Manifold Runs over 1,920 Processor Cores in New GIS Supercomputing Desktop Record

For Immediate Release

Redmond USA — 6 May 2009 — Manifold.net today announced yet another new world record for the number of processors used in a personal computer for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) processing, coming less than 90 days after Manifold's previous world record set in London.

At the North American Conference for Manifold GIS Users in Denver, Colorado, Manifold set a new record by demonstrating simultaneous use of over 1,920 processor cores to perform a remote sensing image computation at supercomputer speed with over 5 teraflops of performance. Manifold demonstrated the new software on a desktop 64-bit Windows PC equipped with four NVIDIA-based GTX 295 GPU cards costing less than $500 each. (Illustration at right shows the demonstration hardware.)

The demonstration showed how a desktop Windows PC using inexpensive consumer components and running a $245 Manifold GIS package can run over one hundred times faster than any other GIS or remote sensing software package, even those costing tens of thousands of dollars more than Manifold.

For general information on the software and hardware technology employed in this new world record demonstration, please see the Press Release and FAQ for the London world record demonstration. This press release page discusses changes made that enabled a new record to be set in Denver, taking Manifold massively parallel technology to over 1,920 simultaneous processor cores and over five teraflops performance.

Most computer motherboards do not provide sufficient PCI-E sockets with sufficient spacing to enable installation of four double-wide PCI-E cards. A further obstacle is that most PC cases provide only seven PC card slots so that four double-wide PCI-E cards cannot be hosted by the case. These factors limited Manifold's prior world record to three simultaneous GTX 295 cards providing a total of 1,440 processing cores. The Denver demonstration exceeded that limit by employing an ASRock motherboard that provides four PCI-E sockets arranged to enable installation of four double-wide PCI-E cards. Together with a custom chassis designed by Manifold that supplies eight PC card cutouts and a power supply providing eight PCI-E 6 and 8 pin auxiliary cables, the new motherboard allowed simultaneous use of four NVIDIA-based GTX 295 GPU cards.

Each GTX 295 card provides two NVIDIA GPUs for a total of 480 processing cores per card. Four cards therefore provide 1,920 processing cores. Manifold utilized the same software demonstrated in London to show it could scale from the 1,440 processing cores used in London to the 1,920 processing cores demonstrated in Denver. The illustration at left shows the eight PC card slots in the custom case which enabled use of four GTX 295 cards in the demonstration hardware.

Manifold has given permission to Protocase.com to allow other customers to utilize the Manifold custom case design, and has published the hardware build instructions utilized within Manifold to create such high density, compact, experimental computing configurations. The instructions provide a historical reference for researchers interested in very high performance desktop computing.

Manifold is the world leader in modern GIS, with a focus on providing advanced technology at an exceptionally low price.

Manifold is the first mainstream GIS company to have delivered production products that run native 64-bit in Windows, that support Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, that support multi-core / multi-processor operations in Windows, that support SQL Server 2008 spatial enhancements and that utilize massively-parallel NVIDIA GPU architectures to achieve supercomputer performance on a desktop.

FAQ

For important information on the software and hardware technology employed in this new world record demonstration as well as the relevant FAQ, please see the Press Release and FAQ for the London world record demonstration. This FAQ covers only hardware changes.

What are the full specs on the hardware used? - The demo machine used an ASRock X58 SuperComputer motherboard with an Intel Core i7 Extreme processor, 12 GB of RAM, dual 1 TB disks in a RAID mirror, Enermax Galaxy EVO 1250-Watt power supply, four EVGA GTX 295 cards and a custom Manifold "E" case. For detailed specifications and vendors see the hardware build instructions.

Can I buy this hardware from Manifold? - No. Manifold.net is a software company, not a hardware company. Hardware is described in this press release to make it clear what desktop computer configuration was used in Manifold's world record software demonstration.

Buy Now via the Online Store!

This new technology will be made available to Manifold Release 8 licensees in the first half of 2009 at a low upgrade price. Buy Manifold System Release 8 today on the Online Store. The store is open 24 hours / seven days a week. Orders received by 10 AM Pacific time will process the same business day. Manifold System is delivered by download for rapid delivery with no shipping delays or fees!

Questions?

Please contact us at sales@manifold.net. We would like you to be happy with your licensing of Manifold products, so please do not hesitate to ask any questions before placing an order.

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