Supercomputers are extremely fast and powerful computers used for scientific computing, code-breaking, and gaming. They require custom assembly and efficient cooling systems due to their high processing power.
A supercomputer is a computer that runs much faster than other computers. Given the ever-changing world of computing, it should come as no surprise to learn that most of these machines carry their superlative titles for a few years, at best. Computer programmers like to say that today’s supercomputer will become tomorrow’s computer; the computers the average user owns today are probably more powerful than most historical supercomputers, for example.
The term was coined in 1929 by the New York World to refer to tabulators manufactured by IBM. To modern computer users, these tabulators would probably seem awkward, slow and cumbersome to use, but they represented the cutting edge of technology at the time. This continues to be true of today’s supercomputers, which harness immense processing power so that they are incredibly fast, sophisticated, and powerful.
The primary use of these computers is in scientific computing, which requires high-powered machines to perform complex calculations. Scientific organizations such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) boast computers the size of rooms for the purpose of performing calculations, rendering complex formulas, and performing other tasks that require tremendous amounts of computer power. Some machines have also been designed for very specific functions, such as cracking codes and playing chess; Deep Blue is a famous chess-playing supercomputer.
In many cases, a supercomputer is custom assembled, using elements from a variety of computer manufacturers, and adapted to the intended use. Most run on a Linux® or UNIX® operating system, as these operating systems are extremely flexible, stable, and efficient. They typically have multiple processors and a variety of other tech tricks to ensure they run smoothly.
One of the biggest concerns with running such a powerful machine is cooling. As you can imagine, these computers get extremely hot during operation, requiring complex cooling systems to ensure that no part fails. Many of these cooling systems use liquid gases, which can get extremely cold. Another issue is the speed with which information can be transferred or written to a storage device, as the speed of data transfer will limit the performance of the computer.
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