Now THIS is what I call a CPU (IBM's Power5), with pic *Update* now with all the gory details!

[RaynorWolfcastle]

One package, 8 dies (isn't each die dual-cored?), 144 MB of cache... drool!

Pic

*UPDATE*
The details

- 4 CPU dies * 2 cores/die * 2-way SMT = 16 logical CPUs per MCM
- Each core gets 20+ GBps memory bandwidth
- 4*36 MB L3 cache, each connected to a CPU die via a 1 GHz, 256-bit bus delivering an estimated 32 GBps throughput (separately from the memory bus)
- We're talking over 250 GBps can be moved over the MCM at any one time
- Expect to see 8-channel DDR memory interface = 25.6 GBps using DDR400 w/ECC
- On chip memory controllers a-la Athlon64/FX/Opteron
- 2 MCMs can be combined into a "book" connected via a half speed link
- Up to 8 MCMs can be put into one SMP machine, delivering a 64 core "Squadron" with 128 logical processors. I'll take 4 of these, please.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

What a beast! I'll bet you'd get sticker shock if you saw the price though

 

[Soulkeeper]

hahaha bet it cost atleast a quarter million

 

[Sohcan]

Originally posted by: Soulkeeper
hahaha bet it cost atleast a quarter million

You're not too far off. The 4-die (8-way) POWER4+ multi-chip module with 128MB of cache is priced at $375,000.

p690 price breakdown

 

[InlineFive]

Originally posted by: Sohcan

Originally posted by: Soulkeeper
hahaha bet it cost atleast a quarter million

You're not too far off. The 4-die (8-way) POWER4+ multi-chip module with 128MB of cache is priced at $375,000.

p690 price breakdown

That's the biggest processor I have ever seen. Don't think any one of us will get to benchmark one though!

-Por

 

[Soulkeeper]

i wonder what os they will run on that thing

i wanna see the motherboard too hahaha

heck as big as it is it might get mistaken for a motherboard

 

[zephyrprime]

The interesting thing about this is multichip module that the cips are attached to. IBM does a lot of research in that area.

i wonder what os they will run on that thing

Isn't IBM trying to move to linux for all their stuff?

 

[bjc112]

DAMN - $300,000, that's unreal..

 

[pspada]

But can it be overclocked?

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: bjc112
DAMN - $300,000, that's unreal..

$375,000 for the 4-way one. This one costs most likely more than double!

 

[beatle]

Yikes, I'd like to see the cooling setup for one of those bad boys. :Q

 

[Soulkeeper]

Originally posted by: zephyrprime
The interesting thing about this is multichip module that the cips are attached to. IBM does a lot of research in that area.

i wonder what os they will run on that thing

Isn't IBM trying to move to linux for all their stuff?

yeah, guess they would have to patch the kernel to add support for that thing

 

[Acanthus]

IBM uses a proprietary varient of linux for the power-4 chip.

 

[Eug]

Originally posted by: Acanthus
IBM uses a proprietary varient of linux for the power-4 chip.

IBM's main OS is AIX.

Anyways, now that the POWER5 is out, it's time to start pumping out those G6s!

In the meantime, give me my G5 laptop and I'll be happy.

 

[imported_Phil]

Yikes, I'd like to see the cooling setup for one of those bad boys.

I'm guessing immersive cooling? By which I mean non-conductive fluid. Yikes, though, that thing's a beast.
Who's going to be the first to SuperPI it?

 

[HappyPuppy]

Think of the bragging rights at the next LAN party when you roll your rig in on four pneumatic tires.

 

[Richdog]

Christ that's on meaty chip. Does it cook and clean too?:beer:

 

[lifeguard1999]

As one who buys HPC systems, we do not pay retail on the chips. We do get a hefty discount from the vendors. But we still do pay a hefty amount of money for the systems, for the electricity, for the cooling, and most importantly .... for the service. I have seen vendors replace all the memory in a system, and we are talking several hundred gigabytes of memory. I have seen vendors replace every CPU in a system because they did not have the torque just right to tighten down a Ball-Grid-Array chip.

Nor do we overclock chips. We pay too much money for that. Cray however, has been doing it since before the term overclocking was invented. Why else do you think they use liquid cooling?

 

[RaynorWolfcastle]

Update bump!

 

[Fiera]

The company I used to work for had water cooled mainframes...

 

[WarCon]

Originally posted by: Fiera
The company I used to work for had water cooled mainframes...

Wonder if they use the water pipes (cold water copper ones) to cool their water system.

Example: Run your sterile, non-volatile, fluid-filled thick copper pipes in a parallel bundle for a good stretch with the water mains in an industrial building, you could even braze them together for a long stretch to ensure decent heat transfer.

The miniscule amount of heat transferred into the water system could almost virtually silence a companies server bay and save electricity as you will only be having to power the pump, instead of possibly hundreds of fans.

 

[Creig]

Imagine the scenario:

The system's overheating! Quick! Everybody flush!

 

[freakflag]

Man...I bet it get's mad FPS in BF1942.

 

[Boonesmi]

looks cool
but totally useless for 99.99% of us