Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a processor that uses 512 cores to achieve up to 512 billion floating point operations per second.
Dubbed Grape DR, the processor is designed for use as a math co-processor, rather than a central processing unit.
The Grape DR integrates into a host system on a PCI express slot and performs specific tasks such as floating-point addition or multiplication.
Despite the fact that the processor is clocked at only 500 Mhz, it is able to calculate over 512 billion floating-point operations per second, more than double the 256 billion operations that IBM’s Cell Processor can theoretically achieve.
The 512 cores in the processor are divided in to 16 groups of 32. Each group of cores is capable of calculating a specific type of mathematical function, i.e. multiplication, addition, etc.
Even with so many operations taking place the Grape DR is still a relatively enviro-friendly processor, consuming only 60 Watts of power at peak usage.
Despite the exceptional achievement of the Grape DR, which University researchers began work on in 2004, the project is far from over.
The next step in the project is to develop a processor capable of 2 Petaflops, about four times faster than the current Grape DR. The university hopes to have this version of the processor working by 2008.
Via The Register
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*Originally published at TechFreep
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Mike Zazaian is the Editor-in-Chief and Webmaster of TechFreep.com, an online publication dedicated to daily technology and science news. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he majored in Film and Video studies with a sub-concentration in screenwriting. While only a minority of Mike’s formal education encompassed the technology field, he has worked as a web developer, a freelance web designer, and has been a tech enthusiast for the better part of his life.
