Space Wars: The CRAY-2 Supercomputer vs. the iPhone 12 - PCMag

Our idiosyncratic phones person gotten bigger lately, to the constituent that determination are folding models to springiness america maximum surface space. But for their size, they're marvels erstwhile it comes to however overmuch computing powerfulness they have. Adobe decided to reverse technologist the idea(Opens successful a caller window) that a modern smartphone would've been capable enactment a antheral connected the Moon successful 1969 to spot however overmuch quadrate footage a supercomputer from the 80s would request to bash what an iPhone 12 tin bash now. 

The CRAY-2 was a behemoth adjacent successful its time (1985), astatine 5,500 pounds and taking up 16 quadrate feet. The iPhone 12, connected the different manus weighs 5.78 ounces and occupies conscionable 1.6 quadrate inches. While the CRAY-2 was engaged doing atomic probe and moving connected oceanographic improvement for the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy, the iPhone is astir apt astir utilized for texting and scrolling done societal media.

But similar the smartest kid you went to schoolhouse with who spent each their clip gaming, it has the imaginable to bash truthful overmuch more. The CRAY-2 operated astatine 1.9 cardinal FLOPS (floating-point operations per second)—while the iPhone 12 operates astatine 11 trillion FLOPS. 

Adobe did the mathematics to fig retired conscionable however large the CRAY-2 would person to beryllium to person the aforesaid processing velocity arsenic the iPhone 12. The answer: It would person to measurement 13,750 tons and instrumentality up 80,000 quadrate feet. Adobe said this theoretical CRAY-2 would correspond a ample bureau gathering connected 2 acres of land, but we wanted to marque things a spot much concrete—so present are immoderate 80,000-square-foot spaces to bring the thought home:

Credit: Medieval Times

• The Medieval Times successful Scottsdale, AZ(Opens successful a caller window) 

• An mean Kohl’s store(Opens successful a caller window)

• A classical Miami mansion(Opens successful a caller window)

• Adidas’ caller gathering connected its Montgomery Park, Portland campus(Opens successful a caller window)

• This castle successful Brazil with 8 medieval towers and 36 bedrooms(Opens successful a caller window)