Supercomputer to Hit 1.6 Petaflops With 16,000 Cell Chips

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.'"

Now...

[ronadams]

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

62 supercomputers

[Anonymous Coward]

now we know why they cut shipments by 1 mil units. IBM wanted to build 62 supercomputers.

Whew, right under the wire!

[BadAnalogyGuy]

Just in time for the Vista RC1 release!

That's sort of fast.

[Anonymous Coward]

I guess.

Also building a slightly slower computer...

[AceCaseOR]

IBM is also building a slightly slower computer, called "Wile E. Coyote", which is slightly slower. They are currently attempting to work out the bugs, as it keeps crashing...

Re:Also building a slightly slower computer...

[steveo777]

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

However part of the problem

[OzPeter]

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.

Would you like to play a game?

[mendaliv]

Interesting sidenote in the article not mentioned here:
"The laboratory is owned by the US Department of Energy (DOE). Eventually the machine could be used for a programme that ensures the US nuclear weapons stockpile remains safe and reliable, the DOE said in a statement."

Why do I get a weird feeling that I've seen this sort of thing in one too many movies?

Um, no, not exactly

[$RANDOMLUSER]

From TFC (caption):

The cell processor was originally designed for Sony's PlayStation 3

I'm sure this comes as a surprise to IBM and Toshiba.

And this is from BBC News, no less. <sigh>

Lame

[Wolvie MkM]

And still it only runs F.E.A.R. at 25fps... weak...

Re:Feet/Metres/Meters

[lightyear4]

And for the record, sqrt(1100m2) = 33.17 meters = 108.83 feet a side. 110 feet per side gets you an extra 24.13 square meters .. enough for 4 interns including desks.

You mean in the room WITH the supercomputer? Oooh! I call dibs on the sauna office!

Re:Billion or billion?

[morgan_greywolf]

British 'billions' are American 'trillions'. So this may be running three orders of magnitude faster than you first expec

Yeah, go figure. Stupid Brits can't even speak English. ;)

Re:Feet/Metres/Meters

[DocSavage64109]

Those 1.17 x 54 foot spaces sound like the ideal workspaces for interns.

Oh, great

[Anonymous Coward]

This just means there will be one more annoying asshat bragging about his Counterstrike framerate.

Sure it's fast

[Skraut]

But is it fast enough to figure out the Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything?

Re:Now...

[tha_mink]

Wow, Imagine a ... ah nevermind.

Re:However part of the problem

[Don853]

It's been too long since you've watched Saturday morning cartoons, spoilsport.

Re:However part of the problem

[reverseengineer]

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.

Re:And looking back 20 years from now

[cowscows]

Yeah, I've decided that I'm not buying an iPod until apple wises up and adds the ability to recieve FM radio, and simulate the aging of my large nuclear weapon stockpiles.

Re:That's sort of fast.

[jackbird]

640 GB should be enough for anyone.

Big deal

[I Like Pudding]

I can do 1.8pflops with a #2 pencil, some scratch paper, and a few grams of peyote.

Re:Billion or billion?

[Gothmolly]

Meanwhile, notice that its the smelly, cheese-eating surrender monkeys who farked the whole thing up in the first place.

Re:Feet/Metres/Meters

[raehl]

Why mix the units like that?

Training to be a rocket scientist?

Re:So the price was

[patio11]

Maybe folks were giving you +1 for "If you have a national nuclear R&D budget to spend, you too can afford a PS3?"

Other government bodies that could buy a PS3:

NASA, but they'd crash it into something and want a new one.

The IRS, but it would depreciate to 20% of its value the day they bought it, unless they sold it on eBay in case its fair value would be $10,000 regardless of the auction final price.

The Marines, except they play Wii, because Marines will only touch a console made for Real Men (TM).

The Navy, because their new supercarrier needs more ballast.

FEMA, because they haven't been involved in a major cluster"#$" recently and are feeling left out.