SGI Demos 64-Proc Linux Box

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Posted by ryuzaki0 on Monday September 9, 2002 @04:54AM from the hardware-to-lust-after dept.

foobar104 writes "Details are scarce, but SGI announced this morning that their prototype Itanium 2 system has demonstrated more than 120 GB/s to and from main memory on the STREAM TRIAD benchmark, which is the fourth best result in the world. For comparison, the Cray C90 sustains 105 GB/s, while an even larger Sun Fire 15K clocks a measly 55 GB/s. The interesting part? The system wasn't running IRIX, SGI's proprietary version of UNIX. It was running Linux. More information on STREAM TRIAD, including results from other systems, is available here. The system, incidentally, was an Origin 3800 straight out of manufacturing equipped with Itanium 2 processor modules. SGI will start selling the systems early next year."

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Imagine. . . by MyHair · 2002-09-09 04:59 · Score: 1, Funny

Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these. . .

[ducks quickly]
so he next question.... by Lumpy · 2002-09-09 05:08 · Score: 2, Funny

Why can't it run Windows XP?

Ow!... ow, ow, ow, OW! stop throwing rock at me!

Ok so it was a bad joke....

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Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
1. Re:so he next question.... by Anonymous Coward · 2002-09-09 05:23 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Why can't it run Windows XP?
  Well, Windows is notorious for demanding a lot from the hardware. You have to expect it to be a dog on a low-end machine like this one.
  NT once ran on MIPS machines, as I recall. I don't have my NT4 disks handy, but I think that I recall that they included binaries for Alpha and Mips. Wouldn't it be nifty to be able to boot NT on that and see it run one cpu, straight into a bluescreen? After all, a computer without MS Windows is like a person without cancer.
Released in the nick of time.... by RicochetRita · 2002-09-09 05:21 · Score: 4, Funny

... SGI will start selling the systems early next year.
to meet the system requirements for Doom III.
-R

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Re:What is this good for? by GigsVT · 2002-09-09 05:22 · Score: 2, Funny

That's about the only use I can see for it. I could easily replace every workstation and server in our building with one of these.

Wow, that's going to be expensive, and how will they fit those in their cubicles?

Imagine an openMosix cluster of these though. :)

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Windows will have a hard time on IA64 by rseuhs · 2002-09-09 05:30 · Score: 1, Funny

What's the only thing Windows can do better than Linux?
Correct: Run Win32 applications.
Nobody will buy IA64/Windows-machines because there is no Win64 software and nobody will make Win64 software because nobody buys IA64/Windows machines...
Re:stats? by Mignon · 2002-09-09 05:36 · Score: 4, Funny

I want to see a dmesg from this thing
The testers tried, but it scrolled by too fast to see anything.
Only Thurston Howell III is eligible by deal · 2002-09-09 06:01 · Score: 3, Funny

"Through its experience and expertise in high-performance computing, SGI will offer customers of the highest quality 64-bit operating environments."
Well, Hmph! The rest of us low-life customers wouldn't want it anyways!