Theoretically, you can build a supercomputer from second user Dell Blade servers to further reduce the headline cost. There are two potential problems however. First the cluster is configured and controlled by a custom platform to allocate resources and collate results.

How much does it cost to build a supercomputer?

Supercomputers built by NEC in-house usually carry price tags in the millions of dollars, with even lower-end models costing around $100,000.

How much does a NASA supercomputer cost?

NASA's system will cost about $50 million, somewhat of a bargain price because Intel Corp. and SGI, among other vendors, will be studying the system as part of a research agreement, a NASA spokesman said.