Editing Cell (processor) (section)

===Cluster computing===
{{Main | PlayStation 3 cluster}}

Clusters of [[PlayStation 3]] consoles are an attractive alternative to high-end systems based on Cell blades. Innovative Computing Laboratory, a group led by [[Jack Dongarra]], in the Computer Science Department at the University of Tennessee, investigated such an application in depth.<ref name="scop3">{{Cite web |title=SCOP3: A Rough Guide to Scientific Computing On the PlayStation 3 |url=http://www.netlib.org/netlib/utk/people/JackDongarra/PAPERS/scop3.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015202416/http://www.netlib.org/netlib/utk/people/JackDongarra/PAPERS/scop3.pdf |archive-date=October 15, 2008 |access-date=May 8, 2007 |publisher=Computer Science Department, University of Tennessee |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Terrasoft Solutions is selling 8-node and 32-node PS3 clusters with [[Yellow Dog Linux]] pre-installed, an implementation of Dongarra's research.

As first reported by ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'' on October 17, 2007,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gardiner |first=Bryan |date=October 17, 2007 |title=Astrophysicist Replaces Supercomputer with Eight PlayStation 3s |url=https://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/news/2007/10/ps3_supercomputer/ |access-date=October 17, 2007 |work=[[Wired (website)|Wired]]}}</ref> an interesting application of using PlayStation 3 in a cluster configuration was implemented by Astrophysicist [[Gaurav Khanna (physicist)|Gaurav Khanna]], from the Physics department of [[University of Massachusetts Dartmouth]], who replaced time used on supercomputers with a cluster of eight PlayStation 3s. Subsequently, the next generation of this machine, now called the ''[[PlayStation 3]] Gravity Grid'', uses a network of 16 machines, and exploits the Cell processor for the intended application which is binary [[black hole]] coalescence using [[perturbation theory]]. In particular, the cluster performs astrophysical simulations of large [[supermassive black hole]]s capturing smaller compact objects and has generated numerical data that has been published multiple times in the relevant scientific research literature.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PS3 Gravity Grid |url=http://gravity.phy.umassd.edu/ps3.html |publisher=Gaurav Khanna, Associate Professor, College of Engineering, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth}}</ref> The Cell processor version used by the PlayStation 3 has a main CPU and 6 SPEs available to the user, giving the Gravity Grid machine a net of 16 general-purpose processors and 96 vector processors. The machine has a one-time cost of $9,000 to build and is adequate for black-hole simulations which would otherwise cost $6,000 per run on a conventional supercomputer. The black hole calculations are not memory-intensive and are highly localizable, and so are well-suited to this architecture. Khanna claims that the cluster's performance exceeds that of a 100+ Intel Xeon core based traditional Linux cluster on his simulations. The PS3 Gravity Grid gathered significant media attention through 2007,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gaudin |first=Sharon |date=October 24, 2007 |title=PS3 cluster creates homemade, cheaper supercomputer |url=http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9043942/PS3_cluster_creates_homemade_cheaper_supercomputer |website=Computerworld}}</ref> 2008,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Highfield |first=Roger |date=February 17, 2008 |title=Why scientists love games consoles |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/3325757/Why-scientists-love-games-consoles.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090906114152/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/3325757/Why-scientists-love-games-consoles.html |archive-date=September 6, 2009 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Peckham |first=Matt |date=December 23, 2008 |title=Nothing Escapes the Pull of a PlayStation 3, Not Even a Black Hole |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/22/AR2008122201980.html |work=The Washington Post}}</ref> 2009,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Malik |first=Tariq |date=January 28, 2009 |title=Playstation 3 Consoles Tackle Black Hole Vibrations |url=http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/090128-playstation3-blackholes.html |website=[[Space.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Lyden |first=Jacki |date=February 21, 2009 |title=Playstation 3: A Discount Supercomputer? |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100969805 |work=[[NPR]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Wallich |first=Paul |date=April 1, 2009 |title=The Supercomputer Goes Personal |url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-supercomputer-goes-personal |work=[[IEEE Spectrum]]}}</ref> and 2010.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 4, 2010 |title=The PlayStation powered super-computer |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11168150 |work=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Farrell |first=John |date=November 12, 2010 |title=Black Holes and Quantum Loops: More Than Just a Game |url=https://blogs.forbes.com/johnfarrell/2010/11/12/black-holes-and-quantum-loops-more-than-just-a-game/ |work=Forbes}}</ref>

The computational Biochemistry and Biophysics lab at the [[Universitat Pompeu Fabra]], in [[Barcelona]], deployed in 2007 a [[BOINC]] system called [[GPUGRID.net|PS3GRID]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=PS3GRID.net |url=http://www.ps3grid.net}}</ref> for collaborative computing based on the CellMD software, the first one designed specifically for the Cell processor.

The United States [[Air Force Research Laboratory]] has deployed a PlayStation 3 cluster of over 1700 units, nicknamed the "Condor Cluster", for analyzing [[high-resolution]] [[satellite imagery]]. The Air Force claims the Condor Cluster would be the 33rd largest supercomputer in the world in terms of capacity.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 30, 2010 |title=Defense Department discusses new Sony PlayStation supercomputer |url=http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/11/defense_department_discusses_n.html}}</ref> The lab has opened up the supercomputer for use by universities for research.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PlayStation 3 Clusters Providing Low-Cost Supercomputing to Universities |url=http://www.govtech.com/technology/PlayStation-3-Providing-Supercomputing-to-Universities.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514024226/http://www.govtech.com/technology/PlayStation-3-Providing-Supercomputing-to-Universities.html |archive-date=May 14, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>