DigInfo –
NEC has launched the world’s fastest vector supercomputer.
The SX Series Model SX-9 has a peak vector performance of 102.4 gigaFLOPS (one billion floating point operations per second), per single core, making its processor the world’s first CPU that has exceeded 100 gigaFLOPS.
Other features include a shared memory of up to 1TB and ultra high-speed interconnects achieving speeds up to 128GB/sec, per node, which is equipped with up to 16 CPUs.
Combining these capabilities, the new supercomputer closes in on the petaFLOPS (one quadrillion floating point operations per second), delivering a processing performance of 839 teraFLOPS (one trillion floating operations per second), as the SX-9 can interconnect a maximum of 512 nodes.
The vector processor chip is designed using NEC’s leading-edge CMOS technology with 65-nanometer Cu (copper interconnects) and the most advanced LSI design technology. The company has also incorporated its high-density packaging technology to reduce power consumption and footprint by approximately 75% compared to its predecessors.
NEC, which has already sold more than 1,000 units of the SX series worldwide, expects to sell 700 systems in the world over the next three years. In Japan, monthly rental fees start at 2.98 million yen (US$26,000).
