the system.

ORNL’s Discovery system will be based on the new HPE Cray Supercomputing GX5000, a next generation supercomputer built for the AI era, which is powered by a combination of upcoming next generation AMD EPYC™ processors, codenamed “Venice,”  and AMD Instinct™ MI430X GPUs. The system will be augmented by a new Distributed Asynchronous Object Storage (DAOS)-based HPE Cray Supercomputing Storage Systems K3000, the first factory-built storage system with embedded open source software.

Discovery’s enhanced computing speeds and bandwidth will directly translate into accomplishing more scientific discoveries faster. With Discovery’s computational engine, researchers will be able to generate and analyze data at unprecedented speeds, which will expand scientific understanding and accelerate training of AI models built for science.

Insights made possible by Discovery will help realize the full potential of many innovations, including:

  • AI modeling to make nuclear energy safer, cheaper and more available
  • AI-driven digital twins for precision medicine and patient health
  • Aerospace design cycles shortened from years to months for faster, more fuel-efficient aircraft

Discovery continues ORNL’s and DOE’s proven record of HPC leadership. The lab is home to the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, a DOE Office of Science user facility, which has deployed a total of seven flagship supercomputers since 2004. Each of the last four machines – Jaguar, Titan, Summit and Frontier – were recognized as the world’s fastest system of its time. These leadership-class systems support scientists in achieving cutting-edge breakthroughs and have provided unprecedented computational science capabilities for the nation.

Discovery: Pushing Beyond Exascale

The Discovery supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, to be built by HPE and AMD will push beyond exascale and power new innovation, scientific discovery and insights. This system will combine HPC, AI and quantum computing to deliver impactful breakthroughs in precision medicine, cancer research, materials science, nuclear fusion, aerospace and more. Watch the video to learn more.

Discovery System Specifications

Compute Node:1 next gen AMD EPYC™ CPU
4 AMD Instinct™ MI430X GPUs
GPU Architecture:AMD Instinct™ MI430X GPUs
System Interconnect: HPE Slingshot
High-Performance Storage: Lustre with DAOS-based Supercomputing Storage Systems K3000
Programming Models: MPI, OpenMP, OpenACC, CUDA, OpenCL, DPC++, HIP, RAJA, Kokkos, and others
Node Performance: Not reported at this time
System Size: Not reported at this time

Discovery Early Science: CAAR Projects

In preparation for the Discovery supercomputer, the OLCF will select research projects to participate in the Discovery Center for Accelerated Application Readiness (CAAR) program. Through Discovery CAAR, the OLCF will partner with application core developers, vendor partners, and OLCF staff members to optimize simulation, data-intensive, and machine learning scientific applications for exascale performance, ensuring that Discovery will be able to perform large-scale science when it opens to users in 2029. A call for participation in Discovery’s CAAR program will go out soon.

Discovery

The Discovery supercomputer at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory is now in development. Discovery, an AMD-powered HPE system, will be delivered in 2028 with significantly greater performance than Frontier, ORNL’s current flagship supercomputer, across every part of the system.

Latest Discovery Highlights

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ORNL, AMD and HPE to deliver DOE’s newest AI supercomputers: Discovery and Lux

The U.S. Department of Energy announced today its newest supercomputers, Discovery and Lux, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory that will expand America’s leadership in artificial intelligence for scientific computing, strengthen national security, and drive the…
Katie BetheaKatie BetheaOctober 27, 20256 min

DOE Opens Bids to Construct ORNL’s Next-Generation Supercomputer

The Department of Energy released a request for proposals today to advance its leadership in high-performance computing, inviting vendors to submit their plans for a successor to Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s exascale (a quintillion or…
Katie BetheaKatie BetheaJuly 19, 20245 min