Roadrunner runs fast, very fast. The supercomputer has surpassed the quadrillion calculations record of IBM’s Bluegene/L processor by ensuring 1.026 quadrillion calculations per seconds. It is now world’s first high speed super computer used by US military for nuclear purposes. The supercomputer uses 12,960 Cell processors, which are actually designed for Sony’s PlayStation 3 video-game machine and Opteron processors from AMD used in corporate servers. As of now, the supercomputer will be used to ease scientific problems like climate change as the high speed of the machine will enable scientists to test global climate models with accuracy.
It can also be used for confidential military projects such as simulating nuclear explosions, which is a lot safer than letting real ones off. The price of the supercomputer is nearly $133 million.
Developed jointly by IBM and Los Alamos Laboratories, the supercomputer has the potentiality to calculate in one day what six billion population will take 46 years, working round the clock all the time.
Via: New York Times
Wow, 1.026 quadrillion...that’s a lot of calculations.
That cell processor is indeed a very powerful device. I would be surprised if they didn’t use them.
If I had that kind of money, I would buy one of these.
