US Air Force to buy 2,200 more PS3s

Posted Nov 23, 2009 at 11:28AM by Glenn M. Listed in: PS3 Tags: IBM, Los Alamos, Roadrunner, Rome, Supercomputer, supercomputers

The US Air Force is now looking to purchase 2,200 PS3s - no, the troops aren't planning to have the coolest multiplayer party on Earth, nor are they taking the fight against terrorism to PSN. Rather, they'll be adding those to the 336 units that they already have to further their supercomputer research.

The PS3s will all be heading to the Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, NY, where research into "high-def video processing and systems with brain-like properties" is being conducted. The Air Force will be using the massive system to "to determine the best fit for implementation of various applications," which includes software specific to the PS3's Cell Broadband Engine processor architecture.

Results from this sizable investment will determine if the Air Force can make use of related software for military purposes. Why the PS3? Its eight-processor cell can be found in other supercomputers, such as IBM's RoadRunner, at the Los Alamos National Library.

US Air Force and PlayStation 3:

US Air Force wants 300 PS3 units for cell processor research

Via InformationWeek

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Comments

# ... — hush404 2009-11-23 07:26

is it cheaper to get your hands on a huge amount of PS3s rather than get a company to build a system with that many cell processors?

Must be eh? Else... I'd think buying up 2200 PS3s would look silly

# silly — svanheulen 2009-11-23 08:10

Since when has any part of the US government worried about looking silly? Besides, if the "research" doesn't work out they'll have a bunch of PS3s to play with.

# um — sirgrinalot 2009-11-23 08:36

this is only to create software, it is much cheaper to purchase 2,200 ps3's at $299 than to purchase 2,200 blades at $2,000 apeice, since they are essentially the same thing just blades have more ram

# man — darkfangex 2009-11-23 09:16

the ps3's processsing power is about 1.2 mgeaflops and a 10.1 megaflop processor or more costs a *****load so when you are using ps3's it can crack an 11 letter wpa code using john the rippwe outputted into the 4 way handshake faster than a home computer could , about 15 to 30 times faster same goes for genenrating rainbow tables

# Then when they all get free time — T-Max Blaze 2009-11-23 09:50

They are gonna play MAG when it comes out in Jan.

# the loony toon aint cheap — jjcobra 2009-11-23 09:56

Here's a good reason, that people have touched on. Ps3s are cheap. If they pay full price (unlikely, I bet they're getting a bulk rate) the PS3s cost $659,978.00

Lets compare that to the cost of the IBM Roadrunner mentioned in the article. Which costs a measly, 125 million dollars. And it only took half a decade to build it.

# loll — SuperQuest 2009-11-23 11:22

US air force don't want a super computer full of 360's ... they don't want to have a crash because of RROD

# And — Teivin 2009-11-23 13:18

Since they arent using the bluray drive, they dont have to worry about it failing!

# @ superquest LMAO — .:knowledgePower:. 2009-11-23 13:37

look at the fanboy making up illegitimate facts to bring the Ps3 down to the xbox 360's lvl....Ps3 is just better than xbox man you'll never learn

# um lol? — Master Chef 2009-11-23 14:50

Cool story bro

# FAT PS3? — spiderdan 2009-11-23 15:12

What I can't figure out is where the air force is going to get 2200 fat ps3s. They'd have to put linux on these, right? I was under the impression only the fat ps3s could load linux. Didn't sony discontinue the fat ps3 when they released the slim?

# since they arent using the blu ray drive — bmxadan 2009-11-23 15:14

turn on the 360 for 5 hours and its toasted lol..besides the 360 is just a dumb gaming computer that costs less.

# o.O — Bountyhunter53 2009-11-23 15:20

"high-def video processing and systems with brain-like properties"

It takes me a hour to process a film to PSP format. 2200 PS3's though can convert a lot of stuff quite quickly. I can basically assume they are converting porn for the masses. Also brain like properties? Just get a person with a brain?

# They're the military — jjcobra 2009-11-23 15:38

When you can level an arsenal of death on the other person, I think they might make a few extra fat PS3s just for you.

# :knowledgepower : — StingBlah 2009-11-23 15:42

I think you mean @Telvin

# then all of a sudden — danielakadanny 2009-11-23 16:21

The U.S. government buys 300,000 PS3's and 300,000 copies of R2 to simulate real life-like occurrences with video games to prepare them fr the worst in combat!

# Hm.. — Eclipze_ 2009-11-23 16:39

Careful now, they might be trying to create The Matrix O_O

# lolled — playstation101 2009-11-23 16:58

AF dont want 360's cuz imagine 2200 360 fan running at the same time in the same room...:) its like they have a ferry boat inside the hq/lab... brrrrrrrr...grooooool...woooot

# That's not true... — Darkthunder90 2009-11-23 18:11

The army actually ordered 2,200 xbox 360's along with the ps3's. They figured with the holidays coming up, the soldiers would need them. I mean blankets just aren't as warm as they used to be.

# The Matrix? — ps3juggalo 2009-11-23 18:51

What do you mean "trying" to create The Matrix.

You meant to say Upgrade the Matrix right :)

# WTH?!?!?!?!?!? — MechaGuy 2009-11-23 18:53

megaflops and rainbow tables?

# gdf — YAMI ANUBIS X 2009-11-23 19:51

Actually they really did buy PS3's for linux, atleast the fats ones, kinda stupid how Sony took one of its most successful parts out of it for Slim, when it could have been kept in, even though yes its easier to hack PS3's with that in.

Military mostly buys PS3s for linux mainly cause all of you know linux is the closest thing to a computer with a PS3.

Linux+PS3= Super Computer+ all the other stuff the PS3 comes with, even the Cell Processor.

Sad thing about Xbox 360, is, its only a gaming system now, when compared to PS3, they both have the same stuff but PS3 has more like going over the internet, fat PS3's have linux.

Plus Linux is a really wide open source for hackers.

# dont forget... — Crack_the_Skye 2009-11-23 20:25

dont forget the military discount ;-)

# Yup — Vman00 2009-11-24 01:37

I thought the same thing. They bought all of these to gear up for MAG.

# WHY?! — Mister Common Sense 2009-11-24 04:59

Stop wasting our tax money, dumbass military.

What's next? The dragon tank?

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/obama_axes_pentagon_plan_to_build

# calculating.... — odin15 2009-11-24 20:46

2200x300=$660000

# Hell No — mr.x256 2009-11-28 19:52

This is the Air Force they're in to "Ace Combat" whenever it comes out.

Tomorrow you'll see "US Marines purchase 2200 PS3s for MAG"

# Hell No — mr.x256 2009-11-28 19:52

This is the Air Force they're in to "Ace Combat" whenever it comes out.

Tomorrow you'll see "US Marines purchase 2200 PS3s for MAG"

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