Frontier, installed at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee, became the world’s first computer to demonstrate exascale performance on the HPL benchmark. The TOP500 list released in May 2022 and reported in June 2022 recorded 1.102 exaflops for Frontier.
What “exascale” means
An exascale computer can perform at least 1018 floating-point operations per second—one quintillion calculations per second. That threshold describes computational rate, not storage capacity or internet speed.
Frontier’s headline figure is a measured HPL benchmark result. HPL, the benchmark used by TOP500, measures how quickly a system solves a large set of dense linear equations. It is different from a manufacturer’s theoretical peak, which estimates the maximum possible rate under idealized conditions.
How Frontier reached the milestone
The dated HPL result
On the TOP500 list released May 30, 2022, Frontier recorded 1.102 exaflops on HPL. That result crossed the exascale threshold in a standardized benchmark and established the historical “first exascale computer” milestone.
#1 Best Overall
- Spacious Design: Measuring 21.1" wide and 14.1" deep, our lap desk comfortably fits most laptops up to 15.6". Extra room for accessories ensures convenience.
- Enhanced Functionality: Packed with handy features, including a 5x9" precision tracking mouse pad and a built-in phone slot for seamless work or video calls. Plus, enjoy ergonomic support with the integrated cushioned wrist rest.
- Cool Comfort: Enjoy a stable surface with our lap desk's dual bolster cushion, designed for comfort and airflow, keeping your lap cool during extended use.
- Durable Surface: Work with confidence on our lap desk's solid surface, featuring a sleek black carbon color, ensuring optimal air circulation to prevent your laptop from overheating.
- On-the-Go Convenience: With an integrated handle and lightweight design (2.8 lbs), our lap desk is portable for travel or moving around the house, offering flexibility in any space.
Measured performance versus theoretical peak
| Measure | Frontier figure | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| HPL benchmark | 1.102 exaflops | Measured TOP500 result reported for the June 2022 list |
| Theoretical peak | Approximately 2 exaflops | ORNL user-guide estimate of maximum designed performance, not the HPL result |
| Total cores | 8,730,112 | System total reported by TOP500 for the 2022 list |
| Energy efficiency | 52.23 gigaflops per watt | TOP500 efficiency rating for Frontier on that list |
These figures should not be combined into a single “speed” number: the HPL result is an observed benchmark measurement, while the approximately 2-exaflop figure is a theoretical peak.
Where Frontier is located
Frontier is hosted by the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. It is an Office of Science exascale research system operated within the National Laboratory environment, not a cloud service or a computer sold to individuals.
Rank #2
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
What hardware makes up Frontier
TOP500 identifies the system as an HPE Cray EX235a installation using AMD processors, AMD accelerator hardware and HPE’s Slingshot-11 interconnect.
| System element | Configuration identified in the published descriptions | Role |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMD optimized third-generation EPYC processors, 64 cores at 2 GHz | General-purpose processing and control work |
| Accelerator | AMD Instinct MI250X | High-throughput parallel computation |
| Interconnect | Slingshot-11 | High-speed communication among nodes |
| System platform | HPE Cray EX235a | Integrated supercomputer infrastructure |
The node configuration is part of a national-laboratory installation. It should not be read as a retail parts list or as a consumer workstation design that can be assembled to reproduce Frontier.
Rank #3
- Note: Not suitable for MacBooks released after 2023 or devices with a protruding front camera; Not applicable to full-screen or notch-style tempered glass screen protectors; Do not use on the rear camera of the phone.
- 💻 Why Do You Need a Webcam Cover Slide? — Safeguard your privacy by covering your webcam with our reliable webcam cover when not in use. Don't let anyone secretly watch you. Stay protected!
- ✅ Thin & Stylish — Enhance your laptop's functionality and aesthetics with our 0.027" ultra-thin webcam covers. Seamlessly close your laptop while adding a touch of sophistication.
- ✅ Fits Most Devices — Compatible with laptops, phones, tablets, desktops! Keep your privacy intact on Ap/ple, Mac/Book, iPh/one, iP/ad, H/P, L/novo, De/ll, Ac/er, As/us, Sa/msung devices.
- ✅ 365 Days Protection — Our upgraded 3.0 adhesive ensures a strong hold that won't damage your equipment. Experience reliable, long-term privacy protection day in and day out.
What Frontier is used for
Frontier is intended for large-scale scientific computing, including simulation, data-intensive science and machine learning. ORNL describes potential work in areas such as energy, medicine and materials, where problems may require calculations distributed across millions of processing cores and accelerators.
The practical value of exascale is not simply a larger benchmark number. Researchers can model more variables, run higher-resolution simulations, analyze larger experimental datasets or complete some workloads in less time—provided their software is designed to use a highly parallel system.
Rank #4
- Anti-Slip Surface - Transform your laptop into a mobile workstation with the AboveTEK portable laptop lap desk. The anti-slip surface provides a strong grip for laptops up to 15.6 inches(Diagonal), while the double rubber strip on the bottom ensures a stable display or typing experience on your lap, couch, or bed.
- Retractable Mouse Pad - Retractable laptop mouse pad extends on both directions for the left/right handed with elevation along the edges for stopping mouse from falling off. The size of laptop tray is 14" X 9.7" and the size of mouse pad is 7.4" X 6.1".
- Effective Heat Shield - The effective heat shield made of sturdy and thick material protects your laptop from overheating. Prioritizes your comfort and safety, an ideal lap pad or board for working anywhere.
- EASY to Carry and Store - With an ergonomic and simplistic design, the lap desk is portable to store in a backpack. Only 15" in size, 2.2 lb of weight and with slim 0.6 inch thickness, it is ready to be easily carried around.
- Widely Applicable - The smooth platform accommodates laptops and tablets up to 15.6 inches(Diagonal), making it a versatile accessory and one of the best gifts for mom, dad, students and professionals. Perfect for use as a laptop bed tray or tablet holder anywhere at home, library, or park.
Can the public use Frontier?
Frontier is available through the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility’s research-allocation process, not through a general public account or purchase.
- Prepare a research proposal. Access requests must explain the scientific work and its computing requirements.
- Undergo review. Proposals are evaluated for scientific merit, suitability for the facility and consistency with Department of Energy objectives.
- Complete institutional agreements. A user agreement is typically arranged with the researcher’s institution before an allocation begins.
- Use an awarded allocation. Approved teams receive scheduled computing time and operate under the facility’s policies.
ORNL’s facility-wide pages cite more than 3,200 scientists per year and over 36 million hours of computer time annually, but those figures apply to the broader user-facility and OLCF resources rather than proving Frontier-only usage.
Best Value
- Spacious Design: Measuring 21.1" wide and 12" deep, our lap desk comfortably fits most laptops up to 15.6". Extra room for accessories ensures convenience.
- Enhanced Functionality: Packed with handy features, including a 5x9" precision tracking mouse pad and a built-in phone slot for seamless work or video calls. Plus, enjoy laptop support with the integrated device ledge.
- Cool Comfort: Enjoy a stable surface with our lap desk's dual bolster cushion, designed for comfort and airflow, keeping your lap cool during extended use.
- Durable Surface: Work with confidence on our lap desk's solid surface, featuring a blush pink color, ensuring optimal air circulation to prevent your laptop from overheating.
- On-the-Go Convenience: With an integrated handle and lightweight design (2.14 lbs), our lap desk is portable for travel or moving around the house, offering flexibility in any space.
Does Frontier still rank as the fastest computer?
The “first exascale computer” description is a historical, dated claim tied to the 2022 TOP500 list. It does not establish Frontier’s position on September 30, 2026, or on any later list. Rankings can change as new systems are measured, so a present-tense claim about the world’s fastest supercomputer requires the latest TOP500 release and its publication date.
Why the announcement mattered
Frontier represented a joint public-private engineering effort involving the Department of Energy, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, HPE and AMD. Crossing exascale on HPL showed that a production-scale system had moved beyond the 1018-operation threshold in a recognized benchmark, giving scientists a new national research instrument rather than merely a theoretical design.
The Bottom Line
Frontier at Oak Ridge National Laboratory was the first computer to exceed one exaflop on the TOP500 HPL benchmark, recording 1.102 exaflops in 2022. That is a dated benchmark milestone—not a guarantee of Frontier’s current ranking.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems
