China tops the US as the number one supercomputer manufacturer
China no longer houses the world’s top computer, but it does pump out more supercomputers than the US.
China wins on quantity: Top500 has released its semi-annual list of the 500 most powerful supercomputers on the planet. Chinese firms made the machines in 206 of those, and for the first time, the leading supercomputer manufacturer is not a US company. China’s Lenovo takes home that prize; it made nearly 24 percent of the machines on the list.
US back in the top spot: An American computer topped the list for the first time since 2012 with the announcement of Summit two weeks ago (see “The world’s most powerful supercomputer is tailor made for the AI era”). That's a big shift from last year, when America struggled to beat the Chinese-based Sunway TaihuLight.
Why it matters: Although the US can boast the number one spot, the decline of American machines in the ranking is striking. Just six months ago the country had 145 supercomputers on the list; it’s now down to a new low of 124.
Deep Dive
Computing
A chip design that changes everything: 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2023
Computer chip designs are expensive and hard to license. That’s all about to change thanks to the popular open standard known as RISC-V.
Modern data architectures fuel innovation
More diverse data estates require a new strategy—and the infrastructure to support it.
Chinese chips will keep powering your everyday life
The war over advanced semiconductor technology continues, but China will likely take a more important role in manufacturing legacy chips for common devices.
The computer scientist who hunts for costly bugs in crypto code
Programming errors on the blockchain can mean $100 million lost in the blink of an eye. Ronghui Gu and his company CertiK are trying to help.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.