Life on the edge: How Hoonify uses ASUS NUCs to deliver supercomputing resources where they’re needed

Today’s supercomputers bring astonishing processing power to bear on complex calculations. But there’s often a big difference between the locations where data center-sized supercomputers can operate and the locations where people can actually make use of the capabilities and power they provide. They’re not suitable working environments for most people, and they require a budget beyond the scope of many businesses and researchers; more than 90% of businesses lack access to these resources. On a smaller scale, workstation-class PCs can be placed at the edge and accelerate performance; however, they lack the ability to unleash the parallel computing performance for demanding projects.

It’s not just the size of data centers and powerful PCs that limits how organizations can put them to work. It’s also about where they can operate. Too often, there’s a large physical distance between the locations where data is collected and the location where that data can be processed. Advancements in networking are alleviating this concern, but hard limitations remain. Today’s researchers, engineers, scientists, and data analysts looking to take advantage of the latest technologies need a solution that meets the demands of operating at the edge.

Bringing powerful compute performance to the edge

Empowered by the cutting-edge performance provided by space-saving ASUS NUC Mini PCs, Hoonify Technologies’ unique solution bridges this gap. TurbOS, the company’s all-in-one high performance computing (HPC) software platform, equips its clients with out-of-the-box, turn-key high performance parallel computing, optimized applications, and proven workflows. For work in modeling and simulation, machine learning, and artificial intelligence algorithms like large language models, TurbOS can provide a significant boost in computational power by dividing complex tasks into smaller, manageable sub-tasks that can be processed simultaneously. Everyday users now have the ability to untap more processing power at their desks that was imaginable from a data center-sized supercomputer just a decade ago.

Hoonify offers hosted HPC environments that allow clients to get started quickly, any time from anywhere, but it also specializes in pre-configured on-premises setups that provide clients with their own on-site TurbOS HPC solution. Such systems can take a variety of forms from server clusters to desktop systems, but many of Hoonify’s clients prefer to have ultra-compact, ultra-efficient systems for their end users.

ASUS NUC Mini PCs fit the bill

For deployments which require space-saving and power-saving devices, Hoonify prefers ASUS NUC Mini PCs. As Hoonify’s CEO and President Andrew Clark put it, “The ASUS NUC paired with TurbOS has the power to bring supercomputing performance to everyone, anywhere, with their small, efficient, and powerful product line.” These PCs are small enough to hold with one hand, yet they’re powerful enough for Hoonify’s HPC solution, loaded with connectivity options, and highly configurable to meet customers’ unique needs.

One of the key reasons that Hoonify selected the ASUS NUC line is efficiency. The low power consumption of ASUS NUCs enables supercomputing in edge deployments like offices, labs, or in-field scenarios. Additionally, their small size and low heat production allows for easy scalability: it’s not difficult at all to have several operating in a small cluster.

In their compact dimensions, ASUS NUCs offer outsized performance. Equipped with the latest Intel CPUs, high-performance DDR5 memory, and robust support for high-speed storage devices, ASUS NUCs flourish in edge environments. The latest connectivity options, including Thunderbolt ports, high-bandwidth Ethernet ports, and a rich selection of display outputs, ensure easy deployment in a wide range of scenarios.

Many workflows, including machine learning and AI, lean on the specialized hardware provided by a discrete graphics processing unit (GPU). The ROG NUC and NUC 14 Performance lines harness the power of NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs for accelerated processing power, making these workflows possible even in edge applications.

A highly configurable solution for modern office spaces and more

Hoonify’s solution can take many forms based on the usage scenario, but they’re often called in to elevate the performance available to users in office environments.

What does Hoonify’s solution look like in this scenario? It starts with a head device operating Hoonify’s unique software recipe. This software is optimized for x86, AMD64, CUDA, PyTorch, NCCL, TensorFlow, and others, making it easy to configure for a variety of workflows and hardware preferences. For the head device, Hoonify often prefers the ROG NUC, which boasts the power of an NVIDIA GPU in a space-saving design, though some clients opt for the more subdued visual style of the NUC 14 Performance. This device, supercharged by TurbOS, can provision all the resources put behind it, up to and including racks of servers, for astounding performance that’s distributed right where it's needed.

Typically, this head unit runs a small cluster of desktops. NUC 14 Pro Mini PCs are a common choice here, as they offer cutting-edge hardware with the latest Intel CPUs, they’re supremely efficient, and they’re easy to deploy in an office or other edge scenario. Their compact frame demands very little space, and with their included VESA bracket, they can be mounted to the back of a user’s display so that they don’t take up any desktop space at all.

Advanced performance, right where it’s needed

Modern PC hardware provides access to an astonishing set of capabilities, even supercomputing-level capabilities. Yet, unlike the supercomputing of yesterday, these advancements aren’t limited to organizations with the available budget to operate a full-scale data center, nor are users limited to working in the same physical location as these advanced systems.

Through its TurbOS operating system, Hoonify Technologies enables supercomputing to be possible at the edge, in locations like offices, labs, or out in the field. The ASUS NUC product line ensures that Hoonify can equip clients with a range of highly configurable, compact, energy-efficient end user devices, while models equipped with both a CPU and GPU provide on-demand, scalable, and secure high-performance computing.

The combination of Hoonify’s advanced software and the ASUS NUC Mini PC lineup is creating new possibilities for organizations of all kinds. Reach out to Hoonify for more information on their complete solution, and connect with ASUS to learn more about the ASUS NUC product line.

About Hoonify

Hoonify Technologies Inc. has over 40 years of high-performance computing (HPC) engineering and development experience. Hoonify puts National Laboratory-level supercomputing power into the hands of everyday users with TurbOS, the All-In-One High Performance Computing (HPC) software platform. The company’s solutions have been deployed for modeling & simulation, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.