Virginia Tech built the world's third-fastest supercomputer from 1,100 Mac G5s for $5.2 million
The Power and Legacy of Virginia Tech's Mac-Based Supercomputers
In 2003, Virginia Tech assembled 1,100 Power Mac G5 towers into System X, a cluster that hit 10 teraflops and ranked third-fastest on Earth — and fastest at any university — for just $5.2 million, against $400 million for the reigning champion. Students unboxed and racked the machines themselves. A year later, Apple's rack-mount Xserve G5, with the ECC memory the Power Macs lacked, pushed it to 12.25 teraflops.
Only one G5 tower in the batch of 1100 couldn't be used, and that was because one of the Apple sales reps dropped it. (Those handles are sharp!)
- runxel
Do I see this right? An Apple M1 Max has roughly the same Teraflops as this setup of one thousand one hundred machines?
Just to put that into perspective. (Not to mention cost and performance per Watt)
- HoldOnAMinute
Virginia Tech has a good reputation on the East Coast, particularly in the DC area, but it is completely unheard of on the West Coast.
Many West Coasters can't tell the difference between Virginia and West Virginia.
- theflyingelvis
This is a pretty hokie setup