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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchYou could bid on NSF NCAR’s Cheyenne supercomputer through a 2024 government surplus listing—but that auction is historical, not a current buying opportunity. The system was reported to contain 145,152 CPU cores and 313 TB of RAM. Its final sale price and winning bidder have not been verified.
What was the supercomputer in the auction?
The lot was Cheyenne, NSF NCAR’s flagship research supercomputer at the NSF NCAR Wyoming Supercomputing Center. According to HotHardware’s May 1, 2024 report on the listing, the system comprised 8,064 Intel Xeon E5-2697 v4 processors, totaling 145,152 CPU cores, and 313 TB of DDR4-2400 ECC memory. Those processor and memory figures are reported auction-lot specifications; NCAR’s retirement announcement independently confirms Cheyenne’s identity and performance, but does not provide that hardware inventory.
Cheyenne was built for scientific computing, not as a ready-made personal-computer upgrade. NCAR says researchers used it for work involving weather, wildfires, climate patterns, and other Earth-system questions. A large core or RAM count alone does not show whether a machine is suitable for a particular modern workload.
Was the auction still open, and what did it sell for?
No current auction availability is established. HotHardware reported that on May 1, 2024, bidding stood at $50,085 with the reserve not met and just over two days remaining. That was a time-specific bid snapshot, not a final sale result. The report’s suggestion that the price might reach $75,000 or more was an estimate, not a confirmed outcome.
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The winning bidder, final price, and precise transfer terms remain unverified. The government listing itself could not be accessed for confirmation, so the reported bid should not be treated as the purchase price.
Why was a retired research supercomputer being sold?
NCAR says Cheyenne began operations in January 2017 and started retirement in December 2023, after seven years of service. In its January 12, 2024 announcement, NCAR described the system as a major success and said its computing and data-handling capabilities helped scientists produce insights with continuing societal benefits. At its inauguration, Cheyenne ranked as the 20th-fastest supercomputer, according to NCAR.
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NCAR identifies Derecho as Cheyenne’s successor. Its theoretical performance is 19.87 petaflops, compared with Cheyenne’s 5.34 petaflops; NCAR says Derecho is also more energy-efficient. The figures are theoretical performance ratings, not a guarantee that one system will complete every job at a fixed multiple of the other’s speed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What condition and practical challenges were reported?
HotHardware reported a cooling-system fault involving quick disconnects that could spray water, and said repair had been judged not worthwhile in the circumstances. Because the original government listing could not be independently checked, treat this condition detail as the report’s account rather than a verified inspection record.
The same report raised practical concerns such as space, electrical power, repair capability, and floor loading. It did not establish engineering requirements for installation, so those warnings cannot be converted into specific site specifications. A buyer would need authoritative equipment and transfer documentation before assessing whether a system of this kind could be installed or operated safely.
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Sources
- NSF NCAR / UCAR News, “An extraordinary success” (January 12, 2024)
- HotHardware, “You Can Bid On A Supercomputer With 145K CPU Cores And 313TB Of RAM” (May 1, 2024)
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