Computational load can be run independently on each blade and/or combined using clustering techniques.
Furthermore, each compute blade supports the addition of a PCIe x16 card for graphics or further expansion.
Equipped with either workstation Nvidia Quadro graphics cards or Nvidia Tesla scientific cards, the visualization configurations extended the integrated graphics capabilities of the compute blade and offered customers access to Nvidia's CUDA programming architecture to drastically speed up critical scientific and engineering applications.
In addition to offering unparalleled deskside performance for its day, the Cray CX1 also pioneered several unique technologies to make possible the integration of supercomputing into the traditional office space.
The CX1 utilized an active noise cancellation system built into its cooling apparatus to quiet the sounds generated by the chassis's two large fans.