AFRL turns 1700 PS3s into a top 40 Supercomputer

AFRL has turned 1700 PS3s into one of the most powerful (top 40) super computers in the world. This is too funny, and may I add a wonderful use of commodity technology.

Their main selling point from the publication (highlighting mine):

Condor continues an AFRL Information Directorate tradition of

pushing the state-of-the-art in high performance computing (HPC).

It builds upon earlier innovations in real-time supercomputing,

embedded processing, and low cost HPC. The new Condor machine

achieves a 10X price-performance advantage, and a 15X powerperformance advantage over other large HPSs by combining

Playstation 3 gaming consoles and commercial graphics cards with

high performance servers. It is lean and green! It is also made freely

available to DoD research and development organizations and

their contractors.”