Transmeta blades power landmark supercomputer breakthrough

Los Alamos Labs in New Mexico has built a modest 240-node Beowulf cluster from RLX's Crusoe-powered blades, which is humble indeed compared to the vast ASCI showpieces. But according to the system's designer, Wu-chun Feng, it marks an inflection point for the microprocessor industry. And to prove the point VAX godfather Gordon Bell, and Linus Torvalds were present at the birth.

The cluster, entitled Green Destiny, holds its own against x86 clusters of similar horsepower. Only it sits in a hot warehouse and doesn't require additional cooling. Feng reckons this adds up to only a third of the total cost of ownership of an equivalent Intel-powered system, once you include floorspace and energy requirements.

Full story at The Register USA