SGI Builds 2048-Processor, 13 TByte Supercomputer For JAERI
Silicon Graphics announced that it has received an order from the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) for an Altix 3700 Bx2 -based supercomputer. The new system will include 2048 Itanium 2 processors and "over 13 TByte of memory" - the world's largest memory capacity.
Source: Tom's Hardware GuideThe company said that it plans to install the supercomputer at the Tokai Research Establishment and the Naka Fusion Research Establishment (Naka) by March of 2005. Its purpose will mainly be to process large-scale simulation research in the areas of nuclear energy and nuclear fusion, according to JAERI. SGI spokeswoman Ginny Babbitt did not comment on details of projected performance, JAERI however expects the Linux-based system to be about ten times faster than the currently used installation. SGI's Altix 3700 Bx2 technology most recently made headlines as core of NASA's "Columbia" supercomputer which is set to claim take the top spot in the list of the 500 fastest supercomputers worldwide. Columbia integrates 10,240 not-yet-announced Itanium 2 9M processors, built into 20, 512-processor Altix systems. According to NASA, the system posts a sustained performance of 42.7 TFlops. The system currently listed fastest supercomputer, the NEC-built Earth Simulator, achieves 35.9 TFlops.
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