Welcome to the Cray History site where the entire timeline of supercomputers that carried the Cray name are represented.
From Cray-1 to Cray-T3E and beyond, the complex history of these premier supercomputers is explored. Join in and contribute to the archive with recollections, photographs and information.
** Big thanks to Jim Masocco for his recollection of Seymour Cray Stories, Interview film with Seymour Cray and other contributions to this site.
Explore the family tree of Cray systems with specifications, documents and pictures.
<<< Click image !
Help us build out this historical archive with corrections, photos, documents and contributions. Contact us here.
Know of any Cray Supercomputer systems ? Check and correct the Historical Systems and Customer Locations Listings.
Go see a Historic Cray system on display at one of these locations.
Computer Conservation Society Filmshow 2023 – This film show concentrated on material about supercomputers built by Cray Research. From the classic C shaped Cray-1, through generations of systems, we saw and heard about the technology, applications and people involved with the world’s most powerful computers. Featuring a recently re-discovered interview with founder Seymour Cray and animations from real life applications. This playlist has the separate videos and the full recording.
What was it like building early Cray systems ?
Read this personal account by Sonja Gardener of her time assembling early Cray supercomputer systems.
What was it like servicing and repairing Cray systems ?
Read this personal account by Charlie Clark of his time as field engineering manager at Cray.
Read these accounts by Jim Masocco of various service issues.
Early in March 2023 had a couple of days at the Computer Museum of America in Atlanta. Took the opportunity to wander round and make some mini-videos of some of the Cray Supercomputer exhibits. See the collection here.
Thanks to Lonnie and David Laufer Creative director at CMoA for the titles and opportunity.
Research the Cray Channels magazine, the premier source for information about Cray Research systems, customers and applications. Review extracts of the Cray Chips Newsletter and information about other newsletters here.
Exit via the gift shop and donate here towards running costs.
Donate here towards running costs.
Please contact the site directly if you are interested in obtaining a print ready version of any of the artworks on this website.
The information on this site has been derived from multiple sources including personal recollections and collections.
Contact Us with contributions/ corrections/ submissions/ questions/ stories/ photos.
Pages
Posts
Cray-1
- About the Deutsches Museum – Munich
- About the Musée Bolo
- At the controls – Mostly Supercomputers
- Cray Research at Boeing
- Cray Supercomputers at VTKK / CSC and in Finland
- Cray-1 Simulators via HASE and Electronics
- Crays at Linkoping used by Saab in Sweden and NSC
- Fifty years of Cray supercomputers in 2022
- Influence from the stars on supercomputer memories first discovered in Cray-1 SN1.
- Interesting TV Program from 1987 – Cray-2 Cray-1 and Cray XMP can be seen in working environments
- Serial Number 1
- SN13 Recollections By Charles Clark
- Sonja’s Story about Cray-1 fabrication and assembly
- The Supermen by Charles J. Murray
Cray-2
- About the HNM Heinz Nixdorf MuseumForum in Paderborn
- About the Musée Bolo
- Cray-2 Diagnostic and indicator lights
- Cray-2 Memories
- Cray-2s at the NSA
- Customer System books
- Interesting TV Program from 1987 – Cray-2 Cray-1 and Cray XMP can be seen in working environments
- Minnesota Supercomputer centre
- The Supermen by Charles J. Murray
Cray FAQ
Cray Machine Families
- About The Chippewa Falls museum of Industry and Technology with Serial Number 1 and Serial Number 101 and SN1001 and SN2001
- About the Deutsches Museum – Munich
- About the HNM Heinz Nixdorf MuseumForum in Paderborn
- About the Mimms Museum of Technology and Art ( previously Computer Museum of America CMoA )
- About the Musée Bolo
- Advanced systems magazine “Vector Monster” review of Cray EL-94
- Apple Computer and Cray Research – some notes
- Archer 2 now fastest computer in Europe at EPCC
- At the controls – Mostly Supercomputers
- Computer Graphics and Omnibus
- Cray and Other Timeline documents
- Cray Customer Service – Memories (1979 to 2014) by Charles Clark
- Cray Module Pictures
- Cray Research at Boeing
- Cray Research systems install base in the ’90s
- Cray Supercomputers at VTKK / CSC and in Finland
- Cray System Installation photos
- Cray X1 Cpu module Teardown
- Cray YMP-EL an overview article.
- Cray YMP-EL boot up sequence and annotated configuration files
- Cray-1 Simulators via HASE and Electronics
- Cray-2 Diagnostic and indicator lights
- Cray-2 Memories
- Cray-2s at the NSA
- Crays at Linkoping used by Saab in Sweden and NSC
- Customer System books
- Delayed delivery obsoleted a Cray XMP-EA SN1205 before delivery.
- EL and C90 Poster Centerfolds
- Fifty years of Cray supercomputers in 2022
- Florida State University replace ETA-10 with Cray YMP from 1991 by Jeff Bauer
- High Performance Computing Workshop “Performance Programming on the Cray YMP-EL”
- How the Sun Enterprise 10000 was born from the Cray CS6400
- Influence from the stars on supercomputer memories first discovered in Cray-1 SN1.
- Inside the Cray T3e/900 SN6702
- Interesting TV Program from 1987 – Cray-2 Cray-1 and Cray XMP can be seen in working environments
- Jim Masocco recalls Cray Research and Cray Inc Stories
- Jim Masocco recalls Seymour Cray Stories – With Interview
- Links to Videos of Interest
- Minnesota Supercomputer centre
- NCAR / UCAR a research site with a long association with Cray supercomputers.
- ORNL Run Frontier at an Exascale with 52 GFlops a watt.
- Serial Number 1
- SN13 Recollections By Charles Clark
- Sonja’s Story about Cray-1 fabrication and assembly
- Supercomputers going cheep ( too cheep ? ) 1997
- System flash card collection From Barb Jorgensen Smith
- T90 & C90 mini movies and T3D videos
- The Supermen by Charles J. Murray
- World Land Speed record and Cray Research
Cray Channels
Cray XMP
- About the Musée Bolo
- Apple Computer and Cray Research – some notes
- At the controls – Mostly Supercomputers
- Computer Graphics and Omnibus
- Cray Supercomputers at VTKK / CSC and in Finland
- Crays at Linkoping used by Saab in Sweden and NSC
- Delayed delivery obsoleted a Cray XMP-EA SN1205 before delivery.
- Interesting TV Program from 1987 – Cray-2 Cray-1 and Cray XMP can be seen in working environments
- Jim Masocco recalls Seymour Cray Stories – With Interview
Cray YMP Model D
Museums
- About The Chippewa Falls museum of Industry and Technology with Serial Number 1 and Serial Number 101 and SN1001 and SN2001
- About the Deutsches Museum – Munich
- About the HNM Heinz Nixdorf MuseumForum in Paderborn
- About the Living Computers Museum – Photos
- About the Mimms Museum of Technology and Art ( previously Computer Museum of America CMoA )
- About the Musée Bolo
- Cray Mug shots
- Crays at Linkoping used by Saab in Sweden and NSC
- Fifty years of Cray supercomputers in 2022
- Links to Videos of Interest
- Memorabilia Catalogs and Collections
- NCAR / UCAR a research site with a long association with Cray supercomputers.
- Serial Number 1
Software
Cray YMP Model E
Cray-history-buckets
Videos
Cray EL
- Advanced systems magazine “Vector Monster” review of Cray EL-94
- Apple Computer and Cray Research – some notes
- Cray YMP-EL an overview article.
- Cray YMP-EL boot up sequence and annotated configuration files
- EL and C90 Poster Centerfolds
- Fifty years of Cray supercomputers in 2022
- High Performance Computing Workshop “Performance Programming on the Cray YMP-EL”
Cray C90
- About the Mimms Museum of Technology and Art ( previously Computer Museum of America CMoA )
- Cray Supercomputers at VTKK / CSC and in Finland
- EL and C90 Poster Centerfolds
- Minnesota Supercomputer centre
- Supercomputers going cheep ( too cheep ? ) 1997
- T90 & C90 mini movies and T3D videos
- World Land Speed record and Cray Research
Support And Service
- At the controls – Mostly Supercomputers
- Cray Customer Service – Memories (1979 to 2014) by Charles Clark
- Cray Inc Vision and Roadmaps for product development 2000 .. 2010
- Cray Research systems install base in the ’90s
- Cray System Installation photos
- Cray System Service snapshots 1989 and 1996 with remote support information.
- Cray Systems for Customers – Extracts from Cray Channels
- Cray-2 Diagnostic and indicator lights
- Customer System books
- Jim Masocco recalls Cray Research and Cray Inc Stories
- Jim Masocco recalls Seymour Cray Stories – With Interview
- Michael “Mick” Dungworth Obituary 2025
- SN13 Recollections By Charles Clark
- Static can kill delicate electronics
Cray T3E
Cray X1
Cray EX
Books Articles etc
- “Cray at Chippewa Falls” Photo Book by Lee Friedlander
- “Cray systems” in popular culture
- 3D Models YMP-D and Cray-2
- A threesome of Seymour Cray Patents
- Advanced systems magazine “Vector Monster” review of Cray EL-94
- CASH-STARVED CRAY COMPUTER CLOSES, SEEKS CHAPTER 11 – March 27th 1995
- Computer Graphics and Omnibus
- Cray and Other Timeline documents
- Cray Floating point numbers
- Cray Research at Boeing
- Delayed delivery obsoleted a Cray XMP-EA SN1205 before delivery.
- Encyclopedia of Parallel Computing (index)
- Excellent write up on Cray Corporate history
- Fifty years of Cray supercomputers in 2022
- Florida State University replace ETA-10 with Cray YMP from 1991 by Jeff Bauer
- Frontiers of Supercomputing II
- High Performance Computing Workshop “Performance Programming on the Cray YMP-EL”
- Influence from the stars on supercomputer memories first discovered in Cray-1 SN1.
- Internal CPU connection network pictures
- Jim Masocco recalls Seymour Cray Stories – With Interview
- Les Davis (1930 — 2023)
- List of patents with Cray Research as Assignee
- List of Patents with Seymour Cray as inventor
- Past, Present, Parallel : A survey of Available Parallel computing systems
- Static can kill delicate electronics
- Supercomputers going cheep ( too cheep ? ) 1997
- The Supermen by Charles J. Murray
- Unmatched : 50 years of Supercomputing by David Barkai