I'm heartsick. I always want what I can’t have. I look at this measly little Intel Core 2 dual processor 2.4-gigahertz laptop that I have sitting here in front of me, and all I can think about is how cool the newer ones must be. It’s not that my computer is too old or slow; at the ripe age of 2, it still somehow accomplishes everything I need it to in a timely manner. But, it is obsolete. And I don’t mean that tired old joke about buying a computer and watching it become obsolete by the time you leave the store. It’s not a matter of how many windows I can have running at once, or how fast it can play a game, it’s a matter of possibilities.
Computer evolution has erupted into many different directions. While one supercomputer tracks the movement of thousands of subatomic particles speeding through miles of underground tunnel at near light speed, another predicts the movement of a Caribbean storm system lumbering its way through the Dutch Antilles. Some supercomputers make models of the universe moments after the big bang, and others are really really good at chess. The “best” computer doesn’t mean any one thing anymore. It refers to a combination of factors. Therefore, each unique system must be looked at individually.
Right now, the TOP500 project ranks the Cray Jaguar (XT5-HE Opteron Six Core 2.6 GHz)as the top performing supercomputer in the world. The Jaguar has been at the top of the list since November of last year, and was still at number 1 as of June of this year. Does this mean that it is simply the fastest? Nope, the highest theoretical peak performance goes to number 2 on the list, the Nebulae (Dawning TC3600 Blade, Intel X5650, NVidia Tesla C2050 GPU). TOP500 makes its rankings based on “computer power” as defined by the Linpack Benchmark. This involves a combination of many factors, but it essentially comes down to the speed at which the most equations can be performed by a single system.
GREEN500, on the other hand, ranks the QPACE SFB TR Cluster, PowerXCell 8i, 3.2 GHz, 3D-Torus As you can probably guess, GREEN500 makes it rankings with an eye towards power usage. They measure each computer on a FLOPS (operations per second) per wat basis. The QPACE that hits 1 on the GREEN500 is ranked 131 on the TOP500, and the Jaguar that hits 1 on the TOP500 comes in at 56 on the GREEN100. The Dawning Nebulae, however, hits number 2 on the TOP500 and number 4 on GREEN500, after three other comps tie for first. The Nebulae and Tianhe are two computers that score in both top 10’s on each list, and both computers were made in China within the last year.
These are the “best” computers in the world, regardless of what either list says. And these are the computers I want. They accomplish the most using the least. Even if they don’t have the highest rate of operations per second, their systems are amongst the most powerful in the world. And while other supercomputers may be more efficient, they can’t touch either the Nebulae or Tianhe’s functionality and speed. A computer’s efficiency enhances its “power”, even if that efficiency is in the form of power savings.
Ultimately, I doubt I’ll be happy with any personal computer until I can bring R2D2 home in a box. He will be at my side all day, handling all my chores and errands, doing my job for me, and even entertain me when I demand it of him. But, when I do finally bring R2 home, I’m going to make sure that he fits each of the criteria we’ve discussed above. This is because I want my R2D2 to be as-or-more efficient than all the other R2 units out there, and I’m willing to sacrifice a little bit of sass to get there.
PHOTOS VIA: www.ornl.gov, www.toppayingideas.com
IF LINKS AREN'T WORKING: www.top500.org www.green500.org
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