NVIDIA and Oracle have joined forces with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Argonne National Laboratory to create a new generation of supercomputers. At the heart of this collaboration is a profound goal: to push the limits of scientific discovery through the power of artificial intelligence.
A New Era of Supercomputing
The initiative centers on building the largest AI supercomputer the DOE has ever seen, called Solstice. This mighty machine will be powered by 100,000 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs and will live at Argonne National Laboratory. Alongside Solstice, a second supercomputer named Equinox is set to arrive in 2026, equipped with 10,000 of the same powerful GPUs.
Working together, these two systems will provide an incredible 2,200 exaflops of AI performance. This level of computational strength is unlike anything before it, offering researchers and scientists new possibilities for breakthroughs in many important fields.
Empowering Scientific Discovery
At Argonne, these supercomputers will become the engines behind some of the world’s most advanced AI research projects. Scientists will be able to harness NVIDIA’s Megatron-Core software for building sophisticated AI models and use TensorRT for efficient AI solutions. These technologies make it possible to develop and train AI systems that can support new, faster ways to explore data and make discoveries.
This effort will touch nearly every area of scientific research, including:
- Healthcare innovation, improving patient care and understanding diseases
- Materials science, designing new materials with remarkable properties
- Energy research, advancing clean and sustainable power sources
- National security, protecting essential systems and information
A True Public-Private Partnership
This project is more than just a collection of advanced machines. It is a remarkable partnership between government and leading technology companies, showing a strong commitment to keeping the United States at the forefront of AI and scientific progress. The U.S. government’s investment in this infrastructure ensures that public research remains cutting-edge and globally competitive.
Technical Highlights
Both Solstice and Equinox will be connected using NVIDIA’s advanced networking technology. This is crucial, as it allows all the GPUs and systems to communicate quickly and efficiently. The result is a seamless flow of information that boosts both the speed and the volume of scientific work that can be achieved.
| Feature | Solstice | Equinox | Combined Capability |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPUs | 100,000 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs | 10,000 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs | 110,000 GPUs |
| Performance | Largest DOE AI supercomputer | Delivery expected in 2026 | 2,200 exaflops AI compute |
| Location | Argonne National Laboratory | Argonne National Laboratory | – |
| Applications | Healthcare, materials science, energy, security | Same | Accelerate scientific AI research |
| Software stack | NVIDIA Megatron-Core, TensorRT | Same | Supports agentic AI models |
Expanding the AI Frontier
The work does not stop with Solstice and Equinox. Argonne is also expanding its AI research network through other NVIDIA-powered systems—Tara, Minerva, and Janus—further strengthening the national infrastructure for data-driven discovery.
A Foundation for the Future
This collaboration represents a turning point for science and technology in the United States. By uniting the strengths of government and industry, and equipping researchers with supercomputers of unparalleled power, the stage is set for discoveries that will shape generations to come. In the age of AI, such investments do not merely serve science; they elevate our shared pursuit of knowledge and innovation.
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