9. Vulcan BlueGene/Q (US) – $100 million
Created by IBM for the DoE, the Vulcan is a 24-rack supercomputer system that ranks 9th on our list with the most valuable supercomputers.
Stationed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, the supercomputer has a 5 PetaFLOPS peak.
It is the current holder of the ninth fastest supercomputer in the world title, according to TOP500.org.
As a third generation of IBM projects, the BlueGene/Q aims at creating supercomputers that can reach operating speeds in the PFLOPS range, with low power consumption.
But like any other supercomputer, the Vulcan became usable in 2013, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for research in biology, plasma physics, climate science, molecular systems, solid and fluid engineering, and other complex subjects of study.
It is also used in support of DoE and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) missions.
