Comments on: Supercomputer built from Raspberry Pis and Lego http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: redesigned http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1532140 redesigned Fri, 14 Sep 2012 04:10:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1532140 “The first test we ran – well obviously we calculated Pi on the Raspberry Pi using MPI, which is a well-known first test for any new supercomputer.” They had me at the Pi on Pi action. :-) “The first test we ran – well obviously we calculated Pi on the Raspberry Pi using MPI, which is a well-known first test for any new supercomputer.”

They had me at the Pi on Pi action. :-)

]]> By: Justifun http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531863 Justifun Thu, 13 Sep 2012 22:20:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531863 You can find Raspberry Pi's in stock here http://www.mcmelectronics.com/content/en-US/raspberry-pi You can find Raspberry Pi’s in stock here
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/content/en-US/raspberry-pi

]]> By: Ashley Yakeley http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531842 Ashley Yakeley Thu, 13 Sep 2012 22:01:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531842 "Lego rack mount" is so much less exciting than "Lego supercomputer"... “Lego rack mount” is so much less exciting than “Lego supercomputer”…

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531807 Antinous / Moderator Thu, 13 Sep 2012 21:32:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531807 See: Rayner Unwin. See: Rayner Unwin.

]]> By: OtherMichael http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531668 OtherMichael Thu, 13 Sep 2012 18:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531668  THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN B AND B  THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN B AND B

]]> By: jbond http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531655 jbond Thu, 13 Sep 2012 18:38:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531655 cue the /. comment: Wow! Imagine a beowulf cluster of these! cue the /. comment: Wow! Imagine a beowulf cluster of these!

]]> By: cjporkchop http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531600 cjporkchop Thu, 13 Sep 2012 17:46:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531600 "The team included six year old James Cox, the son of project lead Professor Simon Cox, 'who provided specialist support on Lego and system testing.'" I hope that kid has business cards. "James Cox, Lego Specialist." “The team included six year old James Cox, the son of project lead Professor Simon Cox, ‘who provided specialist support on Lego and system testing.’”

I hope that kid has business cards. “James Cox, Lego Specialist.”

]]> By: failquail http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531579 failquail Thu, 13 Sep 2012 17:34:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531579  I got the impression this was more about demonstrating *how* to set up a supercomputer cluster for university students rather than actually being something you'd actually use for something! Much cheaper and power friendly to use such cheap low power PCs for playing around with :)  I got the impression this was more about demonstrating *how* to set up a supercomputer cluster for university students rather than actually being something you’d actually use for something!

Much cheaper and power friendly to use such cheap low power PCs for playing around with :)

]]> By: Robert Baruch http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531512 Robert Baruch Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:40:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531512 The hoi-polloi doesn't know the technical difference between b and B. The hoi-polloi doesn’t know the technical difference between b and B.

]]> By: Adam Greenfield http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531487 Adam Greenfield Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:26:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531487 It is called a supercomputer because it is made of Lego, and clearly, this is a super way to make a computer. It is called a supercomputer because it is made of Lego, and clearly, this is a super way to make a computer.

]]> By: brainflakes http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531490 brainflakes Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:26:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531490 Ah nice, wonder why it wasn't mentioned in the post (on the Pi site) I was reading Ah nice, wonder why it wasn’t mentioned in the post (on the Pi site) I was reading

]]> By: squidfood http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531469 squidfood Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:04:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531469 Yep!  For generic computations, graphics card programming is still a bear in terms of programming tools.  Many highly-parallel scientific applications are already written using MPI as the standard... it's worth the speed hit to not have to reprogram.  I'm definitely looking at this! Yep!  For generic computations, graphics card programming is still a bear in terms of programming tools.  Many highly-parallel scientific applications are already written using MPI as the standard… it’s worth the speed hit to not have to reprogram.  I’m definitely looking at this!

]]> By: Dan Huby http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531466 Dan Huby Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:00:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531466 Agreed. They could at least use Technic Lego to provide some motorised cooling. Agreed. They could at least use Technic Lego to provide some motorised cooling.

]]> By: Dan Huby http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531460 Dan Huby Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531460 Each Pi apparently has 24 GFLOP/s due to the built in GPU http://www.raspberrypi.org/faqs OK, your £250 graphics card is nearly twice as fast but probably not as useful for general purpose computations. Each Pi apparently has 24 GFLOP/s due to the built in GPU
http://www.raspberrypi.org/faqs
OK, your £250 graphics card is nearly twice as fast but probably not as useful for general purpose computations.

]]> By: Dan Huby http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531447 Dan Huby Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:49:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531447 The person that wrote the press release probably just got the capitalisation wrong. We are used to talking about megabit (Mb) / gigabit (Gb) in relation to bandwidth so  confusing the two is easily done. The person that wrote the press release probably just got the capitalisation wrong. We are used to talking about megabit (Mb) / gigabit (Gb) in relation to bandwidth so  confusing the two is easily done.

]]> By: brainflakes http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531440 brainflakes Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:42:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531440 Depending on what you want to compute this isn't exactly good value: Each Pi can apparently compute at .175 GFLOP/s, so in theory this cluster could run at a max of 11.2 GFLOPS/s. A single £250 graphic card (eg. OpenCL on a Radeon 5870) can compute at 2.72 TFLOP/s, or 240 times faster for a tenth the price. Being general purpose CPUs the Pis may be able to outperform a gfx card on some types of calculations and would probably be easier to program tho. Interestingly a Radeon 5870 would have been the worlds fastest supercomputer in 1999 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_supercomputing#Historical_TOP500_table Depending on what you want to compute this isn’t exactly good value:

Each Pi can apparently compute at .175 GFLOP/s, so in theory this cluster could run at a max of 11.2 GFLOPS/s.

A single £250 graphic card (eg. OpenCL on a Radeon 5870) can compute at 2.72 TFLOP/s, or 240 times faster for a tenth the price.

Being general purpose CPUs the Pis may be able to outperform a gfx card on some types of calculations and would probably be easier to program tho.

Interestingly a Radeon 5870 would have been the worlds fastest supercomputer in 1999 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_supercomputing#Historical_TOP500_table

]]> By: Nathan Hornby http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531437 Nathan Hornby Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:41:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531437 Right? 3 months from registration to delivery for me.  For one. Love mine, best £25 media center a person could want.  But how in the hell did they get 64 of them?  That said the Pi was built for educational purposes in mind, so maybe the uni got a little preference… Right? 3 months from registration to delivery for me.  For one.

Love mine, best £25 media center a person could want.  But how in the hell did they get 64 of them?  That said the Pi was built for educational purposes in mind, so maybe the uni got a little preference…

]]> By: michael b http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531426 michael b Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:19:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531426 64  of them?  I had a hard time getting just one. 64  of them?  I had a hard time getting just one.

]]> By: Kayin McLeod http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531420 Kayin McLeod Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:12:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531420 Oh, is this why I haven't received mine yet. Oh, is this why I haven’t received mine yet.

]]> By: naught_for_naught http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531422 naught_for_naught Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:12:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531422 Nice. Nice.

]]> By: Stephen Schenck http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531414 Stephen Schenck Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:05:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531414 What? People almost always talk about memory and flash in terms of gigabytes, not bits. What? People almost always talk about memory and flash in terms of gigabytes, not bits.

]]> By: Michael Polo http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531416 Michael Polo Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:05:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531416 Neat idea, and looks great. Would be interested in seeing benchmarks against a virtual equivalent machine though Neat idea, and looks great. Would be interested in seeing benchmarks against a virtual equivalent machine though

]]> By: Paul Renault http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531410 Paul Renault Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531410 Speaking of 'Steak and Kidney Pee", I spotted this, just after my post: Speaking of ‘Steak and Kidney Pee”, I spotted this, just after my post:

]]> By: Scott Byrne http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531401 Scott Byrne Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:38:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531401 Because it's easier for people to grasp the size using 'chunks' that people are more familiar with.  Because it’s easier for people to grasp the size using ‘chunks’ that people are more familiar with. 

]]> By: Rocky Hasan http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531398 Rocky Hasan Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531398 Nice One. Reminded me of my old pc chipset and my old lego set. Nice One. Reminded me of my old pc chipset and my old lego set.

]]> By: Stephen Schenck http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531396 Stephen Schenck Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:27:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531396 Why are they measuring everything in giga- and terabits instead of bytes? Why are they measuring everything in giga- and terabits instead of bytes?

]]> By: remainzz http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531393 remainzz Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:22:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531393 what makes this a super computer? is it the fact that you have so many nodes? As surely all modern computers are super computers compared to past. what makes this a super computer?
is it the fact that you have so many nodes?
As surely all modern computers are super computers compared to past.

]]> By: MarlboroTestMonkey7 http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531384 MarlboroTestMonkey7 Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:46:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531384 Raspberry content is ok, but needs more Lego Raspberry content is ok, but needs more Lego

]]> By: Paul Renault http://boingboing.net/2012/09/13/supercomputer-built-from-raspb.html#comment-1531378 Paul Renault Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=180787#comment-1531378 The headline reminded me of this skit: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5147636284090988855 The headline reminded me of this skit:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5147636284090988855

]]>