NVIDIA's RTX 4090 graphics card, launched in 2022, manages to outperform IBM's Blue Gene/L supercomputer, launched in 2004. Understand how this comparison works!
According to the portal Video games, the NVIDIA RTX 4090 outperforms IBM's top-rated supercomputer from 2004 in terms of raw computing power. Even though it's a graphics card, a significantly smaller device, the RTX card packs more raw computing power than the Blue Gene/L.
IBM supercomputer was equipped with 32.768 processors
IBM's supercomputer project was launched in 1999 and discontinued in 2015. In 2004, the Blue Gene/L reached first place on the TOP500.org list, standing out for its processing power. IBM's supercomputer was equipped with 32.768 processors and a colossal 16 TB of memory, being a milestone in the technology of the time.
According to the portal Video games, IBM's supercomputer had a raw performance power of 70,72 TFLOPS. And save for its impressive storage capacity, the Nvidia RTX 4090 outperforms this supercomputer in almost every other aspect.
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The Nvidia RTX 4090 graphics card reaches up to 83 TFLOPS, and some experiments have shown that it can reach 100 TFLOPS when pushed to the limit.
So, even though it is a smaller device, it has a higher raw computing capacity. However, the graphics card doesn't stop there. Combining the power of four cards with FP8 support, it can rival the Jaguar, the most powerful supercomputer of 2009, which achieved 1.750 TFLOPS. This represents unimaginable power that fits in the palm of your hand. As technology continues to advance, it is likely that even more powerful and compact units will appear in the future.
Meet the RTX 50 series graphics card that surpasses the IBM model
Last year, rumors indicated that the GeForce RTX 4090 would be discontinued in October, making room for the new RTX 5090, officially announced during the CES 2025. Production of the RTX 4070, 4060 and 4060Ti is expected to end in the first quarter of 2025.
Although limited in availability at launch, the 50 series cards bring a performance increase of up to 20% over the previous generation. This indicates that future comparisons with past supercomputers will be even more impressive.
Led by its AI segment, NVIDIA achieved record revenue profit in the third quarter of 2024. Just to give you an idea, Microsoft acquired almost 500 NVIDIA Hopper GPUs for AI in 2024.
In the 50 series, NVIDIA has integrated AI-based technologies for users, including MultiFrame Generation, which allows up to three additional frames to be generated for each traditional frame, and Frame Warp, which can reduce latency by up to 75%.
What is the most powerful supercomputer in 2025?
Leaving aside IBM's supercomputer, it is important to mention that this January, the world's fastest supercomputer was finally officially launched. Called "El Capitan", the computer cost US$600 million to build and is the responsibility of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LNNL) in California.
The supercomputer will be responsible for handling several highly sensitive tasks, including protecting the United States' nuclear weapons stockpile. United States in the absence of underground testing, as reported by LNNL representatives. In addition, its research will be focused on national security, encompassing materials discovery, high-energy density physics, nuclear data and weapons design.
Construction of the supercomputer began in May 2023, and it went into operation for the first time in November. Its official inauguration only took place on January 9th, standing out for its great processing power.
Source: IGN
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lula's computer
It is strange to compare these technologies, given that they are 26 years apart.