Supercomputer to Hit 1.6 Petaflops With 16,000 Cell Chips

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Supercomputer to Hit 1.6 Petaflops With 16,000 Cell Chips

Posted by ryuzaki0 on Thursday September 7, 2006 @05:50AM from the you-do-the-math dept.

tygerstripes writes, "IBM has announced that they are gearing up to build the world's fastest supercomputer, more than four times faster than the reigning champ, IBM's BlueGene/L. Nicknamed 'Roadrunner,' the new machine will be a hybrid of off-the-shelf CPUs and Cell chips designed for the PS3. Roadrunner is to be installed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, occupying 1,100 square metres of floorspace (that's a square about 110 feet on a side). According to the BBC: 'The computer will contain 16,000 standard processors working alongside 16,000 Cell processors... each Cell is capable of 256 billion calculations per second.'"

6 of 260 comments (clear)

Now... by ronadams · 2006-09-07 05:52 · Score: 5, Funny

OS/2 compiles your homemade C code faster than you've ever seen before!

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Whew, right under the wire! by BadAnalogyGuy · 2006-09-07 05:52 · Score: 5, Funny

Just in time for the Vista RC1 release!
Re:PS3 delayed? by evanbd · 2006-09-07 05:56 · Score: 5, Informative

No. Sony said it was due to shortages of the blue laser diode in the Blu-ray drives. Also, you'll note they're short a couple million PS3s, not a measley 16000.
Re:Also building a slightly slower computer... by steveo777 · 2006-09-07 05:57 · Score: 5, Funny

They're currently thumbing through ACME cataloges for spare rockets and rollerskate. That should speed things up.

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However part of the problem by OzPeter · 2006-09-07 06:00 · Score: 5, Funny

has been identifed as sub-standard components delivered by a third party company called "acme".

These components had a tendency to either explode at in-opportune moments, or behave in a manner that while was true to the letter of their description was totally ineffective for the desired purpose.

At the moment each side is gathering its hoards of lawyers and all involved are jumping up and down, waving thigh-bones in the air and screaming incomprehensible abuse at each other.

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1. Re:However part of the problem by reverseengineer · 2006-09-07 06:57 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  The unique failure modes of these Acme components, however, have caused IBM researchers to stumble upon a remarkable macroscale quantum effect which may be useful in the development ofquantum computers.
  Apparently, when the Acme Rocket Sled, Acme Giant Rubber Band or the Acme Bat-Man suit reach their point of failure, every particle of the unfortunate user is compelled into a quantum superposition (known as the Chuck Jones state) where the particles of the user appear to exist outside of the normal flow of time, during which the user can apparently communicate with the outside using messages written on signs. The wavefunction collapses, however when the user realizes the peril of the current situation; the user returns to normal time and is contacted catastrophically by the approaching train/TNT detonation/boulder/ground/ground followed by a pursuant boulder.
  IBM scientists believe that useful calculations could be made nearly instantaneously from the perspective of outside observers, if only the user inside the Jones state could be induced to work complex math problems and write the answer on a picket sign, rather than simply using such signs for messages like, "Why Me?", "Not Again!", "?!?!?!?!?!" or "Ouch."
  NASA is also working with Acme to determine the physical mechanism by which the Acme Portable Hole functions.
  
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