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To this day, whenever I hear the term "supercomputer", I can only visualize the Cray. I don't want to know what the latest supercomputer looks like, because I s

To this day, whenever I hear the term "supercomputer", I can only visualize the Cray. I don't want to know what the latest supercomputer looks like, because I suspect it's just another boring bunch of rack aisles. Maybe with a snazzy color end-cap or blue LEDs on the doors. Bring back the impractical, space-eating circular design! I don't care about space efficiency. It's supposed to look cool.

mcpherrinm 5y ago
The LEDs are green! https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/6F80/production/_113044582_mediaitem113044581.jpg https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/6F80/production/... https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53147684 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53147684 And they do have a snazzy coloured endcap... https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/spVSO7_2vryY6neSXK1JfQ--~B/Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTQ1MDt3PTY3NTthcHBpZD15dGFjaHlvbg--/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-images/2020-06/a17176f0-b4cb-11ea-bf9d-9561725571c1.cf.webp https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/spVSO7_2vryY6neSXK1JfQ--~B... https://www.engadget.com/japan-fugaku-supercomputer-013121699.html https://www.engadget.com/japan-fugaku-supercomputer-01312169...
- ASalazarMX 5y ago
  This is an area where I wouldn't mind a little splurge in design. These are supposed to be the greatest computing machines made, they should look fabulous and mysterious. Well, a bunch of racks with green LEDs is more practical, cheap and functional, I guess.
- chaxor 5y ago
  Isn't that due to green being the highest energy of light for an LED available at that time? IIRC, everytime a new material was created to get the increase in band gap for a higher energy photon (i.e. blue or violet), there was a Nobel prize given out. Tuning the band gap with a new material back then was difficult I think.
  - jazzyjackson 5y ago
    green has a lower band gap relative to blue/white, ~2V depending on chemistry, but there's something like that going on - IIRC human eyes are most sensitive to green around the ~500/550nm wavelength that green LEDs emit, so you can get good brightness out of low power.
- taneq 5y ago
  Haha so green LEDs are cool again? I made a call back in 2004 that after blue LEDs became commonplace and white LEDs had their turn as the new hot thing, red would make a comeback. And it did. ;) I imagine there have been multiple cycles through the spectrum since then…
kevin_thibedeau 5y ago
Then consider that everybody's smartphones would make it into the TOP500 in 1993.
macksd 5y ago
I'm a big fan of some of the graphics you see on the big rack farms too. Like the Jaguar art Cray used a decade or so back.

mcpherrinm 5y ago

The LEDs are green! https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/6F80/production/_113044582_mediaitem113044581.jpg https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/6F80/production/... https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53147684 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53147684 And they do have a snazzy coloured endcap... https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/spVSO7_2vryY6neSXK1JfQ--~B/Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTQ1MDt3PTY3NTthcHBpZD15dGFjaHlvbg--/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-images/2020-06/a17176f0-b4cb-11ea-bf9d-9561725571c1.cf.webp https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/spVSO7_2vryY6neSXK1JfQ--~B... https://www.engadget.com/japan-fugaku-supercomputer-013121699.html https://www.engadget.com/japan-fugaku-supercomputer-01312169...

ASalazarMX 5y ago
This is an area where I wouldn't mind a little splurge in design. These are supposed to be the greatest computing machines made, they should look fabulous and mysterious. Well, a bunch of racks with green LEDs is more practical, cheap and functional, I guess.
chaxor 5y ago
Isn't that due to green being the highest energy of light for an LED available at that time? IIRC, everytime a new material was created to get the increase in band gap for a higher energy photon (i.e. blue or violet), there was a Nobel prize given out. Tuning the band gap with a new material back then was difficult I think.
- jazzyjackson 5y ago
  green has a lower band gap relative to blue/white, ~2V depending on chemistry, but there's something like that going on - IIRC human eyes are most sensitive to green around the ~500/550nm wavelength that green LEDs emit, so you can get good brightness out of low power.
taneq 5y ago
Haha so green LEDs are cool again? I made a call back in 2004 that after blue LEDs became commonplace and white LEDs had their turn as the new hot thing, red would make a comeback. And it did. ;) I imagine there have been multiple cycles through the spectrum since then…

kevin_thibedeau 5y ago

Then consider that everybody's smartphones would make it into the TOP500 in 1993.

macksd 5y ago

I'm a big fan of some of the graphics you see on the big rack farms too. Like the Jaguar art Cray used a decade or so back.