For the first time ever, China has taken the lead in the number of
supercomputers on a closely watched list of the 500 fastest systems on the
planet. It has 167, overtaking the U.S. at 165, according to the researchers
who compile the ranking.
China has also strengthened its grip on the top of the list, with its
machines taking both first and second place. And the new supercomputer that has
leaped in at No. 1 -- known as Sunway TaihuLight -- is built completely on
homegrown processors rather than drawing on U.S. chip technology.
The top spot had previously been held since 2013 by China's tianhe-2,
which was based onIntel processors.
Supercomputers are typically used for predicting scenarios because of
their incredible power to crunch numbers. They can create precise models of
complex environments, such as predicting weather patterns, mapping DNA or
simulating nuclear explosions.
That also makes them a sensitive potential tool for national security.
Last year, the U.S. government blocked Intel and Nvidia from
selling new chips for upgrades at four supercomputer centers linked to Tianhe-2
because it said it believed they were "used in nuclear explosive
activities." Chinese officials have denied the allegations.
Sunway, which is made out of homegrown tech, doesn't have to worry
about such issues. And it's really freaking powerful, running twice as fast as
Tianhe-2.
The top ranked U.S. system, Titan, came in third place, but it lags
China's top dog by a long way. Sunway is more than five times as fast.
The researchers who put together the Top 500 list twice a year
attributed China's growing dominance to "a surge in industrial and
research installations registered over the last few years."
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