[Beowulf] Is there really a need for Exascale?

[Lux, Jim (337C)]

On 11/28/12 11:46 PM, "Eugen Leitl" <eugen at leitl.org> wrote:

>On Thu, Nov 29, 2012 at 01:14:39AM -0500, Mark Hahn wrote:
>
>I've been waiting for cache to die and be substituted by
>on-die SRAM or MRAM. Yet to happen, but if it happens,
>it will be with embedded-like systems.


When running, SRAM consumes a lot more power and space than almost any
kind of DRAM.  2-4 transistors per cell vs 1, if nothing else.

A big problem is that the CMOS process for dense, low power, fast RAM is
different than what you want to use for a CPU. And even between DRAM and
SRAM there's a pretty big difference. (trenches, etc.)


> 
>> > production density.  Consumer markets have the advantage of enormous
>> > volumes to spread the very high non-recurring-engineering cost over.
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