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SGI & NASA Build World's Fastest Supercomputer

GarethSwan writes "SGI and NASA have just rolled-out the new world number one fastest supercomputer. Its performance test (LINPACK) result of 42.7 teraflops easily outclasses the previous mark set by Japan's Earth Simulator of 35.86 teraflops AND that set by IBM's new BlueGene/L experiment of 36.01 teraflops. What's even more awesome is that each of the 20 512-processor systems run a single Linux image, AND Columbia was installed in only 15 weeks. Imagine having your own 20-machine cluster?"

25 of 417 comments (clear)

  1. hmmmm...... by commo1 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Let's see them predict the weather.....

    1. Re:hmmmm...... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
      Today we predict a high of +3 Funny, with localised Trolling.

      Tomorrow looks like developing a slight rise in Insightful post, but a drop in overall Informative. "First Post" will remain as a constant pattern.

  2. That's nothing... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...when they hit the "TURBO" button on the front of the boxes they'll really scream.

  3. 20 system cluster?!? by Emugamer · · Score: 5, Funny

    I have one of those... in a spare room!

    Who cares about a 20 system cluster, I want a one 512 processor machine!

    or 20, I'm not that picky

  4. Everyone needs one! by Dzimas · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just what I need to model my next H-bom... uhh... umm.... I mean render my next feature film. I call it "Kaboom."

    1. Re:Everyone needs one! by polecat_redux · · Score: 4, Funny

      Just what I need to model my next H-bom... uhh... umm.... I mean render my next feature film. I call it "Kaboom."

      Not to be pedantic, but the correct term is "Freedom Bomb".

    2. Re:Everyone needs one! by hunterx11 · · Score: 3, Funny

      The French invented the H-Bomb first, but since the H is silent, they thought it was just a regular bomb and forgot about it.

      --
      English is easier said than done.
  5. Wow---- by ZennouRyuu · · Score: 5, Funny

    I bet gentoo wouldn't be such a b**ch to get running with all of that compiling power behind it :)

  6. And after further cooperation with Redmond... by ferrellcat · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...they were *almost* able to get Longhorn to boot.

  7. its not the hardware thats important by fender_rock · · Score: 5, Funny

    If the same software is used, its not going to make weather predictions more accurate. Its just going to give them the wrong answer, faster.

    1. Re:its not the hardware thats important by ozmanjusri · · Score: 4, Funny

      Well, if the weather's too chaotic to predict, even with this much computing horsepower, maybe it would be simpler to go to Brazil and just swat the damn butterfly with the owner's manual.

      --
      "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
  8. Re:Intent of NASA... by SenatorTreason · · Score: 3, Funny

    Seti@Home. They'll be in the Top 10 in no time!

  9. Here's the current list... by daveschroeder · · Score: 4, Funny

    Prof. Jack Dongarra of UTK is the keeper of the official list in the interim between the twice-yearly Top 500 lists:

    http://www.netlib.org/benchmark/performance.pdf See page 54.

    And here's the current top 20 as of 10/26/04...

  10. NASA.org? by lnoble · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wow, I didn't know the NewAdvancedSearchAgent had such an interest or budget for super computing. I'd think they'd be able to afford their own web server though instead of being parked at domainspa.com and having to fill their entire page with advertisments.

    Try NASA.GOV.

  11. One is a parity bit... by NotQuiteReal · · Score: 3, Funny
    ... um never mind.

    RAEM (redundant array of expensive machines) just doesn't ring right - to close to REAM.

    --
    This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
  12. Re:Ok, what is the point of this? by dagur · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yes what is the point? We all know the resulting answer is going to be 42.

  13. Ya know... by Al+Al+Cool+J · · Score: 5, Funny
    It's getting to the point where I'm going to have call shenanigans on the whole freakin' planet. Am I really supposed to believe that an OS started by a Finnish university student a decade ago and designed to run on a 386, is now running the most powerful computer ever built? I mean, come on!

    Seriously, am I on candid camera?

  14. My proposed use of this super computer.... by chicagozer · · Score: 4, Funny

    Emulating a Centris 650 running Mac OS X at 2.5 Ghz.

    --
    ZZ
  15. Re:windows by jd · · Score: 3, Funny

    They tried, but they ran out of blue.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  16. Re:Photos of System by RadioheadKid · · Score: 5, Funny

    You'd think with all that super-computing power they'd be able to figure out the zipping JPEGs is retarted.

    --
    "Karma can only be portioned out by the cosmos." -Homer Simpson
  17. I can see a certain person now... by Trogre · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...rubbing his hands whilst sitting in a dark corner amongst an ever-dwindling pile of Microsoft-donated cash, salivating at this.

    "512 processors, 20 machines, $699 per processor. All that intellectual property, yes! No free lunch no, Linux mine, MIIIINE, BWAAAAHAHAHAHA!!!"

    *dials*

    "Hello, NASA? About that $7,157,760 you owe me...
    I'm sorry, where do you want me to jump?"

    --
    "Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
  18. What?! by commodoresloat · · Score: 3, Funny

    All those teraflops and still no aliens? How many freaking teraflops do we need? Come on, folks, I just want one goddamned spaceman!!

  19. Re:Intent of NASA... by a1cypher · · Score: 4, Funny

    Maybe they want to run PearPC at a decent speed.

  20. I had a shell on the machine for day by Sabalon · · Score: 3, Funny

    It was great. I needed to build the kernel so I typed
    # make -j 10534 bzImag
    and even before I could hit the e and enter, it was done.

    I was gonna build X but on this box the possible outcomes of "build World" scared me!

  21. nothing compared to 500TF per floor at the CIA by cheekyboy · · Score: 4, Funny

    1. I bet CIA has something in order of 10-100x more powerfull, I mean if you can afford to wire up 5 full office floors of computers, say 20*512 * 5 per floor * 5 , thats a hell lot more. CIA can afford to spend 200m on it, and have 10 super clusters of 1000 tf each.

    2. I bet the CIA also can change the weather, go read HARP etc... if the russians can do it in the 80s then the CIA can do anything.

    --
    Liberty freedom are no1, not dicks in suits.