We covered every inch of the exhibitor floor at SC24 and came away with a compelling perspective on the future of HPC. From cooling tech to B200s to storage to AMD, these are the four biggest takeaways from the industry's biggest conference of the year.
1. Air Cooling’s Days Are Numbered
The SC24 floor showcased the rising tide of power-hungry hardware, including 120 kW Nvidia B200 NVL72 systems, pushing the limits of existing data center infrastructure. Few facilities can power and cool these systems effectively, and the challenge is only growing. HPE's Cray EX154n accelerator blade upped the ante with a groundbreaking 300 kW single-cabinet design, housing 224 Blackwell GPUs. With heat dissipation and energy density at unprecedented levels, liquid cooling — and possibly immersion cooling — has shifted from a luxury to a necessity, marking the beginning of the end for traditional air-cooled data centers.
2. Blackwell Remains a Mystery on the SC24 Floor
Blackwell GPUs dominated SC24, but details about Nvidia's next-gen powerhouse remain elusive. Vendors proudly displayed B200 systems, yet dodged critical questions: How much will these systems cost? When will they ship? Will a PCIe version be available for broader compatibility? Despite the hype, the lack of concrete answers left attendees hungry for more information, underscoring Nvidia’s strategy of controlled anticipation while hyperscalers reportedly place multibillion-dollar orders.
3. Storage Is Bigger Than Ever
VDURA took an unconventional approach to showcase the density of its storage technology at SC24, enlisting actor and strongman Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson—known as "The Mountain" from Game of Thrones—to deadlift a jaw-dropping 996 pounds. The weight represented 283 petabytes of storage packed into Phison’s high-density 128TB SSDs. This impressive demonstration underscored the growing importance of space-efficient, scalable storage solutions in the HPC world. By combining sheer physical strength with cutting-edge technology, VDura’s display highlighted how storage is becoming just as critical—and impressive—as compute power in high-performance computing.
4. AMD MI325: A Beast in Isolation
AMD’s MI325 GPU, boasting an impressive 288GB of HBM3E memory, was a technological marvel at SC24 but struggled to find a fanbase. Despite its raw power, the MI325 felt like the overlooked guest at the party as attention fixated on Nvidia’s Blackwell-powered B200 systems. Hyperscalers have already committed billions to Blackwell, leaving AMD’s latest offering in the shadows. While the MI325’s specs are undeniable, its market appeal appears to be lagging, posing questions about AMD’s strategy in the competitive HPC landscape.
BONUS: The Cloud Minders Throw a Helluva Party
Trade shows have a reputation for boozing and schmoozing. It's a tried and true method to get partners shaking hands and making deals, but routines deserve disruption. That's exactly what we served up for SC24 attendees who needed a break from another sleepy cocktail hour and wanted a unique experience — not unlike our approach to supercompute as a service.