Putting the PS3’s brain to work
Ars Technica writes: "One major trend in the last few decades of computer simulation has involved the transition from ever-faster single processors to larger multiprocessor systems. Large scale multiprocessor systems present a wide range of options to scientific users. They can range from collections of highly specialized processors that are designed to carry out a specific computation-RIKEN-BNL for quantum chromodynamics computations, or GRAPE-DR for N-body problems-to a Beowulf cluster made up of different types of old, discarded desktops. An article in the current issue of Physical Review E examines the performance of Cell processors when they’re used in computer simulations. The authors compare two Cell setups: a Sony PlayStation 3 (best performance per dollar) and a QS20/QS21 IBM blade server (best in terms of raw performance)."
