Acer to Build AMD/Intel-Based Supercomputer in Taiwan

While we typically associate Acer to all sorts of consumer-grade computing products (after all, it's one of the world's largest notebook manufacturers), but the truth of the matter is that the company is also involved in all sorts of other projects, its latest involving the building of nothing less than a...supercomputer.

So, Acer has just revealed the fact that it's been awarded the contract for Taiwan’s National Center of High-performance Computing’s (NCHC) overhaul of its major supercomputer in Taichung, central Taiwan.

Scheduled for completion at the end of March 2011, the supercomputer will offer High-Performance Computing (HPC) services to a wide range of research and industrial customers in Taiwan and the installation is expected to place in the top 501 of the TOP500 fastest supercomputers around the world.

For this contract Acer, in conjunction with Acer e-Enabling Data Center (eDC), who run one of the largest data center of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region, will provide entire system integration encompassing servers, storage, switches, software, and construction of NCHC’s high-density data center with over 600 Acer servers.

The HPC facility will be built using a combination of Acer’s AMD Opteron 6100 Series processor-based AR585 F1 server, and Acer’s Intel Xeon based AR360 F1 server and the system is slated to have over 25,000 computing cores, over 70 TB of memory and over 1.1 PB of storage capacity placing it among the fastest and largest supercomputers in the world.

“This win against strong competition demonstrates clearly that we have invested in the correct strategy for our customers,” said Gianluca Degliesposti, Acer Vice President of Global Server Business Development.

“A comprehensive portfolio integrated with best in market partners has delivered exactly what NCHC needed,” added Mr. Degliesposti.

“Acer provided a flexible solution to meet NCHC’s needs and will offer direct support as system integrator,” commented Simon Chang, Vice President of Acer eEnabling Services Business Group, also adding that “going forward this partnership will help both parties advance our knowledge and experience in HPC capabilities.”