Tales of Silicon Valley: The Mighty Cray
[ Music ]
^M00:00:01
>> Silicon Valley is full of stories. Some pretty, some not. This is one of those stories.
^M00:00:07
[ Sound effects ]
^M00:00:10
>> Bruce Damer, curator of the DigiBarn tells the tale of the Mighty Cray.
>> This is a Cray-1 super computer, sold and used at Lawrence Livermore Labs. Designed by Seymour Cray who was a serious Trek fan and he wanted to make something that looked like Star Trek, so you've got the naugahyde over plywood seats.
>> Uh-hum.
>> And you've got this beautiful tower with a different colored panels that looks like, you know Scotty's work corps. Comedy's Scotty's work corps of the Transporter and the Bridge of the Enterprise.
>> Yeah.
>> And that's the Cray-1.
>> What era is this from?
>> The first Cray-1 was from '76.
>> Okay.
>> And they were made until about '82 and they -- it's three on the world's first super computer and they consist of these columns of boards. All on copper plate that go in this way and they're cooled by the edge. So, the heat that's produced by these chips gets drawn out the edge, you know chilled water column going up and down.
>> Uh-hum.
>> And so, you need a full sub-basement full of gear, full of refrigerators and generators and other big computers that will drive this because this is just the processor. There's no keyboard or terminal on this.
>> So, this is the motherboard?
>> This is ...
>> Or even that one?
>> This is actually the vector processing unit that would find in an end-video game card.
>> Aha.
>> You know, just that single vector processor. That's all this is. There's tens of miles of wiring. All wired by little ladies out in the [inaudible] consoles. And this, this is the power distribution cabinet, which allows you to change the voltage levels to the different transformers, which is the seats and this shows us - the machines has run for almost 68,000 hours, which will cost a lot of money. A lot of taxpayers' dollars went into this.
>> I expect the manual would be bigger.
>> Look for more tales of Silicon Valley at CNET TV.com
Up Next
This Van Builder Has Tips for Life on the Road
Up Next
This Van Builder Has Tips for Life on the Road
Super Nintendo World: We Tried Everything!
Super Nintendo World: We Tried Everything!
Real Estate Pro Breaks Down Property for Sale in the Metaverse
Real Estate Pro Breaks Down Property for Sale in the Metaverse
Reggie Fils-Aimé on Nintendo and the Future of Video Games
Reggie Fils-Aimé on Nintendo and the Future of Video Games
I Lost My Mind on Guardians of the Galaxy Roller Coaster
I Lost My Mind on Guardians of the Galaxy Roller Coaster
I Went Shopping in the Metaverse and Tried On a Gucci Bag
I Went Shopping in the Metaverse and Tried On a Gucci Bag
How to Download Kanye West's 'Donda 2' for the Stem Player
How to Download Kanye West's 'Donda 2' for the Stem Player
MoviePass will be back this summer -- this is how it'll work
MoviePass will be back this summer -- this is how it'll work
Watch ferrofluid turn into art
Watch ferrofluid turn into art
How Black Friday is very different this year
How Black Friday is very different this year
Tech Shows
Latest News All latest news
Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter
Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter
Apple and Meta Are Competing for Your Memories
Apple and Meta Are Competing for Your Memories
Nvidia's Project GR00T vs. Tesla Optimus: Competing Robot Strategies
Nvidia's Project GR00T vs. Tesla Optimus: Competing Robot Strategies
What Google Gemini AI on the iPhone Could Look Like
What Google Gemini AI on the iPhone Could Look Like
DOJ Sues Apple: Everything to Know About the Antitrust Suit
DOJ Sues Apple: Everything to Know About the Antitrust Suit
Microsoft Surface Pro 10, Surface Laptop 6 Are Here
Microsoft Surface Pro 10, Surface Laptop 6 Are Here
Most Popular All most popular
First Look at TSA's Self-Screening Tech (in VR!)
First Look at TSA's Self-Screening Tech (in VR!)
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost
'Circle to Search' Lets Users Google From Any Screen
'Circle to Search' Lets Users Google From Any Screen
Asus Put Two 14-inch OLEDs in a Laptop, Unleashes First OLED ROG Gaming Laptop
Asus Put Two 14-inch OLEDs in a Laptop, Unleashes First OLED ROG Gaming Laptop
Samsung Galaxy Ring: First Impressions
Samsung Galaxy Ring: First Impressions
Best of Show: The Coolest Gadgets of CES 2024
Best of Show: The Coolest Gadgets of CES 2024
Latest Products All latest products
Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter
Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter
Nuro R3 is an Adorable Self-Driving Snack Bar
Nuro R3 is an Adorable Self-Driving Snack Bar
First Look: The $349 Nothing Phone 2A Aims to Brighten Your Day
First Look: The $349 Nothing Phone 2A Aims to Brighten Your Day
Best of MWC 2024: Bendable Screens, AI Wearables and More
Best of MWC 2024: Bendable Screens, AI Wearables and More
This Concept Laptop from Lenovo Has a Transparent Display
This Concept Laptop from Lenovo Has a Transparent Display
Motorola's Rollable Concept Phone Wraps on Your Wrist
Motorola's Rollable Concept Phone Wraps on Your Wrist
Latest How To All how to videos
Windows 11 Tips and Hidden Features
Windows 11 Tips and Hidden Features
Vision Pro App Walkthrough -- VisionOS 1.0.3
Vision Pro App Walkthrough -- VisionOS 1.0.3
Tips and Tricks for the Galaxy S24 Ultra
Tips and Tricks for the Galaxy S24 Ultra
TikTok Is Now on the Apple Vision Pro
TikTok Is Now on the Apple Vision Pro
Get Your TV Ready for the Big Game: Super Bowl Setup Tips
Get Your TV Ready for the Big Game: Super Bowl Setup Tips
How to Use a Quest 3 Like the Vision Pro