The Laboratory for Cryptologic Algorithms at the EPFL has been working with a cluster of over 200 PlayStation 3 systems to do some major number crunching. The power of the Cell processor has busted 112-bit prime field barrier.
The lab is home to a cluster of 215 PlayStation 3 systems. The computations were started on January 13, 2009 and completed on July 8, 2009. That may seem like a long time, but the previous threshold was crossed at 109-bit prime field took 549 days with 10,000 PCs.
When it’s not destroying mathematical barriers, curing disease, drilling for oil and aiding the Air Force in who knows what, the PlayStation 3 has been known to provide a mean game of Resistance 2 to defend the United States from an alien invasion all with a price tag of less then $400!
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