Virginia Tech’s Supercomputer moves to Xserve G5
The recently completed supercomputer of Virginia Tech is about to make a major change. All of the 1100 PowerMac G5 computers used to make the supercomputer will be swapped for Xserve G5 servers, one for one.
The new system, which went online toward the end of last year and which Virginia Tech said was the most powerful supercomputer at any university in the world at the time, will be completed by May.
By moving to the thinner servers, the supercomputer will consume less power and generate less heat, said Srinidhi Varadarajan, assistant professor of computer science, college of engineering, at Virginia Tech.
“It cuts the system’s size down by a factor of three,” Varadarajan said. “The new system will take much less power and generate less heat and free up space.”
The current supercomputer that uses 1,100 PowerMac G5 desktop computers occupies 3,000 square feet.
The price of this change has not been disclosed. The university is looking to find “good homes” for the PowerMac G5 machine that they currently have. If you are looking for a G5 machine, I’d suggest contacting the university.