Kazakhstan prepares to unveil Central Asia’s most powerful supercomputer

The installation of the most powerful supercomputer in Central Asia is set to begin shortly at Kazakhtelecom’s data center in Almaty. The machine is expected to be ready for operation in 10 days. Based on NVIDIA H200 graphics processing units (GPUs), its technical specifications include 6.7 million CUDA cores, a performance of 1,600 petaFLOPS and tens of terabytes of video memory. Notably, according to the TOP500 global rankings, the current highest-performance machine — El Capitan in the U.S. — delivers a measured performance (Rmax) of 1,742 petaFLOPS.

Kazakhtelecom CEO Bagdat Mussin visited the warehouse storing parts of Kazakhstan’s first supercomputer for an inspection.

«Yesterday, we dropped by the warehouse to make sure the ‘future of Kazakhstan’ had been delivered successfully. We exhaled with relief — the graphics cards are in place,» Mussin said.

He emphasized that the supercomputer will provide Kazakhstanis with access to high-tier computing infrastructure without needing to rely on servers in the U.S. or Europe.

«We have been waiting for this moment for a long time. This truly is the future of our country. Fifty boxes — containing Kazakhstan’s future. This is a step toward artificial intelligence,» Mussin said.

The supercomputer will be available for use by government bodies, national companies, businesses, developers, AI enthusiasts and tech firms. It will support modeling technology-related risks, forecasting urban traffic, assisting medical professionals and developing AI products that understand the Kazakh language and culture.

Previously, the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry stated that the supercomputer’s launch would mark Kazakhstan’s leadership in AI development. Its computing capacity will be available for rent by companies in Kazakhstan and neighboring countries.

Notably, the machine was delivered to the country free of customs duties and VAT, thus improving Kazakhstan’s investment appeal, especially for international IT companies and data center operators. Despite legal complications, the country received its own supercomputer in May, which authorities claim is the most powerful system in Central Asia.

Kazakhstan is not the only country investing in supercomputing for AI and multi-sector advancement. On June 11, the U.K. government announced plans to allocate approximately $1 billion toward building a national supercomputer in Edinburgh. British authorities plan to use it for AI-powered medical and scientific research.