LINPACK explained

Lunpack
LINPACK
Author:Jack Dongarra, Jim Bunch, Cleve Moler, and Gilbert Stewart
Programming Language:Fortran
Genre:Library

LINPACK is a software library for performing numerical linear algebra on digital computers.[1] It was written in Fortran by Jack Dongarra, Jim Bunch, Cleve Moler, and Gilbert Stewart, and was intended for use on supercomputers in the 1970s and early 1980s.[2] [3] It has been largely superseded by LAPACK, which runs more efficiently on modern architectures.

LINPACK makes use of the BLAS (Basic Linear Algebra Subprograms) libraries for performing basic vector and matrix operations.

The LINPACK benchmarks appeared initially as part of the LINPACK user's manual. The parallel LINPACK benchmark implementation called HPL (High Performance Linpack) is used to benchmark and rank supercomputers for the TOP500 list.

World's most powerful computer by year

Year(s)BenchmarkComputerDesignCasingSystemSuccessor
Manufacturer Designer Release date Units sold PriceDimensions Weight PowerFront-end Operating system CPU Memory Storage MIPS FLOPS
style=text-align:center1951-1954style=text-align:center-style=text-align:centerMIT Whirlwind Istyle=text-align:centerMITstyle=text-align:center-style=text-align:center1954style=text-align:center1style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-
style=text-align:center1955-1957style=text-align:center-style=text-align:centerIBM NORCstyle=text-align:centerIBMstyle=text-align:center-style=text-align:center1954style=text-align:center1style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-
style=text-align:center1958-1959style=text-align:center-style=text-align:centerAN/FSQ-7style=text-align:centerIBMstyle=text-align:center-style=text-align:center1955style=text-align:center24style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center250 tonsstyle=text-align:centerup to 3 megawattsstyle=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center49,000 vacuum tubes @ 75,000 instructions per secondstyle=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-
style=text-align:center1960style=text-align:center-style=text-align:centerIBM 7090style=text-align:centerIBMstyle=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-
style=text-align:center1960–1961style=text-align:center-style=text-align:centerUNIVAC LARCstyle=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-
style=text-align:center1961–1963style=text-align:center-style=text-align:centerIBM 7030 Stretchstyle=text-align:centerIBMstyle=text-align:centerGene Amdahlstyle=text-align:centerMay 1961style=text-align:center9style=text-align:centerUS$7,780,000 (equivalent to $70,550,000 in 2021)style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center70,000 pounds (35 short tons; 32 t)style=text-align:center100 kW @ 110 Vstyle=text-align:center-style=text-align:centerMCPstyle=text-align:center64-bit processorstyle=text-align:center2048 kilobytes (262,144 x 64 bits)style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center1.2 MIPSstyle=text-align:center-style=text-align:centerCDC 7600
style=text-align:center1964–1968style=text-align:center3 megaflopsstyle=text-align:centerCDC 6600style=text-align:centerControl Data Corporationstyle=text-align:centerSeymour Craystyle=text-align:centerSeptember 1964style=text-align:center100+style=text-align:centerUS$2,370,000 (equivalent to $20,710,000 in 2021)style=text-align:centerHeight : 2,000 mm (79 in)
Cabinet width: 810 mm (32 in)
Cabinet length : 1,710 mm (67 in)
Width overall : 4,190 mm (165 in)
style=text-align:centerabout 12,000 lb (6.0 short tons; 5.4 t)style=text-align:center30 kW @ 208 V 400 Hzstyle=text-align:center-style=text-align:centerSCOPE, KRONOSstyle=text-align:center60-bit processor @ 10 MHzstyle=text-align:centerUp to 982 kilobytes (131000 x 60 bits)style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center2 MIPSstyle=text-align:center-style=text-align:centerCDC 7600
style=text-align:center1969–1975style=text-align:center10 megaflopsstyle=text-align:centerCDC 7600style=text-align:centerControl Data Corporationstyle=text-align:centerSeymour Craystyle=text-align:centerJune 1967style=text-align:center75+style=text-align:centerUS$62 - $155 thousands (monthly rent in 1968)style=text-align:centerHeight : 188 cm (74 in)
Width: 302 cm (119 in)
style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center95 kW @ 208 V 400 Hzstyle=text-align:center-style=text-align:centerChippewa, SCOPE, KRONOSstyle=text-align:center60-bit processor @ 36 MHzstyle=text-align:center3.84 Megabytes (up to 512000 60-bit words)style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center15 MIPSstyle=text-align:center36 MFLOPSstyle=text-align:centerCDC Cyber
style=text-align:center1976-1982style=text-align:center136 megaflopsstyle=text-align:centerCray-1style=text-align:centerCray Researchstyle=text-align:centerSeymour Craystyle=text-align:center1975style=text-align:center100+style=text-align:centerUS$7.9 million in 1977 (equivalent to $35.3 million in 2021)style=text-align:centerHeight: 196 cm (77 in)
Dia. (base): 263 cm (104 in)
Dia. (columns): 145 cm (57 in)
style=text-align:center5.5 tons (Cray-1A)style=text-align:center115 kW @ 208 V 400 Hzstyle=text-align:centerData General Eclipsestyle=text-align:centerCOS, UNICOSstyle=text-align:center64-bit processor @ 80 MHzstyle=text-align:center8.39 Megabytes (up to 1 048 576 words)style=text-align:center303 Megabytes (DD19 Unit)style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center160 MFLOPSstyle=text-align:centerCray X-MP
style=text-align:center1983–1985style=text-align:center713 megaflopsstyle=text-align:centerCray X-MP/4style=text-align:centerCray Researchstyle=text-align:centerSteve Chenstyle=text-align:center1982style=text-align:center-style=text-align:centerUS$15 millionstyle=text-align:center2.62 m (8.6 ft) x 1.96 m (6.4 ft)style=text-align:center5.12 t (11,300 lb)style=text-align:center345 kWstyle=text-align:centerMost minicomputers of the timestyle=text-align:centerCOS, UNICOSstyle=text-align:center4x Vector processor 64 bits @ 105 - 117 MHzstyle=text-align:center128 megabytesstyle=text-align:center38.4 gigabytes (32 disks)style=text-align:center400 MIPS (4 CPU)style=text-align:center800 MFLOPS (4 CPU)style=text-align:centerCray-2
style=text-align:center1985–1987style=text-align:center1.95 gigaflops (peak)style=text-align:centerCray-2style=text-align:centerCray Researchstyle=text-align:center-style=text-align:center1985style=text-align:center25style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:centerCustom Vector Processorsstyle=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:centerCray Y-MP
style=text-align:center1988–1989style=text-align:center2.144 gigaflopsstyle=text-align:centerCray Y-MP/832style=text-align:centerCray Researchstyle=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-
style=text-align:center1990–1991style=text-align:center4.0 gigaflops (measured)style=text-align:centerFujitsu VP2000style=text-align:centerFujitsustyle=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-
style=text-align:center1992style=text-align:center20.0 gigaflopsstyle=text-align:centerNEC SX-3/44style=text-align:centerNECstyle=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-
style=text-align:centerJune 1993style=text-align:center59.7 gigaflopsstyle=text-align:centerThinking Machines CM-5/1024style=text-align:centerThinking Machines Corporation (TMC)style=text-align:centerDanny Hillisstyle=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-style=text-align:center-

Notes and References

  1. Book: Dongarra . Jack J. . Jack Dongarra . Moler . Cleve B. . Cleve Moler . Bunch . James R. . Stewart . Gilbert W . 1979 . LINPACK Users' Guide . SIAM . 9780898711721.
  2. News: Sidebar: The Linpack Benchmark. Jan. Matlis. 2005-05-30. ComputerWorld.
  3. News: New York Times. Technology; Measuring How Fast Computers Really Are. John. Markoff. 1991-09-22.