[geeks] PS/3's, Linux, etc, was: Second Life is not a game?

[Geoffrey S. Mendelson]

On Wed, Aug 01, 2007 at 08:50:25AM -0400, Patrick Giagnocavo wrote:
> I have a client who used the GPU compiler to perform certain  
> numerically intensive tasks, and compared the time taken (wall time)  
> vs. a Xeon 5355, which is the second-fastest Intel chip you can buy.
> 
> The GPU on the Nvidia 8800, for the tasks he was doing, was 10 to 15  
> times faster than the Xeon.

Two questions it's easier to ask than STFW. :-)

1. Can't you get a graphics card with the same chips for the PC?

2. Does the compiler run on X86?

While I expect that the PS/3 is a relatively cheap way to get the package,
if I can get it for a PC, I can put together a better SYSTEM. When last
I did large project development, I spent a lot more time in editors
and debuggers than I did in compiling and execution. 

I may be wrong, but I assume that if I can get the same GPU for a PC,
there is a good chance I can get more and faster RAM, better disk access
and so on, even if the it's just because the PS/3 is now several years
old from a design point of view, and I can get a PC designed in the
last few months. :-)

 
> The Cell processor has the potential to give similar gains.

That depends upon how successful the control logic is at keeping the
processors doing real work, how well they can be fed, and how well code 
can be parallelized. None of which are trivial tasks. 


Geoff.

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