The Cheyenne supercomputer, once a cornerstone of scientific computing in the United States, has been sold at a government auction for $480,085 after vigorous bidding that saw 27 contenders vying for the machine. The sale marks the end of an era for the Cheyenne, which has been decommissioned due to maintenance challenges and operational wear.

Details of the Sale

The auction, hosted online by the U.S. government, concluded with one buyer walking away with 8,064 Intel Xeon E5-2697 v4 processors and 313TB of DDR4-2400 ECC RAM. The processors and memory, valuable components in their own right, fetched a price that pales in comparison to the original cost of setting up Cheyenne, estimated to be around $25 million.

Technical Specifications and Potential Value

Each processor boasts 18 cores and 36 threads at 2.3 GHz, with individual units currently valued at approximately $50 on platforms like eBay. The memory is comprised of 4,890 64GB ECC-compliant modules, priced at around $65 each online. Despite the operational challenges, including about 1% of the nodes failing in the last six months due to DIMMs with ECC errors, the auctioned parts hold substantial resale value.

Maintenance and Operational Challenges

The Cheyenne supercomputer has faced significant maintenance hurdles, including water leaks from faulty quick disconnects causing water spray. These issues have led to increased downtime and repair costs, prompting the decision to auction off the machine and replace it with a new model, Derecho, costing between $35-40 million.

Historical and Scientific Significance

Over its seven years of operation, Cheyenne was primarily utilized for weather and climate studies, significantly aiding the National Science Foundation in its research efforts. The supercomputer's computational power reached 5.34 petaflops, making it a vital resource for scientific studies across Wyoming and nationwide.

Future of the Cheyenne Components

While the auction marks the end of Cheyenne's journey as a unified supercomputing system, its components may continue to find use. The buyer, now responsible for transporting the 30 server racks from the facility, could potentially repurpose or resell the processors and memory, injecting them back into the market and possibly recovering more than the purchase price.

Conclusion

The sale of the Cheyenne supercomputer at a fraction of its original cost highlights the rapid evolution and lifecycle of high-performance computing technologies. While it presents a unique opportunity for the buyer, it also underscores the challenges and costs associated with maintaining cutting-edge scientific infrastructure. The legacy of Cheyenne will live on in the continued use of its parts and the scientific advancements it facilitated during its operational years.