Supermicro, Intel, and Micron Set Record with New STAC-M3 Trading Benchmark

Revolutionary Performance in Quantitative Trading

In a significant technological advancement for the financial sector, Super Micro Computer, Inc. (SMCI), in partnership with Intel and Micron, has set new records in the STAC-M3 benchmark. This achievement was unveiled during the STAC Summit held in New York City. The STAC-M3 benchmark is vital for evaluating time-series database performance, which is critical for algorithmic trading and backtesting workloads.

The benchmark results, showcasing impressive speeds and lower latency, are particularly relevant for financial organizations that depend on rapid data processing to enhance their trading strategies. Supermicro highlighted their Petascale servers, which utilize the latest Intel® Xeon® 6 processors along with Micron™ 9550 SSDs and DDR5 memory, to optimize performance across various trading scenarios.

Understanding the STAC-M3 Benchmark

The STAC-M3 benchmark is designed to assess real-time quantitative trading using simulated market bid-ask data along with settled trade information across a multitude of assets. It comprises a comprehensive test environment that evaluates computing power, storage capacity, networking reliability, and the effectiveness of associated software. The benchmark meticulously analyzes query response times in scenarios common to algorithmic trading, risk management, and trade strategy backtesting, fields heavily relied upon by banks, hedge funds, and trading exchanges.

High-frequency trading environments require sophisticated capabilities to manage large data volumes while maintaining low latency. The latest results demonstrate a growing need within financial firms to collect, store, and adeptly analyze data in real-time to quickly respond to market fluctuations. By utilizing tick data analysis, firms can maximize profits and effectively manage risks.

Breakthrough Results

The results of the STAC-M3 benchmark tests displayed record-breaking performance across 19 out of 24 Kanaga mean-time response benchmarks, including achieving perfection on all ten of the 50 and 100-user benchmarks. These results signify a major leap in performance, as firms now face increasingly complex data analysis requirements.

Srini Krishna, Intel Fellow and Head of Data Center Products, commented on the results: “Today's STAC-M3 results showcase Intel Xeon 6 processors delivering record-setting performance and efficiency—supporting trading teams in acting faster and confidently assessing risk.” This new configuration employed six 2U Supermicro storage servers, which provides extremely high storage capacity at a significantly reduced physical footprint compared to previous setups. The capability to run computations faster than before while using fewer resources underscores an influential competitive advantage in the market.

The Role of Micron's Innovations

Micron's 9550 NVMe SSDs played a crucial role in this achievement, ensuring low latency during high-intensity I/O operations, which are commonplace in trading environments. Alvaro Toledo, Micron's VP and General Manager for the Americas Core Data Center Business Unit, remarked, “When trading securities in a rapidly moving market, microseconds can mean millions of dollars, making speed the ultimate currency.” This collaborative effort between Supermicro, Intel, and Micron has produced groundbreaking advancements that potentially alter the landscape of quantitative trading.

Future Implications

The implications of these record-setting results extend beyond mere statistics. For financial firms, the ability to execute trades faster with more reliable data insights can significantly affect their profitability and risk management strategies. As trading systems evolve in complexity and the volume of market data continues to surge, innovations like those from Supermicro, Intel, and Micron will be pivotal in shaping the future of the financial trading landscape.

In summary, the collaboration between Supermicro, Intel, and Micron has not only resulted in record-breaking testing benchmarks but also promises to transform trading execution strategies and overall market practices. The full breakdown of these test configurations and detailed results will be available later in the STAC-M3 report.

For more insights, explore the implications of these benchmarks and how they set the stage for future innovations in quantitative trading analytics and technology.