A Linux cluster supercomputer, built for the US Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in 2002, has become the third fastest supercomputer in the world.

According to the 21st TOP500 supercomputing list, the Linux Networx Evolocity system, known as MCR, can process 7.6 trillion calculations per second (teraflops) running the Linpack benchmark, and is the fastest Linux cluster in the world.

It is the highest ranking ever for a Linux cluster, according to Erich Strohmaier, computer scientist at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and co-founder of the TOP500 list.

"Only a year and a half ago, MCR would have ranked as the fastest supercomputer in the world with this performance, which gives a good indication of the power of this machine," he said.

The Linux Networx system is also the fastest Intel-based machine ever built. It harnesses 2,304 2.4GHz Xeon processors and is connected using the Quadrics interconnect. LLNL uses the Linux Networx ICE Box cluster appliance for system management.

LLNL is using the cluster to conduct experiments in global climate modelling, material properties, earthquakes and other large-scale, high-performance simulations of physical phenomena.

The system specs include:

The 21st TOP500 supercomputing list can be found here.

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