Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has been selected by the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to build two advanced computing systems, marking a new phase in America’s artificial intelligence and supercomputing efforts. The projects include Discovery, a next-generation exascale supercomputer that will succeed ORNL’s Frontier system, and Lux, a dedicated AI cluster designed to support machine learning research with a flexible, cloud-like environment.
Both systems aim to accelerate breakthroughs in key scientific areas such as precision medicine, cancer research, nuclear energy, and aerospace, while supporting the Department of Energy’s broader mission in science, energy, and national security.
Discovery: Unlocking the next era of scientific innovation
Discovery will be powered by HPE’s new Cray Supercomputing GX5000 platform, which integrates artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) into a unified system. The platform is designed for leadership-class workloads and will streamline operations across distributed computing environments. It will also feature the new HPE Cray Supercomputing Storage Systems K3000, which incorporates Distributed Asynchronous Object Storage (DAOS) open-source software for faster and more efficient data handling.
The Discovery system is expected to deliver up to ten times more productivity for select applications compared to its predecessor, enabling researchers to conduct complex modelling, simulation, and AI-driven analyses at unprecedented speeds. It will also serve as a testbed for emerging quantum computing technologies.
Antonio Neri, president and CEO of HPE, said, “When we built Frontier for Oak Ridge National Laboratory and ushered in exascale, we achieved the pinnacle in supercomputing history and a triumph for the US. We are proud to build on that leadership innovation and strong public-private partnership with the US Department of Energy, ORNL, and AMD, to build Discovery and Lux, accelerating the next era of scientific discovery and AI innovation.”
Lux: expanding access to AI resources
Alongside Discovery, HPE will build Lux, a new AI system designed to give US researchers cloud-like access to high-performance AI infrastructure. Lux will be based on the liquid-cooled HPE ProLiant Compute XD685 and equipped with AMD Instinct MI355X GPUs, AMD EPYC CPUs, and AMD Pensando networking technology. The system will support both AI training and inference workloads, providing flexible access to AI computing resources across multiple research domains.
Bronson Messer, Director of Science for the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, said, “Discovery will set the stage for a new level of converged HPC, AI, and quantum computing capabilities, providing additional insight in connection with other systems, while Lux greatly expands researcher access to dedicated AI resources. As a result, we expect both systems will contribute to a paradigm shift in our productivity, reaching unparalleled gains in various, critical areas of scientific research and leadership.”
Building on decades of supercomputing innovation
The HPE Cray Supercomputing GX5000 continues a legacy that began with the Cray-1 supercomputer in 1975. Designed for the converged AI and HPC era, the GX5000 includes end-to-end capabilities across processors, accelerators, networking, software, and storage. Discovery will leverage these advancements to achieve higher density and improved energy efficiency, using 25 percent less data centre space per rack than its predecessor.
The system will also feature the next-generation HPE Slingshot interconnect to deliver high bandwidth and low latency for demanding workloads, along with the industry’s first DAOS-integrated storage solution for enhanced input/output performance. Equipped with next-generation AMD EPYC processors, codenamed “Venice,” and AMD Instinct MI430X GPUs, Discovery will be fully liquid-cooled to ensure maximum efficiency and reduced operational costs.
Dr Lisa Su, chair and CEO of AMD, added, “Together with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, we are advancing the next generation of AI systems with Discovery and Lux—empowering researchers to accelerate innovation and strengthen America’s leadership in science and technology.”
As a long-time leader in supercomputing, HPE continues to deliver end-to-end solutions and services across AI and HPC environments. Through its collaboration with the Department of Energy and AMD, the company aims to drive forward a new era of innovation powered by high-performance and energy-efficient computing.
