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The Critical Foundations of High-Performance Computing

Data centers are continually striving to upgrade computing performance while making the most of their current infrastructure. Modular hardware solutions for high-performance computing (HPC) from Molex provide a strategy for rapid scalability, effective thermal management and space optimization.

The Evolution of High-Performance Computing

The applications of high-performance computing (HPC) now range from enterprise data processing to intensive generative artificial intelligence (AI) models. As data center managers struggle to keep pace with the rising tide of demands, several common infrastructure issues emerge when making the leap to next-generation capabilities:

  • Thermal management for effective heat dissipation — whether by air, liquid or immersion cooling — as infrastructure expands 
  • Future-proofed scalability to support both current hardware and new modular system trends
  • High-speed, high-performance interconnects with form factors optimized for space constraints and flexible configurations

Molex engineering is at the forefront of next-generation HPC, delivering solutions that offer data speeds up to 224 Gbps and align with the goals of the Open Compute Project (OCP) for modularity and standardization. These development efforts support complex data center design required for seamless successful architecture transition. 

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Building Blocks of High-Performance Computing

THERMAL MANAGMENT

Sophisticated Cooling in High-Performance Computing

Data centers utilize a variety of cooling technologies — air, liquid cooling and immersion — to manage heat dissipation efficiently. Best practices for thermal optimization include strategic airflow design, heat sink implementation and the use of thermal interface materials (TIMs). 

Molex addresses the heat challenges of next-generation 224 Gbps pluggable I/O with solutions like the Drop-Down Heatsink (DDHS), which provides superior thermal performance improvements of +5°C over traditional heatsinks. This innovation allows for effective air-cooled solutions exceeding 30W, mitigating the need for more costly liquid-cooled alternatives while maintaining system durability and performance.

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SCALABILITY

Scaling with the Data Center Modular Hardware System (DC-MHS)

High-performance computing operations optimize scalability through horizontal and vertical strategies. Horizontal scaling, or scaling out, involves adding more machines to a system. Vertical scaling, or scaling up, entails increasing the power of existing machines. 

The Data Center Modular Hardware System (DC-MHS) is a framework that supports both strategies, making the integration of newer technologies possible without disrupting current operations. DC-MHS, as defined by OCP, facilitates seamless scaling so data centers can quickly respond to evolving compute, storage and networking demands. 
 

Learn More About DC-MHS

HIGH-SPEED INTERCONNECTS

Data Throughput for Next-Generation Performance

The role of advanced high-speed interconnects becomes increasingly vital in high-performance computing, driving remarkable gains in computational efficiency, allowing for more intricate simulations and supporting extensive data analysis. 

With the introduction of next-generation PCIe and CXL technologies, particularly the highly anticipated PCIe Gen 6/7, we are on the cusp of a significant upsurge in data throughput and a more seamless integration of CPUs with peripheral devices.

Explore PCIe

Additional Resources

Blog

Building for Tomorrow: Design Considerations for 224G System Architecture

Dive into the cutting-edge world of 224G system architecture and explore the design considerations for making the leap from 112 Gbps to 224G PAM-4 systems. Discover expert insights for addressing challenges like signal integrity, thermal management and latency to pave the way for new capabilities in AI and high-performance computing. 

Read the Blog

White Paper

High-Speed Connector Dynamics: Balancing EMI Shielding and Thermal Cooling Optimization

Discover the critical balance between EMI shielding and thermal cooling in the evolving landscape of data center I/O. Unpack the complexities of server disaggregation and soaring data rates and gain valuable insights into preempting performance losses through design foresight.

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Application

224 Gbps-PAM4 High-Speed Data Center Technology

To keep pace with advances in generative AI and machine learning, data centers are now compelled to scale up system fabrics to support data transmission rates of 224 Gbps using the PAM-4 modulation scheme on every differential pair. See how Molex solutions are enabling this scale-up approach.

View 224G Solutions