CRAY 2 (1985)
Cray Research
The fastest supercomputer of its day with pioneering liquid-cooled processing power.
Amongst the significant advancements in supercomputing, the Cray-2 holds a prominent place for its innovative design and advanced computational capabilities. Introduced in 1985, this supercomputer was developed by Seymour Cray and produced by Cray Research, with an initial cost of approximately $16 million. It represented a considerable advancement in the field of high-performance computing.
Like its predecessor the Cray-1, the Cray-2's design was notable for its cylindrical form, which was a departure from the conventional rectangular configurations of earlier supercomputers. This design was not merely aesthetic; it addressed practical challenges associated with cooling. The cylindrical shape facilitated the use of a Fluorinert cooling system, effectively managing the substantial heat generated by its processors and allowing for increased operational speeds and enhanced reliability. The distinctive "waterfall" cooling system became emblematic of high-performance computing in popular culture.
Central to the Cray-2's capabilities was its processing power. It was capable of performing up to 1.9 billion floating-point operations per second (FLOPS), making the fastest computer of its time. This computational capability enabled more sophisticated and rapid analysis in various scientific fields, including molecular modeling and fluid dynamics. Researchers were able to undertake complex simulations and computations with greater efficiency than was previously possible.
Its influence extended beyond its period of active use, setting a new benchmark for supercomputing architecture and performance. The design and technological advancements introduced by the Cray-2 had a lasting impact on subsequent generations of high-performance computing systems. Only 25 were sold. This Cray- 2 was a custom Cray-2 for REI with more memory than a standard Cray-2, the first of only three built. It is also believed to be the longest running system for REI and possibly the longest running Cray-2 for the world when it was shut down in 1999.
Approximate overall dimensions of supercomputer: 6 ft. 8 in. (2 m.) high, 14 ft. 5 in. (4.4 m.) wide, 11 ft. 6 in. (3.5 m.) deep.
Comparison to later computers
In 2012, Piotr Luszczek (a former doctoral student of Jack Dongarra), presented results showing that an iPad 2 matched the historical performance of the Cray-2 on an embedded LINPACK benchmark.
