Making use of Playstation 3 in education

A university in Bergen Norway are using 5 ps3 to match their expensive supercomputers.

The processors in the PS3 are equal and a lot cheaper than the supercomputers they own, and they will become more prevelant in education as the years go on.

A supercomputer can reach around 0.7 terraflops and the ps3 meets 0.2 terraflops, and with 5 ps3's the power stretches beyond that of one supercomputer, since it can make 1000 billion calculations in a second.

This ps3 unit can be used to calculate complex mathematical operations, such as is used in a lot of research programs.

The price of the PS3 is miniscule to what they pay for a supercomputer, and this is because Sony is able to make money at the software side, since it is a gaming console.

[Karebear]

Reading that source material through the automated translation engine is nearly impossible.

[techie]

Yuh sorry. Norwegian is hard to translate with an engine. I did my best here I hope.

[Vip3r]

Looks like this is far more than just a games console.

[goahead]

Thanks:-) but is true. what you get for a 100000000£ computer. you can get for 3600£

[techie]

Yuh thanks to goahead for the article :)

[mr_steveo]

Whats the limitations in stopping Sony engineering a non gaming version of the ps3, that is made for commercial use using purely the Cell processor, with a normal dvd drive, no high end connections, purely for science use with its processing power... since this would easily once the gaming extras have been cut out the most financially viable supercomputer on the planet....purely down to the architecture that can easily link them to eachother in tandum? Im a 360 guy, but this could be used for a greater good.

What do you guys reckon?

[techie]

Think it's best to look to IBM for that...they are implimenting the cell is a number of projects.

[ApocalypseShadow]

in the creation of the cell.the sole purpose was to sidestep somewhat moores law.if you can't make a fast processor,make a fast processor that has multiple processors that work together in parallel all on one chip.and have that same processor capable of working in parallel with other cell chips no matter what they are built in(ex:cell phones,computers,refrigerators ,tvs,etc).

from ps2 multichip design,to GS cube to ps3,they knew what they were doing.which is "beehive design".

[anh_duong]

slightly off-topic; i am no techie but does this make the development of the ps4 a little bit easier i.e. with minaturisation (by this i mean going to 45n chips or even smaller if possible) & optimisation and a 'multi'-multi-core approach i could evisage a ps4 with 64/128 cells and a shiite hot graphics card? don't flame me since i ain't no techie but a 'supercell' ps4 whose architect would already be well known by developers be the dogs proverbial?? of course it's not going to be as simple as sticking lots of cells together but this article does illustrate the known cell lego-block infrastructure properties.. this should also make backwardly compatible easier as well. hmm.. maybe, maybe not in 7 years time.

[goahead]

of course they do. i think theyre one of the biggest hardware companys in the world.m. ps1.ps2.Vaio. Bravia. and dont forget the movie and music industriy. I.m a musician, and sony software/hardware is brilliant... i just hope they make another MUSIC4000 or whatever. keep it inovative:-)and Acid Or acid Vegas would be great!!!! luv u sony

[ApocalypseShadow]

the cell chips other purpose was to get programmers to think differently.to start programming in parallel.to not try and cram all the work you want "one" processor to do.which is physics,A.I.,graphics,antialia sing,etc.

the cell chip is broadband in design.we've already seen experiments where multiple cell chips are working together to do such things as folding home and ray tracing.which require massive number crunching.

in theory,the more cells you link together,the more powerful supercomputer you create.and it can all be done wired or wirelessly over a broadband network.which is what ken kutaragi was trying to get across and is working on as we speak for sony.he now has more time to push the network because ps3 has all it needs to succeed.

microsoft wants to build an online community.sony wants to do that but believes the network to create the online community is limited by last gen pc design.cell could push the network forward.

[goahead]

lets push things forward:-)

[BIadestarX]

If the PS3 is a super computer. Sony should stop marketting the PS3 as a game console. they should ship it with a mouse and keyboard and a pre-install OS. Also, make partnertship with software vendors that can benefit from this "power" and have every university and all companies replace their servers and use the PS3 instead. This sounds to me as a waste of oportunity. Heck, the way it sounds it seems as Dell and every computer hardware manufaturer is about to lose their market shares. they PS3 will replace all supper computers. Now, my only question is... why Sony is not doing that when they can sure as hell make more money if the PS3 is market as a supper computer with games capabilities and not the other way around.

Also, there are reports of "Linux on Playstation 3 is slow"
http://www.playstatic.com/n...

Now, I havent try myself so it can be lie and linux runs faster on the PS3 than any super computer can. I just don't see how companies are spending $10,000 - $100,000 on a super computer when they can buy a PS3 for $600... and ofcourse Sony does not take advantage of it.

[Kyur4ThePain]

marketed as a Computer Entertainment System, not a game console.
The reason for Linux running less than optimally most probably has to do with a memory limitation. Don't confuse the ability of the Cell with the ability of the PS3. Take out most of the memory on your PC and see how well (not) it does.
As for the Cell being used in business hardware, IBM are already using it.

Partnerships with software vendors...
http://www-03.ibm.com/press...

Oh, and as far as the pre-installed OS, keyboard and mouse in concerned...imagine the complaints if the PS3 was even $50 more than it is!

[BIadestarX]

I'm sorry I was under the impression that this article was talking about the PS3 as a unit and not specific to the cell. I very well know that the Cell may be the most powerful processor there is.

I agree 100% with what you said, "Don't confuse the ability of the Cell with the ability of the PS3. Take out most of the memory on your PC and see how well (not) it does.
As for the Cell being used in business hardware, IBM are already using it. "

but what this article is saying is, the PS3 (Not a computer with the CELL) is a super computer and can be use as a stand alone computer.

" and with 5 ps3's the power stretches beyond that of one supercomputer, since it can make 1000 billion calculations in a second.

This ps3 unit can be used to calculate complex mathematical operations, such as is used in a lot of research programs.

The price of the PS3 is miniscule to what they pay for a supercomputer, and this is because Sony is able to make money at the software side, since it is a gaming console."
It seems to me that they are giving the credit to the PS3 as a unit not the cell that can be use on computers instead.

[weekapaugh]

in a related story, a Paper Weight factory was interested in some red-ringed 360s.

[kornbeaner]

Come on dude don't bash MS when there is a positive PS3 news report that doesn't have any xbots posting their spam and garbage.

[CellShock]

PS3 are sold at a loss right now(about $200). So, if let's say 1,000,000 PS3 are sold to non-gamers they would lose $200M, with little return from games royalties from those sales.

[HighCod]

He narrator forth that the processor in practice can be used at to calculate complex mathematical operation as is used in a good many types research, among other reasons "havmodellering" = SEA modeling

Lair have nice water :)

Although engine first time shall be used at masterstudenter at to absolve "regneoppgaver" = calculation tasks

"6000 crown" apiece = 6000Kr/1000$

They still have to figure out how to get the power out of it programming each of the eigth calculation units,but the technology is used in a bigger skale international.so they know its possible...

I could have translated all if i wasnt that lazy and my english was better,but this was on the news(good commercial for sony)so i expect many more to have a go at this cheap tech in a expencive country.