IBM's Blue Gene/L: world's fastest supercomputer at 280.6 teraflops
posted Oct 28th 2005 9:30AM
Whoa Nelly! IBM's Blue Gene/L has again crushed its own supercomputer record now pumping out an amazing 280.6 teraflops (trillions of calculations per second). That's more than double the 136.9 teraflops they were flaunting back in June or the, um, pathetic 70.7 teraflops they were pushing just 12 months ago. That's a four-fold increase in processing power in just 12 months! While it appears IBM stands in staunch defiance of Moore's Law, keep in mind that Blue Gene/L actually uses a collection of five separate networks to connect 65,536 specialized IBM processors. In fact, the machine was only half-built when they hit the 136.9 mark back in June. Also, the Top500 Supercomputer list (being announced 15Nov) measures response to the Linpack mathematical test which Blue Gene/L runs on every processor whereas other applications (like nuclear weapons simulations maybe?) result in half the system's processors being tied up in networking tasks. Oh, ok, well we're still waiting for that computer in a teaspoon anyway.
im actually surprised there isnt a Distributed computing program that pays people for cpu cycles yet. I thought for sure places without highly confidential data would rather spend a mill to have the spare cycles of every teen's PC in the US instead of paying a billion to build a PC.
pretty cool never seen it before... thanks
Do you think perhaps they can spare some processing time for the Engadget folding team?
AND we're back to computers that fill a room. :-) :-P
IBM is into the World Comminty Grid
http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/
not so much w/ folding@home
but..
can it play Doom?
According to moore's law we should have this power in just 9 years!
The Government is secretly operating these big Supercomputers to calculate new and devious ways to murder us civilians. You know what IBM stands for right?
"Instruments for Butchering Mankind."
After the world Government bans all firearms and motor vehicles, they'll be coming for our computers next. Mark my words.
"Shall we play a game?"
>Global Thermonuclear War
haha #7 your probly right. But you know what the most scary thing is. Its not the US government its the Chinese government. Remember awhile back when they bought IBM computing. Well you see what they got out of the bargan. The top supercomputer in the world in the hands of the Chinese that is probly running US Military Simulations right in the hands of the Chinese
Considering that these computers are built by Lenovo, I think it would be cheap enough to buy ;-)
BTW, isn't IBM involved in the systematic regime of the Nazis?
Lenovo only owns the PC Division of IBM not the Supercomputer divison. And IBM ain't the bitch in this relationship, IBM has a 19% stake in Lenovo and part of the bargain involved them to set up their HQ in New York.
On the flipside, they really need to make these supercomputers take the shape of hundreds of monoliths a la 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Slightly bigger than my ThinkPad then!
And here I though the PS3 was the world's bestest supercomputer! (plz don't flame me its a joke laugh darn it!)
"You know what IBM stands for right? "
Insert Banana Monthly
And so Skynet finally finds a home. Shortly after Blue Gene/L came online a liquid metal man and a tall "foreign sounding guy" (wanted since the 1980s for homicide) were seen rampaging through various cities across America.
Ya...but can it run Doom?
I'll credit Ben Mullinger with the following thought:
"Please step into my ThinkPad. Sometimes I also like to call it my CompuFlat."
I was in the lab right next to blue gene, could peer through the doors, but I probably would have been shot if I would have walked over..... pretty cool stuff over there though.
Judging by the picture, it looks like IBM has built the world's largest piano keyboard.
I wonder what datacenter that's housed in. No IBM DC I've ever been in looks like that. Lots of cooling in places where it shouldn't be either, I wonder if it makes more heat than the average rack setup.
What many people do not understand is that this machine is built to only do certain tasks. This may do great on the top500 test as they test for flops, but I bet if you performed tasks that the other machines might do, blue gene might not do so well in.
#21 you are correct, this is specially built for certain purposes only, however in the next room, IBM is gearing up with ASCI Purple which houses what should be one of the largest 'general purpose' supercomputers in the world. Using all off the shelf parts, high end, but off the shelf no less.
And #20, that room is super freaking cold, most people have jackets that they wear when they need to go on the floor. But you can find a warm spot between the nodes and be fine.
I think Engadget should ask if they want to join the Folding at home team you guys just set up.
What kind of FPS will I get out of HL2 or WoW? 6 trillion? Windows would just delete it self on booting... Man, I bet ya it weighs more then my civic(1100 pounds).
Yeah, but they forgot the Floppy Drive.
lan party anywone?
and i was so proud
of my gameboy
advanced capaceties
:p
But it's black not blue!
How can we trust the 'flop figures if they lie about the colour?