University of Florida Invests in Supercomputer Upgrade for AI, Research

The University of Florida has announced plans to upgrade its HiPerGator supercomputer with new equipment from Nvidia. The $24 million investment will fuel the institution’s leadership in AI and research, according to a news announcement.

The existing HiPerGator AI supercomputer, an NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD with DGX A100 systems, remains the fastest of its kind in higher education. The upgrade will replace it with the new NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD featuring 63 NVIDIA DGX B200 systems, which include the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software platform and the NVIDIA Quantum-2 InfiniBand networking platform, boasting 400 Gb/s bandwidth for each GPU.

Utilized every semester in courses throughout UF and the State University System of Florida, HiPerGator also supports over 6,000 researchers in various projects. It powers Navigator AI, a UF-developed tool that provides generative AI capabilities for students, faculty, and staff.

Projects leveraging HiPerGator include building a ‘digital twin’ of the UF Health Cancer Center for training medical staff, conducting flooding simulations for emergency management in Jacksonville, and developing an AI tool for tracking financial markets.

The transition to the new supercomputer is set to ensure continuity for current projects, with an initial interim setup using the NVIDIA DGX Cloud. The new supercomputer is expected to be ready for initial users in June 2025, with a full launch slated for Fall 2025.

‘The University of Florida has been a pioneer in providing AI infrastructure to its students and making that infrastructure available across its curriculum and throughout the region,’ stated Nvidia co-founder Chris Malachowsky, a UF alumnus. ‘With this new HiPerGator NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD, UF will provide students and faculty with an exquisite tool to supercharge AI research, discovery, and innovation across many disciplines.’

‘Upgrading our supercomputer will reinforce our leadership in artificial intelligence and significantly enhance our faculty and students’ capabilities,’ remarked Elias G. Eldayrie, UF’s vice president and CIO. ‘This represents a monumental step in our commitment to fostering innovation across all disciplines.’

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