Solidigm SSDs Help Break Another Pi Calculation Record

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Solidigm, a leading global provider of innovative NAND flash memory solutions, and StorageReview announced a new world record for the calculation of pi, surpassing both records they previously set in March 2024 and March 2023. Solidigm and StorageReview successfully completed the calculation in time for June 28, 2024 – or “two times” pi day.

The companies successfully calculated pi to 202 trillion digits, nearly doubling their most recent record of 105 trillion digits set earlier this year in March. The feat showcases the unparalleled capabilities of modern high-performance computing combined with efficient commodity hardware platforms. Employing Solidigm SSDs and powered by Intel Xeon CPUs in a Dell PowerEdge server, this record-breaking endeavor spanned an uninterrupted calculation period of 85 days (about three months), utilizing nearly 1.5 Petabytes of storage across 28 Solidigm D5-P5336 61.44TB NVMe SSDs.

“Being a critical element in reaching 202 trillion digits with this record-breaking pi calculation is a testament to the power and reliability of our Solidigm SSDs. This achievement underscores the extraordinary capabilities of modern high-performance computing when paired with efficient, well-designed hardware,” said Roger Corell, senior director of leadership marketing at Solidigm. “Our SSDs’ exceptional storage density and high aggregate bandwidth were pivotal in making this complex calculation possible, and we are proud to have joined forces with StorageReview once more to contribute to a milestone in computational history. We look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible in data storage and processing.”

When computing numbers that are too large to fit into memory, computers must use software algorithms for multi-precision arithmetic, which break down large numbers into manageable chunks and perform division using special techniques. The Solidigm D5-P5336 61.44TB NVMe SSDs were utilized to support the task, applying the drives’ exceptional storage density. The ultra-high capacity enabled by QLC SSDs and high bandwidth from parallelism make these drives perfect for large-scale pi calculations.

"Not only did the Solidigm drives and Dell PowerEdge R760 work together flawlessly, the nearly hands-off nature of this new record was a welcome change after the perils of our last record attempt," said Jordan Ranous, Director of Advanced Testing at StorageReview. "After what we went through on the last test run to 105, I am glad that we chose the platform we did for the big record."

You can read all about the StorageReview team's method and challenges in the write-up on their website here.