Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> I think in general most "supercomputers" only achieve peak performance 
> for very specific kinds of workload. Just grabbing the POV-Ray source 
> code and throwing it at a C compiler is *highly* unlikely to just happen 
> to produce the right kind of workload.


That's one of the reasons the really big ones are custom designed for 
the job they'll be running.

Sure, you could just network a bunch of Linux PCs in a Beowulf cluster, 
or you could spec out the actual CPU speeds, RAM and network bandwidth 
necessary to achieve optimum load on all components.

The first option is cheap, but you might have a very fast CPU sitting 
and waiting for network traffic.  Or, conversly, you could have a 
network that's never fully utilized.  Or you might end up running out of 
RAM.

The second option is expensive, but ensures that everything you buy is 
something you need, and that it will be fully utilized.

...Chambers

Post a reply to this message