Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has delivered the El Capitan supercomputer to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Operating at 1.742 exaflops, El Capitan is the world’s fastest supercomputer and the third exascale system developed by HPE. With a cutting-edge design featuring 100% fanless direct liquid cooling, the system is among the top 20 most energy-efficient supercomputers globally, achieving 58.89 gigaflops per watt.
Advancing Science and National Security
El Capitan represents a significant leap in computational power, designed to support advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and modeling for national security applications. It will assist the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) in ensuring the safety and modernization of the U.S. nuclear stockpile while facilitating large-scale AI training and inference tasks. The supercomputer will also contribute to non-defense projects, including energy security, climate change research, and drug discovery.
Rob Neely, Program Director for Weapon Simulation and Computing at LLNL, praised the system, saying, “El Capitan is a critical tool for high-fidelity simulations and advancing AI-driven calculations. Its dual capabilities for modeling and AI workloads mark a new era in computing efficiency and versatility.”
Cutting-Edge Technology
El Capitan’s performance is powered by HPE’s Cray EX architecture, AMD Instinct™ MI300A APUs, and the HPE Slingshot interconnect. The system integrates CPU and GPU cores with high-bandwidth memory, enabling seamless calculations across more than 11,000 nodes.
A co-developed near-node storage solution reduces latency while supporting tiered data management. The innovative liquid-cooling design ensures energy efficiency, supporting eight cooling elements that eliminate the need for traditional fans.
Beyond National Security
El Capitan will also support secondary missions, such as counterterrorism and nuclear nonproliferation, while contributing to unclassified research in areas like energy infrastructure modernization and materials science.
HPE’s Role in Supercomputing
HPE continues to lead in supercomputing innovation, providing comprehensive solutions that combine hardware, software, storage, and services. Trish Damkroger, Senior VP and General Manager of HPC & AI Infrastructure Solutions at HPE, highlighted the significance of this achievement, stating, “El Capitan demonstrates how advanced technology can enable transformative discoveries and bolster critical infrastructure for national and global challenges.” This milestone reinforces HPE’s position as a global leader in high-performance computing and AI solutions.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) is a global edge-to-cloud leader dedicated to helping organizations unlock the full potential of their data, no matter where it resides. With a legacy of innovation and a focus on advancing how people live and work, HPE offers cutting-edge, open, and intelligent technology solutions delivered as a service.
Its comprehensive portfolio includes Cloud Services, Compute, High-Performance Computing and AI, Intelligent Edge, Software, and Storage. By enabling a seamless experience across all clouds and edges, HPE empowers businesses to create new models, enhance customer engagement, and boost operational efficiency.
