HPE is refreshing its Cray supercomputer storage with hybrid SSD-and-hard-drive configurations that it says can deliver up to 41% more data throughput per rack. The systems are aimed at high-performance computing sites handling growing datasets, including those mixing AI and traditional simulation workloads, where storage performance and cost both matter.
Watch Desk analysis
What happened
The new Cray Supercomputing Storage Systems E2000 configurations combine SSDs with 32TB SAS-4 hard drives. HPE says a rack can provide up to 116GB/s of read throughput, 92GB/s of write throughput and 32% more usable storage capacity. The configurations are expected to go on sale in early 2027, according to The Register.
HPE also announced a Rack Management Controller for monitoring and controlling liquid cooling. It includes real-time monitoring, leak detection and automated control, and will first support HPE’s Cray Supercomputing GX5000 infrastructure. Support for Nvidia’s NVL72 and AMD’s Helion and Helios systems is expected to follow.
Why it matters
AI and scientific computing are hungry for data, but all-flash storage can be expensive. HPE’s proposal is to combine faster solid-state drives with denser hard drives, aiming to keep throughput high while increasing capacity. For research institutions and national laboratories, that could mean more storage headroom without putting every byte on flash.
The cooling controller tackles a different operational pressure: keeping liquid-cooled racks monitored and responding to leaks or changing conditions. These are infrastructure improvements rather than a new computing platform, but the storage figures give buyers something concrete to compare.
Our read
This is a practical pitch for HPC teams balancing performance, capacity and cost, not a universal promise that a hybrid rack will suit every workload. HPE’s stated figures make the offer worth watching; prospective buyers will still want workload-specific performance and pricing before reaching for the purchase order.
What to watch
- Whether HPE publishes independent or workload-specific performance results.
- Pricing and configuration details ahead of the planned early-2027 availability.
- When the cooling controller reaches Nvidia and AMD rack systems, and what monitoring data operators can access.
Discussion spark: For AI and scientific workloads, would you favour a hybrid storage rack that trades some all-flash speed for more capacity, or keep the hot data on flash and scale storage separately?
Sources and evidence
- HPE debuts hybrid storage configs: Rising SSD costs hit supercomputing – The Register (13 November 2026, 16:15 UTC)
- Microsoft's massive M365 outage stretches past 27 hours as its fixes keep failing – The Register (13 November 2026, 16:15 UTC)
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