SC98 - SUN firmly in second position in TOP500 list

The Sun HPC 10000 Starfire is the number one system architecture installed on the Top 500 list of the most powerful supercomputer sites in the world. In addition to retaining the top architecture position, Sun servers accounted for the second highest number of total systems of all companies on the list, accounting for 126 systems -- a 14% increase from the June 1998 Top 500 list.

The Top 500 list of the world's most powerful computer systems has been compiled semiannually since June 1993 to facilitate the establishment of collaborations, the exchange of data and software, and provide a better understanding of the high-performance computer market. The most successful computer models in the new TOP500 list are Sun HPC 10000 systems with 123 installations; SGI's Origin 2000 with 102 installations; and IBM's SP PC604 System with 49 installations.

Results for the Top 500 list are compiled from HPC experts, computational scientists, manufacturers and the Internet community in general, who respond to a detailed questionnaire. Computer systems are ranked by their performance on the LINPACK Benchmark, a widely used metric emphasizing floating point performance (Refer to Sun LINPACK Benchmark release).