desktop super computers

[Bob Cunningham]

A portion of the results of Jack Dongarra's work at Argonne National Laboratory
comparing the performance of different computer systems solving.  These
particular results have to do with solving  dense systems of linear equations
using the LINPACK FORTRAN software of order 100 (notably the SGEFA and SGESL
column-oriented algorithms, based upon the BLAS series of subprograms).  This
is an application-specific set of benchmarks resulting in many cases MFLOP
ratings well below the theoretical performance of each machine (i.e., the
machines might well perform differently with somewhat different problems, even
similar floating-point-intensive problems). ``Rolled BLAS'' means BLAS routines
not unrolled for optimal performance. 

[of the machines listed below, I'd be tempted to call the FPS-264 and Alliant
FX-1 "personal supercomputers" in terms of their size, power requirements,
etc.]
                                                                          
Computer                OS/Compiler                             MFLOPs
--------                -----------                             ------
CRAY X-MP/4             not tested
CRAY X-MP/2             CFT 1.13 (rolled BLAS)                  24
CRAY-2 (1 processor)    CFT 2.70 (rolled BLAS)                  15
CRAY-1S                 CFT (rolled BLAS)                       12
Alliant FX/8 (8 CEs)    FX FORTRAN v2.0.19 (rolled BLAS)         7.6
SCS-40                  CFT 1.13 (rolled BLAS)                   7.3
FPS-264                 F02 APFTN64 OPT=4(rolled BLAS)           5.6
Convex C-1              FORTRAN 1.6 (rolled BLAS)                2.9
IBM 3081K (1 processor) H enhanced opt=3                         2.1
Alliant FX/1 (1 CE)     FX FORTRAN v2.0.19(rolled BLAS)          1.6
DEC VAX8800             VMS V4.3                                  .99
DEC VAX8650             VMS V4.1                                  .70
DEC VAX8500             VMS V4                                    .65
DEC VAX8600             VMS v4.1, FORTRAN 4.2                     .49
Harris HCX-7 w/fpp      f77 1.0                                   .48
Sun-3/160M+FPA          f77 -O -ffpa 3.1                          .40
Harris H800             SAUF77                                    .23
IBM 370/158             H opt=3                                   .23
Celerity C1200          4.2Bsd Unix f77                           .21
DEC VAX11/785 FPA       VMS V4.1                                  .20
DEC VAX8200             VMS V4.3                                  .15
DEC VAX11/780 FPA       VMS V4.1                                  .14
DEC microVAX II         VMS V4.1                                  .13
DEC VAX11/750 FPA       VMS V4.1                                  .12
Sun-3/75 w/68881        f77 -O -f68881 3.0                        .079
Apollo DN460/660        AEGIS 8.0 FTN                             .069
HP 9000 Series 320      HP-UX f77 5.15                            .063
Apollo DN3000           AEGIS 8.0 FTN                             .062
Masscomp MC500 FPP      3.1 FORTRAN                               .061
IBM RT PC Model 20      f77                                       .036
Apollo DN320            AEGIS 8.0 FTN                             .028
Apollo DN550 FPA        AEGIS 8.0 FTN                             .025
IBM AT 80287            PROFORT 1.0                               .012
IBM PC 8087             PROFORT 1.0                               .012
IBM AT 80287            Microsoft FORTRAN 3.2                     .0091
Apple Macintosh         ABSOFT 2.0b                               .0038

-- 
Bob Cunningham
bob at hig.hawaii.edu