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Dell and Super Micro to Provide Server Racks for xAI's Supercomputer

Dell and Super Micro to Provide Server Racks for xAI's Supercomputer

Alicia Shapiro
June 20, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

A high-tech data center with rows of server racks illuminated by blue and white lights, labeled with Dell and Super Micro logos. In the foreground, a holographic projection of a supercomputer with interconnected circuits and futuristic graphics symbolizes advanced AI technology. The background features a sleek, modern facility with a clean and professional atmosphere, emphasizing innovation and collaboration

Dell and Super Micro to Provide Server Racks for xAI's Supercomputer

Dell Technologies and Super Micro Computer have been selected to provide server racks for the supercomputer that Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup, xAI, is developing. This announcement was made by Musk on the social media platform X on Wednesday.

Key Partnerships

According to Musk, Dell is responsible for assembling half of the server racks for xAI's supercomputer. In response to a query about the second partner, Musk confirmed that Super Micro Computer (SMC) would also be involved in this project.

San Francisco-based Super Micro, renowned for its close ties with chip manufacturers like Nvidia and its innovative liquid-cooling technology, has confirmed its partnership with xAI. This collaboration was also verified by Reuters.

Dell's Involvement

Dell Technologies' CEO, Michael Dell, further elaborated on the partnership in a separate post on X, revealing that Dell is constructing an "AI factory" in collaboration with Nvidia. This AI factory is intended to power the next version of xAI's AI chatbot, Grok.

A tweet by Michael Dell with the message, "We’re building a Dell AI factory with @nvidia to power @grok for @xai @elonmusk." The tweet includes a photo of several server racks lined up in a large industrial warehouse. The server racks are covered with protective plastic wrap, and the warehouse has high ceilings with visible lighting fixtures. The floor is marked with colored lines and the space appears organized and spacious. The tweet shows a time stamp of 4:11 AM, Jun 19, 2024, and has 23.8K likes, 951 replies, and various engagement options visible at the bottom

Image Source: X

Supercomputer Ambitions

Elon Musk has shared with investors his ambitious plans for xAI, including the development of a supercomputer designed to enhance the capabilities of its AI chatbot, Grok. According to a report by The Information in May, this supercomputer is integral to the training of AI models, which demand substantial computing power and an extensive number of high-performance chips.

Earlier this year, Musk mentioned that training the Grok 2 model required approximately 20,000 Nvidia H100 graphic processing units (GPUs). He projected that future models, such as Grok 3 and beyond, would necessitate 100,000 Nvidia H100 chips.

Project Timeline

Musk aims to have the proposed supercomputer operational by the fall of 2025, aligning with his vision for xAI's growth and innovation in AI technology.

Founded last year by Musk, xAI positions itself as a competitor to industry giants like Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Alphabet's Google. Musk, who also co-founded OpenAI, is leveraging his extensive experience in the AI field to propel xAI forward.