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IBM's Cell Processor — Not Just for PS3 Anymore

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the processor-before-the-games dept.

TechFreep writes to tell us that IBM has released a new line of QS20 Blade Servers based on the processor they developed for the Playstation 3. From the article: "Today IBM announced a new line of high-powered QS20 Blade Servers intended for use in seismic research, encryption, digital image rendering and military surveillance applications. Each QS20 will include two nine-cored Cell Processors clocked at 3.2Ghz apiece, which were developed along with Sony and Toshiba for Sony's upcoming Playstation 3 console. As Playstation 3 isn't scheduled for release until November, the QS20 will mark the first application in which the highly-touted Cell will be available to consumers."

3 of 184 comments (clear)

  1. "Consumers" by TCM · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's not just that I hate this word, but what has it got to do with these blade servers? Are they edible?

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  2. Misleading ... "developed for PS3" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think that stating that the Cell was "developed for PS3" is misleading. The processor, while certainly earmarked for the PS3, was designed all along to go into a full range of computing devices, PS3 was just the most visible (and likely to ship the most units initially). Saying it the other way makes it sound like the chip was developed exclusively for the PS3 and IBM is "just finding uses for it", which is not the case.

  3. Re:Different markets by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Nope. It was concieved as a component for massively parallel processing, but using it in the playstation was the only way to get the volume production that I need to get the kind of reliability I want for my nuclear simulations.

    This chip will be to the Pentium what the Pentium is to the 6502 - once the tool chain is understood by software designers. Actually, better, because Cell architecture uses way less gates than pipelining for way more throughput at the same clock speed and feature size. Hell, I might even retire my Sun Niagras.

    Sure it won't run Windows very well, but hell, Windows doesn't run very well anyway, and I Don't Care (TM).

    Yes, it does run Linux. What about NetBSD?

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