Supercomputers have CPUs that operate at faster speeds than standard computers. Their designers optimize circuit functions and minimize circuit length to speed information transfer between memory and the CPU. Supercomputers perform complex calculations faster using pipelining, which groups and passes data to the CPU in an orderly manner, and parallelism, which performs multiple calculations simultaneously using multiple CPUs. Massively parallel processing supercomputers connect many machines to achieve high levels of parallelism.

1. SUPERCOMPUTERS Supercomputers, just like any other typical computer, have two basic parts. The first one is the CPU which executes the commands it needs to do. The other one is the memory which stores data.The only difference between an ordinary computer and supercomputers is that supercomputers have their CPUs opened at faster speeds than standard computers. This certain length of time determines the exact speed that a CPU can work. By using complex and state-of-the-art materials being connected as circuits, supercomputer designers optimizethe functions of the machine.

2. They also try to have smaller length of circuits connected as possible in order for the information from the memory reach the CPU at a lesser time. Supercomputers have been designed to do complex calculations at faster speeds than other computers. Its designers make use of 2 processes for the enhancement of its performance. The first method is called pipelining. It does complex operations at the same time by grouping numbers which have the same order that it calculates and these are passed to the CPU in an orderly manner. The circuits in the CPU continuously perform the operations while data is being entered into it.

3. Another method used is called parallelism. It does calculations in a similar than orderly way. This is where it performs various datas at the same time and moves ahead step by step. A usual way to do it is connecting together various CPUs which does calculations together. Each of these CPUs do the commands it needs to carry out on every piece of information. All supercomputers make use of parallelism or pipelining separately or even combine them to enhance its processing speed. However, an increased demand for calculation machines brought upon the creation of the (MPP)massively-parallel processing supercomputers. It consists of various machines connected together to attain a high level of parallelism.

6. What is a Mainframe? Definition from SDS Mainframes used to be defined by their size, and they can still fill a room, cost millions, and support thousands of users. But now a mainframe can also run on a laptop and support two users. So today's mainframes are best defined by their operating systems: Unix and Linux, and IBM's z/OS, OS/390, MVS, VM, and VSE. Mainframes combine four important features: 1) Reliable single-thread performance, which is essential for reasonable operations against a database. 2) Maximum I/O connectivity, which means mainframes excel at providing for huge disk farms. 3) Maximum I/O bandwidth, so connections between drives and processors have few choke-points. 4) Reliability--mainframes often allow for "graceful degradation" and service while the system is running.

7. Mainframes are designed to keep running with as little interruption as possible. They contain large numbers of self-maintenance features, including built-in security features and backup power supplies. Since mainframes are usually the most important computers in a company’s computational arsenal, they are routinely protected by multiple layers of security and power backup, both internal and external. Among the self-protection measures commonly found in mainframes are an enhanced heat-protection mechanism. Since these computers run all day every day for years at a time, they naturally build up a large amount of heat that needs to be vented. The fans found in mainframes are some of the most effective in the business. Because mainframes are at the top of the network system food chain, they routinely have the best and most up-to-date of everything, including processors, hard drives, video cards, network cards, and peripheral connections. With a mainframe, which is designed to be super-fast, super-sleek, and super-powerful, read and write speeds have to be lightning-quick. Many mainframes have dual processors as a result.

8. One of the most important functions of a mainframe is to be able to host applications and work with multiple users simultaneously. Not all computers can handle this, so mainframes are very important in a company’s electronic design, especially its network design. Very often, mainframes are at the heart of computer networks. In today’s on-demand, Web-driven world, mainframes are playing an even more central role in providing — and controlling — access to and from networks. The number of users that can access a mainframe at one time is seemingly limitless. Mainframes in this environment are also designed to host Web-based applications. Mainframes typically can run more than one operating system at a time as well. This comes in handy when a company is running a Web-based system whose users include practitioners of Mac OS, Linux, and Windows XP. Mainframes allow a company to avoid having to exclude users because of OS issues.

9. Mainframes combine three important features: 1) Maximum reliable single-thread performance: Some processes, such as the merge phase of a sort/merge (sorting can be subdivided...) MUST be run single thread. Other operations (balancing b-trees, etc) are single thread and tend to lock out other accesses. Therefore, single thread performance is critical to reasonable operations against a DataBase (especially when adding new rows). 2) Maximum I/O Connectivity: Mainframes excel at providing a convenient paradigm for HUGE disk farms; While SAN devices kind of weaken this to some degree, SAN devices mimic the model of the Mainframe in connectivity "tricks" (at least internally).

10. 3) Maximum I/O Bandwidth: Despite the huge quantities of drives that may be attached to a mainframe, the drives are connected in such a way that there are very few choke-points in moving data to/from the actual processor complex. All system architectures are best at different jobs; Each is a set of compromises. Mainframes are more expensive because the compromises are less, well, compromised. The CPU performance is not always greater (in MIPS) than other processes, but the actual priority here is not raw performance but reliability. Mainframes, due to their great cost (and trouble in amortizing this across outages) often allow for "graceful degradation" and servicing while the system is running. While this is not a universal trait, it's interesting to see this priority setting the line in the sand between performance / price.

13. MINICOMPUTERS A midsized computer. In size and power, minicomputers lie between workstations and mainframes. In the past decade, the distinction between large minicomputers and small mainframes has blurred, however, as has the distinction between small minicomputers and workstations. But in general, a minicomputer is a multiprocessing system capable of supporting from 4 to about 200 users simultaneously.

16. PERSONAL COMPUTER A small, relatively inexpensive computer designed for an individual user. In price, personal computers range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. All are based on the microprocessor technology that enables manufacturers to put an entire CPU on one chip. Businesses use personal computers for word processing, accounting, desktop publishing, and for running spreadsheet and database management applications. At home, the most popular use for personal computers is for playing games.