Could a modern day PC emulate a 1968 Supercomputer?
52 replies, posted
[QUOTE=Hypershadsy;25695662]A standard Android phone is 1GHz.[/QUOTE]
The best phones are 1GHz.
The average android phone is more like 800MHz
So how about the X1?
[img_thumb]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Phoenix_front_%28410857426%29.jpg[/img_thumb]
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cray_X1[/url]
My watch would probably emulate it
[sp]its clockwork[/sp]
So there are only 2 or 3 good supercomputers in the world?
[QUOTE=Banshee FrieNd;25695667]I was thinking more along the lines of one of these:
[img_thumb]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Cray-1-deutsches-museum.jpg[/img_thumb]
Cray-1[/QUOTE]
Cray were so nice they even installed seats so you could watch your newly acquired super computer do it's thing, but in a comfortable manor.
[QUOTE=rampageturke;25709153]Cray were so nice they even installed seats so you could watch your newly acquired super computer do it's thing, but in a comfortable manor.[/QUOTE]
for that you would have to be in a very uncomfortable position
I just performed some research on this. I'm not really going to do "average computer", but I'll do "best available using common consumer-oriented products". So no fancy Xeons, or Opterons, or dedicated HPC parts like the Tesla or Cell. The reference I'm using is a Core i7 980X and three GeForce GTX480s in SLI. This combines for a theoretical 4142 gigaflops.
According to TOP500.org, the authority on supercomputer performance, the first supercomputer to exceed that was called ASCI White, which first appeared on the list in the second half of 2000, at 4938 gigaflops. ASCI White used 8000 Power3 chips, 6 terabytes of RAM and 160 terabytes of disc space.
So, it should be possible to match the performance of supercomputers up to the turn of the millennium. Emulation, however, generally requires at least 50% more power, sometimes much more. If we assume, generously, that you need four times the processing power to emulate properly, the first system to exceed our test system's capabilities is a computer called ASCI Red, which reached 1068 gigaflops back in 1997 by using over 9200 Pentium Pro chips, a bit over a terabyte of RAM, and 12 terabytes of disk space.
So there you have it.
I don't see why you would want to emulate the hardware anyway. Unless you want to run some supercomputer specific programs...?
[QUOTE=H4Z3Y;25697709]modern virtualisation has near 100% CPU efficiency, its only stuff like graphics drivers that screw it over.[/QUOTE]
But virtualization is NOT emulation. You can only virtualize things that use the same hardware. You can virtualize an x86 inside an x86, but you can't even virtualize a PowerPC inside an x86. Hell, you cant even virtualize an x86_64 inside an x86_32.
[QUOTE=Banshee FrieNd;25695809]So what year would supercomputers start outwitting Modern PC's?[/QUOTE]
Never. Computers have never had any wit.
They're about as dumb as a sack of rocks. They just do what you tell them to do really fast.
[QUOTE=gman003-main;25713934]you cant even virtualize an x86_64 inside an x86_32.[/QUOTE]
clarification here, you can't virtualize x86_64 on an x86_32 processor. you can do it if you've got a 64-bit processor and a 32-bit operating system.
[QUOTE=johan_sm;25712864]I don't see why you would want to emulate the hardware anyway. Unless you want to run some supercomputer specific programs...?[/QUOTE]
This.
Also, I'm not aware of any Cray-1 software that is still in existance. A lot of the [url=http://www.andycowley.eu/unixtapes/unix7.jpg]tapes[/url] and [url=http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/historydisplays/FifthFloor/MagneticDataStorage/DataStorageImages/DiskPacks/CDCComputerRoom.jpg]disk packs[/url] are long gone.
[quote]So how about the X1?[/quote]
Hmm, thaat might be able to beat. I know that my video card alone runs circles around my 8-processor SGI Origin 2000 and Sun Enterprise 3000 systems when it comes to F@H performance.
Edit: What was that about the Apollo Guidance Computer?
I know someone who said the hell with [url=http://www.ibiblio.org/apollo/yaDSKYandLITE.png]emulation[/url] and made a replica from the MIT's prototype schematics.
The whole thing is made in four modules and has only two chips which were fudged in to hold the program data as you can't get Core Rope anymore.
[img]http://retrothing.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/09/03/apollo_2.jpg[/img]
I laugh at how those [url=http://www.theoldtech.com/store/images/uploads/ca53w.jpg]Casio calculator watches[/url] are more powerful than the AGC.
[QUOTE=Banshee FrieNd;25695667]I was thinking more along the lines of one of these:
[img_thumb]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Cray-1-deutsches-museum.jpg[/img_thumb]
Cray-1[/QUOTE]
I actually miss when computers looked like that. Like they were REALLY impressive pieces of technology and the pinnacle of human intelligence.
[editline]fags[/editline]
The sound of the actual "floppy disk" being searched for on bootup or attempt from OS... :saddowns:
So much love and past... I'll miss my 5 ½, now im a fucking 3 and ¼. Not impressive for the ladies.
[QUOTE=MIPS;25714274]I laugh at how those [url=http://www.theoldtech.com/store/images/uploads/ca53w.jpg]Casio calculator watches[/url] are more powerful than the AGC.[/QUOTE]
I have one of those and it even has a phonebook and notebook. :iia:
[QUOTE=MTMod;25695632]Your TI-83 Graphing Calculator is more advanced than the Lunar Lander's computers.[/QUOTE]
... which wasn't a supercomputer.
Anyway, a supercomputer at 1968 had around 10 MFlops according to this chart found on wikipedia:
[img]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Supercomputing-rmax-graph.png[/img]
Even my Mobile is faster (HTC Desire): 45 MFlops
So the answer to OP is yes.
[QUOTE=MIPS;25714274]This.
Also, I'm not aware of any Cray-1 software that is still in existance. A lot of the [url=http://www.andycowley.eu/unixtapes/unix7.jpg]tapes[/url] and [url=http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/historydisplays/FifthFloor/MagneticDataStorage/DataStorageImages/DiskPacks/CDCComputerRoom.jpg]disk packs[/url] are long gone.
Hmm, thaat might be able to beat. I know that my video card alone runs circles around my 8-processor SGI Origin 2000 and Sun Enterprise 3000 systems when it comes to F@H performance.
Edit: What was that about the Apollo Guidance Computer?
I know someone who said the hell with [url=http://www.ibiblio.org/apollo/yaDSKYandLITE.png]emulation[/url] and made a replica from the MIT's prototype schematics.
The whole thing is made in four modules and has only two chips which were fudged in to hold the program data as you can't get Core Rope anymore.
[img_thumb]http://retrothing.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/09/03/apollo_2.jpg[/img_thumb]
I laugh at how those [url=http://www.theoldtech.com/store/images/uploads/ca53w.jpg]Casio calculator watches[/url] are more powerful than the AGC.[/QUOTE]
Imagine the entire Apollo mission was completely by a whole group of astronaut, and only one of them carried that watch which replaced the AGC and did all the calculations on it, while everyone else just stares at him and twiddles with their thumbs.
[img_thumb]http://www.crayday.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/cray2cascade.jpg[/img_thumb]
I'd totally buy a Cray just for decoration.
[QUOTE=aVoN;25720237]... which wasn't a supercomputer.
Anyway, a supercomputer at 1968 had around 10 MFlops according to this chart found on wikipedia:
[/QUOTE]
What? Really?
Wow. a 1989 Personal IRIS 4D/20 is only rated for 1.6 MFlops. Damn, that blows me out of the water.
[QUOTE=MIPS;25768060]What? Really?
Wow. a 1989 Personal IRIS 4D/20 is only rated for 1.6 MFlops. Damn, that blows me out of the water.[/QUOTE]
The chart wasn't really accurate but the order (MFlops) is correct. At least 1 MFlops
[QUOTE=Richard Simmons;25718034]I actually miss when computers looked like that. Like they were REALLY impressive pieces of technology and the pinnacle of human intelligence.
[editline]fags[/editline]
The sound of the actual "floppy disk" being searched for on bootup or attempt from OS... :saddowns:
So much love and past... I'll miss my 5 ½, now im a fucking 3 and ¼. Not impressive for the ladies.[/QUOTE]
my motherboard doesn't even have an FDD cable port. I don't have a floppy at all
I haven't seen floppies in ages.
1.4mb of space is not worth it.
[QUOTE=johan_sm;25770631]I haven't seen floppies in ages.
1.4mb of space is not worth it.[/QUOTE]
I've got so much backed up on floppies it's not fair
[QUOTE=IpHa;25695989]I was looking here: [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercomputer#Timeline_of_supercomputers[/url]
Not sure which is correct now.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.computerhistory.org/VirtualVisibleStorage/artifact_main.php?tax_id=03.04.01.00#4[/url]
[quote]Memory Type: Core Speed: 10 MFLOPS
Memory Size: 64K+2M Cost: $10,000,000
Memory Width: (60-bit)[/quote]
10 MFLOPS
(Thats the one cited in Wikipedia the bum)
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