The Kei Computer at the Riken Advanced Institute for Computational Science in Japan has just taken the top slot on the list of 500 most powerful computers. The so-called K Computer is quite the behemoth, capable of performing 8.2 quadrillion calculations per second. Though its processing chops are quite a marvel, its physical footprint is nothing to be sneezed at: 672 cabinets house over 68,000 Fujitsu SPARC64 VIIIfx processors. What’s more, simply running this “energy effecient” supercomputer costs $10 million a year, and uses about as much power as 10,000 homes.
Of course, eight-odd quadrillion calculations is not good enough for the K Computer’s creators. The word “kei” apparently means 10 quadrillion, meaning that if things go according to play, the K Computer will be the reigning champ for some time to come.
(NYTimes via Engadget, Gizmodo, photo via Riken)
