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US Regains Supercomputing Crown, Besting China and Japan

Posted by samzenpus on from the catbird-seat dept.

dcblogs writes "The U.S., once again, is home to the world's most powerful supercomputer after being knocked off the list by China two years ago and Japan last year. The top computer, an IBM system at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is capable of 16.32 sustained petaflops, according to the Top 500 list, a global, twice a year ranking, released Monday. Despite the continuing strength of U.S. vendors globally, when China's supercomputer took the top position in June, 2010, it seemed to hit a national nerve. President Barack Obama mentioned China's top ranked supercomputer in two separate speeches, including his State of the Union address last year."

11 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. Conspiracy Nut by ciderbrew · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Each time I read a story like this I can't help think there are a bunch of faster machines that they don't tell us about.

    1. Re:Conspiracy Nut by jellomizer · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Here is a story outside of IT. There was a Chinese Pianist, he was very good, he always won Piano competitions. He went to America to work with some of the masters. They offered him a choice, does he want to become a better Pianist, or just keep winning awards. Being told these options really humbled him, in his mind, winning meant that you were the best. However it was a case in these competitions there were only a subset of skills that are measured, so if you just focused on what was graded then you can win the competition. However if you want to master your art, it is about working on other things as well, things that are not always part of the grading.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  2. Maybe, maybe not... by Junta · · Score: 4, Informative

    At least in the *specific* performance characteristic of 64bit precision linear algebra, it's perfectly likely that the biggest player is reported.

    In the cases where secrecy is probably preventing you from knowing about it, it probably is optimized for 32-bit precision floating point and/or large storage throughput to fuel data mining.

    Of course, then there are collections of systems that could probably easily place in the list that are at least moderately well-known but not submitted, if it wouldn't be a financial catastrophe to take it down for a few days to dedicate to an xhpl run. An EC2 datacenter comes to mind.

    --
    XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
    1. Re:Maybe, maybe not... by rgbatduke · · Score: 4, Informative

      In the cases where secrecy is probably preventing you from knowing about it, it probably is optimized for 32-bit precision floating point and/or large storage throughput to fuel data mining.

      Or (in the case of NSA) decryption. There isn't a computer large enough to solve really difficult decryption problems, but whatever there is probably lives somewhere in the NSA, and is very likely very, very large.

      Maybe not as large as Google's farm, though. Or even Amazon's.

      rgb

      --
      Even when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken. --- Bertrand Russell.
    2. Re:Maybe, maybe not... by AngryDeuce · · Score: 3, Informative

      Well, there's reports that NSA is building a massive spy center in Utah utilizing quantum computers but I'm not sure if I believe it...it reeks of tin-foil hats to me.

      But, then again, it wouldn't really surprise me if it were true...I just didn't think quantum computers were anywhere near practical application yet, and wouldn't be for some time, in my extremely limited knowledge on the subject.

  3. Wrong prize by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'd rather have a big fraction of our workforce be highly competent in mathematics, than have a computer that's marginally faster than any other.

    One wins a pointless pissing match, the other provides a much more solid basis for real strength and prosperity.

    Besides, all this really shows is that China will lend us enough money for us to buy computer components built an assembled throughout the world.

    1. Re:Wrong prize by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'd rather have a big fraction of our workforce be highly competent in mathematics

      You can build a more powerful supercomputer, but you can't educate your workforce beyond their intelligence. Especially, when they have no desire to be educated.

      You can overclock a processor. I haven't seen this successfully tested on humans yet. The results of own experiments with my Tesla Tower and the neighborhood kids were rather unpleasant.

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  4. ... WITH 100% CHINESE-SOURCED COMPONENTS !! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Way to go !!

    1. Re:... WITH 100% CHINESE-SOURCED COMPONENTS !! by MikeMo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Actually, Intel manufactures CPUs in many countries, including the US. Wherever they are made, it is Intel's technology and know-how that makes it possible to make them there. No one in China could have created the fab without that. I'd say that 100% of the technology in those super computers was created outside of China. The ability to manufacture the latest Xeon is in no way related to the ability to design one.

  5. Re:Moore's Law by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 4, Funny

    Moore wasn't an IBM employee, so Turek hasn't really heard that much about him.

  6. Re:What happens to the "obsolete" supercomputers? by samilliken · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The CRAY supercomputers are actually blade chassis, so you can do several generations of upgrades just by updating the blades. When we do have a to replace more components, the old parts are shipped back to CRAY for recycling. When the upgrade is more of a forklift upgrade, we will sometimes run them in parallel. This is what happened between Jaguar and Jaguar-PF. Jaguar was sent back to CRAY last year so that we can make room for whatever will replace Titan (the blade level upgrade of Jaguar-PF). We have about 10 on-site CRAYons at all times at ORNL, and when we have a large upgrade process happening, extras are brought in. At some point you do have to look at the Watts/Flop of the old systems, and you will get to a tipping point where it's simply too costly to continue running on the old equipment. When you're pulling down systems measured in Megawatts, you have to.