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China is planning a supercomputer prototype capable of a quintillion calculations per second by the end of the year, state media said.
That’s a billion, billion. A second.
It would make it 200 times faster than the world’s quickest was back in 2010.
China built the world’s speediest supercomputer, called the Sunway TaihuLight, last year, and is aiming to extend its lead at the top of the field.
Intrigued by the @GreatDismal chic / vaporwave karaoke booth aesthetics of the worlds fastest supercomputer, China's Sunway TaihuLight pic.twitter.com/OSsqzEdUbu
— Gareth Damian Martin (@JumpOvertheAge) December 14, 2016
The Sunway was built using Chinese microchips only, making it the only time a country has achieved first place without the aid of US tech.
To give some perspective: your MacBook uses four cores and the Sunway uses 10.6 million.
The Asian nation plans to have an exascale machine sketched out by the close of 2017. But, the real thing is unlikely to be operational before 2020.
China's #SunwayTaihuLight won the title of the world's fastest supercomputer, according to the Top 500 Supercomputers List released on Mon. pic.twitter.com/J89pCcnl6h
— ShanghaiEye (@ShanghaiEye) November 15, 2016
It has been a phenomenal rise for the country.
As of last year, it had more top-level supercomputers than the US, 167 compared with 165, according to tracking website top500.org.
The state has splashed millions on ultra hi-tech computing in recent years and is determined to establish itself as the world leader.
