Intel caught NECing
At Supercomputing '09 on Monday, Intel announced it would be teaming up with Japanese firm NEC, to develop High Performance Computing (HPC) technologies together.
According to the announcement, NEC will use Intel's Xeon processors in upcoming supercomputers, although the company will continue selling its existing SX vector processor-based products too.
Intel boasts that its Xeons accelerate vector capabilities like AVX, leading to even higher performance in already high performing supercomputers.
The pair reckon their joint efforts will significantly "push the boundaries of supercomputing performance," with initial collaboration focus falling on hardware development and using software to up memory bandwidth and scalability of Intel Xeon based platforms.
The firms hope their efforts will eventually benefit systems which fall not only within the very high end of the scientific computing market segment, but also in the mid to lower range of smaller HPC installations.
The general manager of NEC's HPC division, Fumihiko Hisamitsu, said his company's "substantial experience in the development of vector processing systems," - which includes vector pipeline management, memory sub-systems and high speed interconnect technology - was "a natural fit for taking Intel architecture further into new markets."
He added that by partnering with Intel, NEC would now be able to enrich its HPC product portfolio in addition to being able to continue enhancing its vector supercomputer.
NEC certainly seems to be putting its bets on a winning horse; Intel processors managed to find their way into about four out of every five entries in Monday's top 500 supercomputers list.
