Mach 5 holds at 15, System X slides


Macworld UK reports that the Xserve-powered Mach 5 supercomputer used by the US Army and NASA is ranked 15th on the Top 500 listing of the world's most-powerful computers. Further, Virginia Tech's System X supercomputer has slipped from 14th to 20th place.

Also known as "Big Mac" the school's Mac-powered cluster once held the No 3 spot on the list. When it appeared in late 2003 both that institution and Apple gained instant bragging rights and overnight celebrity in an area where they both had been unknown.

IBM-powered clusters dominate the Top 10 with five of the top spots, though Intel chips account for two-thirds of the Top 500 overall.

Editor's note: IBM's chips do well in groups, but individual processor output can't be said to have kept up. Then again, once Apple makes the "switch" to Intel will the Xserve regain Top 10 bragging rights or was System X' meteoric rise just a flash in the pan?

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