IBM supercomputer gives taste of next-gen consoles

The technology world was rocked this morning when IBM unveiled its Blue Gene/L machine, a new supercomputer that packs 2 teraflops (2 trillion mathematical operations per second) of processing power in to 1 meter by 1 meter box. To get a sense of scale, the world's most powerful supercomputer, Japan's Earth Simulator, has a speed of 35.6 teraflops. However, the Earth Simulator cost between $300-450 million dollars, and its 5,104 processors are housed in 640 nodes, each 2 meters high and 1 meter wide.

The Blue Gene processors in the L machine are considerably cheaper because they're based on existing PowerPC technology, which IBM co-developed with Apple. The latest PowerPC currently powers the Apple G5, and a modified version is likely to be at the heart of Microsoft's next Xbox. IBM has also partnered with Sony to develop the advanced "Cell" multiprocessor, which will likely be used in the PlayStation 3. The chip-maker is also continuing its long-running partnership with Nintendo by developing the CPU for the GameCube's successor.

However, when Reuters today reported that Blue Gene was "based on microchip technology to be used in gaming consoles due out next year" it set off a torrent of speculation that the supercomputer's processors would be coming soon to living rooms. When contacted by GameSpot, an IBM representative quickly shot the rumor down. "The Blue Gene's chips are totally customized" said the rep. Another IBM official dismissed the Reuters report as "speculative." At the same time, he wouldn't comment whether or not elements of Blue Gene's technology would be incorporated into IBM's forthcoming console processors.

However, Richard Doherty, Research Director for the tech-research firm the Envisioneering Group, thinks Blue Gene definitely contains the seeds of the next generation of game consoles. In particular, he sees parallels between the supercomputer and Sony's Cell, both of which use several processors for maximum speed. "From the get-go, Cell is more multi-processor," said Doherty, "the two will have common programming elements." However, he doubts that the exact hardware currently used in Blue Gene will ever make it to consoles. "They will be in the same family, like cousins who shouldn't marry."