# ASCI Red
**Wikidata**: [Q70343826](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q70343826)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/asci-red-q70343826

## Summary
ASCI Red was a supercomputer manufactured by Intel and installed at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Debuting in 1997, it was the first computer to break the teraflop barrier and held the number one ranking on the TOP500 list for four consecutive periods between June 1997 and November 1998. The system utilized 9,152 Pentium Pro processors and ran a Linux-based operating system.

## Key Facts
*   **Classification:** Supercomputer.
*   **Manufacturer:** Intel.
*   **Location:** Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, United States.
*   **Inception:** 1997.
*   **Processor Architecture:** 9,152 cores using Intel Pentium Pro processors (200 MHz).
*   **Operating System:** Linux (specifically identified as Paragon OS).
*   **Peak Performance:** Achieved an Rmax of 1,338 gigaflops and an Rpeak of 1,830.4 gigaflops as of November 1997.
*   **Ranking History:** Ranked #1 on the TOP500 list in June 1997, November 1997, June 1998, and November 1998.
*   **Purpose:** Used for research by the United States government.

## FAQs
### Q: What made ASCI Red significant in computing history?
A: ASCI Red is best known for being the first supercomputer to sustain a performance of over one teraflop (1,000 gigaflops) on the LINPACK benchmark, securing the top spot on the TOP500 list starting in June 1997.

### Q: What specific hardware components did ASCI Red use?
A: The system was built by Intel using 9,152 Pentium Pro processor cores running at a clock speed of 200 MHz.

### Q: Where was ASCI Red located?
A: The supercomputer was housed at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as part of the US research industry.

## Why It Matters
ASCI Red represents a watershed moment in high-performance computing (HPC). As the inaugural system in the US Department of Energy's Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative (ASCI), it was designed to shift nuclear stockpile stewardship from physical testing to computational simulation. By breaking the teraflop barrier, it demonstrated that massively parallel processing—using thousands of commercial off-the-shelf processors (Pentium Pro)—could solve complex scientific problems previously thought impossible. Its dominance on the TOP500 list for over a year established Intel and Sandia National Laboratories as leaders in the field, setting a new benchmark for what computational power could achieve in national security and scientific research.

## Notable For
*   Being the first supercomputer to reach one teraflop (1,000 gigaflops) of performance.
*   Holding the #1 position on the TOP500 list for four consecutive rankings (June 1997–November 1998).
*   Utilizing 9,152 distinct processor cores, a massive count for the late 1990s.
*   Being one of the earliest major supercomputers to run on Linux (Paragon OS).
*   Serving as a primary research asset for Sandia National Laboratories.

## Body

### System Specifications
ASCI Red (also referenced by TOP500 system IDs 168750 and 168751) was a massively parallel supercomputer. It was distinct for its reliance on general-purpose microprocessors rather than custom silicon.
*   **Processor:** The system used Intel Pentium Pro processors with a clock frequency of 200 MHz.
*   **Core Count:** It contained 9,152 processor cores.
*   **Operating System:** The system operated on Linux, specifically referred to in technical documentation as Paragon OS.

### Performance Metrics
The performance of ASCI Red was tracked via the TOP500 project, where it demonstrated rapid capability scaling during its operational peak in 1997.
*   **June 1997:**
    *   **Rmax:** 1,068 Gigaflops (Note: A figure of 1,453 Gigaflops is also recorded for this timeframe).
    *   **Nmax:** 215,000.
*   **November 1997:**
    *   **Rmax:** 1,338 Gigaflops.
    *   **Rpeak:** 1,830.4 Gigaflops.
    *   **Nmax:** 235,000.

### Operational History
*   **Inception:** The system became operational in 1997.
*   **Location:** It was installed at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, United States.
*   **Ranking Trajectory:** ASCI Red achieved the world #1 ranking in June 1997 and successfully defended this title through the November 1998 list, maintaining its status as the most powerful computer in the world for approximately 18 months.

## References

1. [TOP500](https://www.top500.org/system/168751/)
2. [Source](https://www.top500.org/site/48748/)
3. [Source](https://www.top500.org/system/168753/)
4. [TOP500](https://www.top500.org/system/168750)