Remember "Blast Processing" from the 16-bit days? It wasn't really a thing. More marketing, really. At the start of this current generation of consoles, I thought Sony's Cell processor was a similar load of marketing crap. It turned out to be a legitimately powerful CPU that groups sought out for functions other than gaming. The latest group is the United States Air Force, who just purchased 2,200 PS3s. Fanboys?
They're making a supercomputer with the systems, grouping these 2,200 systems with the 336 ones they already have in place to make one massive number crunching research machine. Information Week says that they've already conducted plenty of research with similar Cell beasts. Processing radar images, high-res video, and even brain-like computing have been tried. Up next? The smoothest session of multiplayer Uncharted 2 ever.
So, why Cell processors in a PS3? They're cheap and powerful. They tried making a similar supercomputer out of multicore Xeon processors. It turned out to be a more expensive and slower unit.
[via IW, Kotaku]
Dale North is Destructoid's Editor-In-Chief, a founding editor, and specialist in Japanese gaming. An accomplished musician, Dale was reporting from Japan during the earthquakes of 2011. Luckily, he got the fuck out alive and is home in America now with his wife and beloved corgi, Einstein. Dale is also a co-founder of Destructoid's sister anime site
Japanator. Likes Corgis, Sega Saturn, PSP, iPhone, Photographic tools.
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Contest:
1:40 PM on 11.23.2009
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Also, in before Sexualchocolate somehow concludes this means the Xbox sucks.
I want a relevant kevin butler ad
Tom Clancy's : H.A.W.X.
@ Dale
There is no such thing as Uncharted 2 MP, it's a lie!
Technically it would suck more not to sell the PS3. Even though they would lose money on each unit they would lose even more money on unsold units. Unless Sony has no PS3s in stock, selling off your inventory is always more favorable than retaining it over the fiscal year ignoring any possible deduction from keeping an inventory resorve or amortization of the value of the inventory.
That's not how the economy works.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balance_of_Trade#Warren_Buffett_on_trade_deficits
Oh Snap! No you did not just go there.
You win this round of quick, quirky humor.
@Father33
I am getting tired of RROD jokes. I have three 360s and one RROD and the other two works fine. I do have one PS3, but it's not used as much and collecting dust in the media center. And have you heard of YLOD?
a) I am aware that the rrod is not that much of an issue anymore.
b) just joking around pal.
c) why do you have that many 360's?
d) I had no idea what a ylod was until now when I looked it up... which is a good thing.
e)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CJyn9MmePA&sns=em
good luck finding any decent games to play on ur gayass3, USAF
You would prefer XGAY360 a super computer with half cpu down because of RROD and halosuk
whateverthismeanstoyou said:
And have you heard of YLOD?
Once or twice in 3 years ... but i heard about 350 RROD once or twice per week
I wonder what the actual functions is for all these ps3's