Intel targets IBM as they battle for supercomputing supremacy

A recent rash of articles appearing in business and technical media have raised the visibility of supercomputers, and vendors involved in the competition. The articles shared some common characteristics chiefly being they provided little, if any, new information, or even specific product data. The articles were either revisiting well-known architectural details, speculating on the use of alternative technologies (without specifying details) or discussing areas of potential benefits in application scenarios. A fair amount focused on the benefits brought to supercomputing by use of AI, Machine Learning and Nvidia GPUs. We aren’t in a position to provide details. Our attention was on the newish confrontational stance of Intel emphasizing the seriousness of their challenge to IBM. 

Intel has clearly decided to be more publicly aggressive, emphatically reiterating Intel’s intent to replace IBM’s OpenPower-based systems to return to super computer dominance. That Intel and IBM have been battling each other for dominance in the supercomputer space is not exceptional news. IBM has made no effort to disguise their intent to undercut Intel’s overwhelming market dominance. In fact, IBM’s OpenPower chips currently hold the top spot as the world’s fastest supercomputer. On the other hand, in overall numbers of hi-performance computers, Intel chips are found in many highly competitive supercomputer systems. 

Intel operations have been somewhat hindered recently, possibly because of organizational missteps and a shakeup in upper management. But, neither of these prevented last fall’s confirmation of a 2017 decision by the US Department of Energy (DoE) that selected Intel as prime contractor, and Cray as subcontractor for the team to deliver the exascale Aurora system to DOE’s Argonne National Lab in 2021.

While we have no insight into internal Intel decisions, this looks to us as if the new CEO at Intel decided that it is high time to rattle the cage of their competitor. Both IBM and Intel have committed to delivery of new machines in the next two years. Today, IBM holds the top two spots with Summit at Oak Ridge Nat’l Laboratory.  and Sierra at Lawrence Livermore Nat’l Laboratory. But, in the overall world of supercomputing, Intel chips appear more often. We look forward for more substantive information from both players before potential clients have to make serious decisions. Neither IBM nor Intel responded to requests for comments.