Gigabyte is offering access to a $300K supercomputer for free, but there’s a catch

In a nutshell: Gigabyte has an intriguing offer for those who need access to a supercomputer. Through its Giga Computing subsidiary, the company offers qualified users the opportunity to test drive one of the world’s most advanced supercomputers for free. Of course, as with all “free” offers, there is a catch.

In a week-long trial dubbed “Launchpad,” Giga Computing will grant users access to its cutting-edge Gigabyte G383-R80 server. This machine is powered by four of AMD’s latest Instinct MI300A APUs, combining CPU and GPU horsepower for accelerated computing tasks. It also features up to eight hot-swappable 2.5″ NVMe/SATA/SAS bays and 12 PCIe 5.0 x16 slots with capacities of up to 61.44TB. Networking is no joke either, with built-in 10Gbit/s Ethernet and support for add-in cards like QSFP56.

The server is well suited for demanding AI training, inference workloads, and high-performance computing applications. Several other builds are available, including an Nvidia HGX H100 system.

The program is not without some limitations. Users only get access for seven days. However, they can request an extension of up to two weeks if needed. Gigabyte also selects who gets access during the trial period. Distributors are ineligible, and applicants must outline their project and need for access.

If Gigabyte deems a proposal worthy, it will reach out within three business days to clarify the details and instructions. Once approved, users get remote access to the server within two weeks. They will also be required to get their project up and running within three days. So this isn’t a program for just any average Joe. It is intended for serious researchers or professionals.

The trial program is open to applicants worldwide who want to put their latest tech through its paces. The company aims to help users get familiar with the hardware and ensure their software runs smoothly on these high-powered systems. After the trial, Gigabyte will purge user accounts and any related data to protect privacy. TechRadar notes that users wishing to preserve their data can set up a permanent Gigabyte G383-R80 account with the same configuration. The catch is that it’ll cost $304,207.