AMD EPYC CPUs, AMD Radeon Instinct GPUs and ROCm Open Source Software to Power World’s Fastest Supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Collaboration with Cray targets over 1.5 exaflops of next-generation AI and HPC processing performance in Frontier system by 2021

SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) today joined the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Cray Inc. in announcing what is expected to be the world’s fastest exascale-class supercomputer, scheduled to be delivered to ORNL in 2021. To deliver what is expected to be more than 1.5 exaflops of expected processing performance, the Frontier system is designed to use future generation High Performance Computing (HPC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) optimized, custom AMD EPYC™ CPU, and AMD Radeon™ Instinct GPU processors. Researchers at ORNL will use the Frontier system’s unprecedented computing power and next generation AI techniques to simulate, model and advance understanding of the interactions underlying the science of weather, sub-atomic structures, genomics, physics, and other important scientific fields. 

“AMD is proud to partner with Cray and ORNL to deliver what is expected to be the world’s most powerful supercomputer,” said Forrest Norrod, senior vice president and general manager, AMD Datacenter and Embedded Systems Group. “Frontier will feature custom CPU and GPU technology from AMD and represents the latest achievement on a long list of technology innovations AMD has contributed to the Department of Energy exascale programs.”

AMD innovations to be used in the Frontier system include:

• Future-generation High Performance Computing (HPC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) optimized, custom AMD EPYC CPU, and Radeon Instinct GPU processors supported by High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and extensive mixed precision ops for optimum deep learning performance;
• A custom high-bandwidth, low-latency coherent Infinity Fabric, connecting four AMD Radeon Instinct GPUs to one AMD EPYC CPU per node;
• An enhanced version of the open source ROCm programming environment, developed with Cray to tap into the combined performance of AMD CPUs and GPUs.

“We are excited to work with the team at AMD to deliver the Frontier system to Oak Ridge National Laboratory,” said Steve Scott, senior vice president and CTO at Cray. “Cray’s Shasta supercomputers are designed to support leading edge processor technologies and high-performance storage, all tightly interconnected by Cray’s new Slingshot network. The combination of Cray and AMD technology in the Frontier system will dramatically enhance performance at scale for AI, analytics, and simulation, enabling DOE to further push the boundaries of scientific discovery.”

AMD has a proud supercomputing history and a long-standing engagement with DOE, starting with the Jaguar supercomputer in 2005 and Titan supercomputer in 2012. The Frontier system leverages years of exascale technology investments by DOE. The contract award includes technology development funding, a center of excellence, several early-delivery systems, the main Frontier system and multi-year systems support. 

“Frontier represents the state-of-the art in high-performance computing. Designing and standing up a machine of its scope requires working closely with industry, partnerships which not only enable breakthrough science but also ensure American scientific and economic competitiveness on the global stage,” said Jeff Nichols, associate laboratory director for Computing and Computational Sciences, ORNL. “We are delighted to work with AMD to integrate the CPU and GPU technologies that enable this extremely capable accelerated node architecture.”

Additional Resources

• AMD Exascale Computing Technologies
• Cray Shasta Architecture
• Follow AMD datacenter developments on Twitter @AMDServer

About AMD
For 50 years AMD has driven innovation in high-performance computing, graphics and visualization technologies ― the building blocks for gaming, immersive platforms and the datacenter. Hundreds of millions of consumers, leading Fortune 500 businesses and cutting-edge scientific research facilities around the world rely on AMD technology daily to improve how they live, work and play. AMD employees around the world are focused on building great products that push the boundaries of what is possible. For more information about how AMD is enabling today and inspiring tomorrow, visit the AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) website, blog, Facebook and Twitter pages. 

Cautionary Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) including the features, functionality, availability, timing, deployment and expectations of an EPYC™ and Radeon™ based exascale system, which are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are commonly identified by words such as "would," "intends," "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "should," "seeks," "intends," "plans," "pro forma," "estimates," "anticipates," or the negative of these words and phrases, other variations of these words and phrases or comparable terminology. Investors are cautioned that the forward-looking statements in this document are based on current beliefs, assumptions and expectations, speak only as of the date of this document and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. Such statements are subject to certain known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond AMD's control, that could cause actual results and other future events to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. Material factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, without limitation, the following: Intel Corporation’s dominance of the microprocessor market and its aggressive business practices may limit AMD’s ability to compete effectively; AMD has a wafer supply agreement with GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. (GF) with obligations to purchase all of its microprocessor and APU product requirements, and a certain portion of its GPU product requirements, manufactured at process nodes larger than 7 nanometer from GF with limited exceptions. If GF is not able to satisfy AMD’s manufacturing requirements, AMD’s business could be adversely impacted; AMD relies on third parties to manufacture its products, and if they are unable to do so on a timely basis in sufficient quantities and using competitive technologies, AMD’s business could be materially adversely affected; failure to achieve expected manufacturing yields for AMD’s products could negatively impact its financial results; the success of AMD’s business is dependent upon its ability to introduce products on a timely basis with features and performance levels that provide value to its customers while supporting and coinciding with significant industry transitions; if AMD cannot generate sufficient revenue and operating cash flow or obtain external financing, it may face a cash shortfall and be unable to make all of its planned investments in research and development or other strategic investments; the loss of a significant customer may have a material adverse effect on AMD; AMD’s receipt of revenue from its semi-custom SoC products is dependent upon its technology being designed into third-party products and the success of those products; global economic and market uncertainty may adversely impact AMD’s business and operating results; AMD’s products may be subject to security vulnerabilities that could have a material adverse effect on AMD; IT outages, data loss, data breaches and cyber-attacks could compromise AMD’s intellectual property or other sensitive information, be costly to remediate and cause significant damage to its business, reputation and operations; AMD’s operating results are subject to quarterly and seasonal sales patterns; AMD may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service its debt obligations or meet its working capital requirements; AMD has a large amount of indebtedness which could adversely affect its financial position and prevent it from implementing its strategy or fulfilling its contractual obligations; the agreements governing AMD’s notes and the Secured Revolving Line of Credit impose restrictions on AMD that may adversely affect AMD’s ability to operate its business; the markets in which AMD’s products are sold are highly competitive; AMD’s worldwide operations are subject to political, legal and economic risks and natural disasters, which could have a material adverse effect on it; the conversion of the 2.125% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026 may dilute the ownership interest of AMD’s existing stockholders, or may otherwise depress the price of its common stock; uncertainties involving the ordering and shipment of AMD’s products could materially adversely affect it; the demand for AMD’s products depends in part on the market conditions in the industries into which they are sold. Fluctuations in demand for AMD’s products or a market decline in any of these industries could have a material adverse effect on its results of operations; AMD’s ability to design and introduce new products in a timely manner is dependent upon third-party intellectual property; AMD depends on third-party companies for the design, manufacture and supply of motherboards, software and other computer platform components to support its business; if AMD loses Microsoft Corporation’s support for its products or other software vendors do not design and develop software to run on AMD’s products, its ability to sell its products could be materially adversely affected; AMD’s reliance on third-party distributors and add-in-board partners subjects it to certain risks.  Investors are urged to review in detail the risks and uncertainties in AMD's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to AMD's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 30, 2019.

AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, EPYC, Radeon and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners. 

Contact:
Gary Silcott
AMD Communications
+1 (512) 602-0889
Gary.Silcott@amd.com

Laura Graves
AMD Investor Relations
laura.graves@amd.com
+1 (408) 749-5467

Released May 7, 2019