Fujitsu develops world's fastest processor

May 15, 2009

Fujitsu Venus. Image credit: PC Watch

(AP) -- Japanese computer maker Fujitsu Ltd. said Wednesday that it has successfully developed the world's fastest supercomputer processing unit with more than twice the speed of the current leader.

A new central processing unit, or CPU, prototype successfully computed at 128 billion times per second - beating the current record, held by Intel Corp., by 2.5 times, company spokesman Masao Sakamoto said.

The company shrunk the size of each central circuit, thus doubling the number of circuits per chip, he said. The prototype is also energy-efficient and was able to cut power consumption to one-third of the conventional Fujitsu model.

Fujitsu aims to put the new CPU, with a code name "Venus," into practical application in supercomputers "within several years," Sakamoto said.

Computer makers, including IBM Corp., Cray Inc. and Intel, have been competing to develop a faster CPU.

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

• RocketScientist - May 15, 2009
  • Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
  I wonder how they cool the unit... Liquid cooling?
  It's amazing that today's computer chips, as small as they are, and with the power they consume, that they don't just burst into flames when you turn them on.
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• Fazer - May 15, 2009
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  Yes, it never ceases to amaze me what we can do, and there is no end in sight.
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• dirk_bruere - May 15, 2009
  • Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
  Fujitsu aims to put the new CPU, with a code name "Venus," into practical application in supercomputers "within several years," - In several years that chip will look like a slow dog.
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• dev2000 - May 15, 2009
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  Yeah, at that point we should have quantum nano-computers that interface with us organically...
  
  Let's pick up the pace, Fujitsu!
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• Quarkangel - May 19, 2009
  • Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
  I'd like to see them run HNeT on that sucker. Hmmm... that would be about 200K holographic/quantum neuron cells (like REAL NEURON CELLS !!!!) running in real time, about the size of a bird brain.
  
  That singularity just keeps get'n closer.
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• sCoRpioN89 - May 25, 2009
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  clock speed?? cache size? power consumption?...size is bigger than other quad core cpu's...can this processor available on notebook's?
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• sketerpot - May 28, 2009
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  Because this article is so vague, here are some details:
  
  The processor contains 8 SPARC64 cores, and is manufactured using a 45 nm process. It also has a built-in memory controller.
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