four parallel processors vs four thousand processors

[kvn0smnsn]

I'm not sure this is the right forum to post this in. Please let me know if there's a better forum I can use. Generally speaking, all other things being equal, is it less expensive to build a computer with four parallel processors (cores, right?) than it is to build a computer with four thousand parallel processors?

 

[barry]

Wait, what??? Are you seriously asking if 4000 is greater than 4?

 

[KlausST]

Hi,

This question can't be serious.

I'd like you to imagine as a salesman. I would be happy if you sell me 4000 items (processors) ... cheaper than 4 items.

Klaus

 

[dick_freebird]

How much RAM do you plan to give them and/or how do you plan them to share it?

 

[kvn0smnsn]

How much RAM do you plan to give them and/or how do you plan them to share it?

Just off the top of my head, say 4 gigabytes, and each of the 4000 processors needs to be able to read from and write to all of it.

--- Updated Jan 14, 2023 ---

Hi,

This question can't be serious.

I'd like you to imagine as a salesman. I would be happy if you sell me 4000 items (processors) ... cheaper than 4 items.

Klaus

So are you telling me that, all other things being equal, a computer with 4000 parallel processors is more expensive than a computer with four parallel processors? If so, how much more expensive?
I'm actually completely serious. I'm thinking about sorting algorithms. If one's business involves a lot of sorting of large files, there are algorithms that can sort very fast, if one's computer has a very large number of processors. I'm trying to find out if there would be a market for a sorting machine that sorts in parallel but with much less expensive processors than you get even with light weight threads.

--- Updated Jan 14, 2023 ---

Wait, what??? Are you seriously asking if 4000 is greater than 4?

I'm asking if a computer with 4000 parallel processors is more expensive than a computer with 4. And if it is, how much more expensive is it?

 

[kaz1]

I'm asking if a computer with 4000 parallel processors is more expensive than a computer with 4. And if it is, how much more expensive is it?

That is the most ludicrous question I have ever heard in my life.
After all, if you go that far why not give up on processor based systems and use dedicated parallel circuit.

 

[BradtheRad]

Chess computers are a natural for this topic. When you want to decide on the optimum move, it's an advantage to explore all scenarios simultaneously.
In today's market multiple cores have become more practical than multiple processors, in terms of computing power, cost and usability.

en.chessbase.com/post/building-the-ultimate-chess-machine

Somewhere a programmer needs to write a smart algorithm, responsible for dividing up tasks among the cores or processors. It must coordinate results as they come in. Multiple processors generate particular hurdles.

Solutions will no doubt emerge as our technology advances (example, optical computing).

 

[barry]

Chess computers are a natural for this topic. When you want to decide on the optimum move, it's an advantage to explore all scenarios simultaneously.
In today's market multiple cores have become more practical than multiple processors, in terms of computing power, cost and usability.

en.chessbase.com/post/building-the-ultimate-chess-machine

Somewhere a programmer needs to write a smart algorithm, responsible for dividing up tasks among the cores or processors. It must coordinate results as they come in. Multiple processors generate particular hurdles.

Solutions will no doubt emerge as our technology advances (example, optical computing).

Well, that answered some totally different question.

 

[kvn0smnsn]

That is the most ludicrous question I have ever heard in my life.
After all, if you go that far why not give up on processor based systems and use dedicated parallel circuit.

Kaz1, how can I find out more about a dedicated parallel circuit?

 

[danadakk]

Thinking Machines back in 80's created some large array processing machines,
using 68000 Mot processors if I recall. Biggest machine was 64,000 processors.

The Thinking Machines Corp. CM-2

Regards, Dana.

 

[kaz1]

Kaz1, how can I find out more about a dedicated parallel circuit?

That is based on digital design (FPGA/ASIC) without any processor approach.
Look for dedicated fpga based computing. Here the designer targets wiring instruction set directly in hardware.
As such it can't be suitable for general use but for some specific instructions.