IBM and AMD Collaborate on World's Fastest Supercomputer

IBM Corp. is building the world's fastest supercomputer, code-named Roadrunner, with the assistance of Advanced Micro Devices Inc. The powerful computer, which will be installed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, is expected to have a peak performance of 1.6 petaflops, making it nearly four times faster than the current fastest supercomputer, IBM's BlueGeneL. The $110 million project is expected to be completed in 2008.

Key Takeaways:

• Roadrunner will use over 32,000 processors, consisting of 16,000 IBM Cell chips and 16,000 AMD Opteron server chips.
• The supercomputer will have a peak performance of 1.6 petaflops, nearly four times the performance of IBM's BlueGeneL.
• The project is expected to cost $110 million and will be completed in 2008.
• Roadrunner will be installed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
• The computer will run on the Linux operating system and require advanced "hybrid programming" software to coordinate work among the AMD and Cell chips.
• IBM and AMD engineers in Austin will collaborate with IBM researchers in New York to design the computer.
• The supercomputer will be assembled at IBM's Rochester, Minn., site.
• The machine will be used for complex scientific research for military and civilian applications.

Statistics:

• Roadrunner will have a peak performance of 1.6 petaflops, nearly four times the performance of IBM's BlueGeneL (1 petaflop).
• The supercomputer will use over 32,000 processors, consisting of 16,000 IBM Cell chips and 16,000 AMD Opteron server chips.
• The project is expected to cost $110 million.
• Roadrunner will occupy 12,000 square feet of floor space, the size of about three basketball courts.

Sources:

• "IBM, AMD to Build World's Fastest Supercomputer" - Kirk Ladendorf, Austin American-Statesman
• IBM Corp.
• Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD)
• Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration
• Los Alamos National Laboratory