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PlayStation 3 Architecture (2021)

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Re: PlayStation 3 Architecture (2021)

#3
post #2

Can it run deep learning workloads?

The PS3 was used a few time in clusters – some NN work was done on it back in the day. My understanding (somewhat echoed in TFA) is that when programming Cell, you really needed to think about communication patterns to avoid quickly running into memory bandwidth limitations, especially given memory hierarchy and bus quirks.

https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/629/

Re: PlayStation 3 Architecture (2021)

#5
post #3
post #2

Can it run deep learning workloads?

The PS3 was used a few time in clusters – some NN work was done on it back in the day. My understanding (somewhat echoed in TFA) is that when programming Cell, you really needed to think about communication patterns to avoid quickly running into memory bandwidth limitations, especially given memory hierarchy and bus quirks. https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/629/

For a while, it was a major player in protein folding. I remember the PS3 was particularly apt at doing that sort of work.

Re: PlayStation 3 Architecture (2021)

#6
So, I'd have to dig through some older notes I have, however, some of this information seems inaccurate based upon my own interpretation of the specs (and writing code...specifically, but not limited to, the PowerPC part). A suggestion from me is to provide sources, and also maybe an epub of this.

Re: PlayStation 3 Architecture (2021)

#7
post #6

So, I'd have to dig through some older notes I have, however, some of this information seems inaccurate based upon my own interpretation of the specs (and writing code...specifically, but not limited to, the PowerPC part). A suggestion from me is to provide sources, and also maybe an epub of this.

Please see this: https://github.com/flipacholas/Architecture-of-consoles

> A suggestion from me is to provide sources, and also maybe an epub of this

What do you mean?

Re: PlayStation 3 Architecture (2021)

#9
> The EIB is made of twelve nodes called Ramps, each one connecting one component of Cell... Having said that, instead of recurring to single bus topologies (like the Emotion Engine and its precursor did), ramps are inter-connected following the token ring topology, where data packets must cross through all neighbours until it reaches the destination (there’s no direct path).

I knew IBM was involved in the design of the Cell BE, but I had no idea some successor of IBM's token ring tech (at least the concept of it) lived on in it. I'm sure there's other hardware (probably mainframe hardware) in and before that 2006 with similar interconnects.

Re: PlayStation 3 Architecture (2021)

#10
post #6

So, I'd have to dig through some older notes I have, however, some of this information seems inaccurate based upon my own interpretation of the specs (and writing code...specifically, but not limited to, the PowerPC part). A suggestion from me is to provide sources, and also maybe an epub of this.

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