Difference Between Mainframe and Supercomputer
The difference between mainframe and supercomputer is not very simple. But it generally says that those are the most powerful and fastest types of computers that have a high price in the market. They differentiated each other for their tasks. These computers have special applications that require large amounts of mathematical calculations. For example, when it is required to predict the time, a supercomputer is required. Other uses for these computers are dynamic fluid calculations, nuclear energy research, oil exploration, and animated graphics.
Despite the continuous change in Inoformation Technology, both computers considered by many to be the most stable, secure and compatible computing platforms.
Difference Between Mainframe and Supercomputer:
| Supercomputer | Mainframe Computer/Central Unit |
| A Supercomputer is a large and runs a single program faster than the mainframe. It can run billions of floating points in a second. | A Mainframe computer works as a central unite capable of supporting thousands of users simultaneously. It can execute millions of instructions simultaneously. |
| A Supercomputer use all their power to run programs at a higher speed. | While mainframe use all their power to run many programs at the same time. |
| Supercomputers focus on problems limited by the speed of calculation. | While mainframe focus on problems limited by input/output devices, and reliability. |
| A Supercomputer often exploits massive parallels, often with thousands of processors. | While Mainframe has only one or a small number of processors (at most several dozen). |
| Due to the parallelism visible to the programmer, Supercomputer is very complicated to program. | While in the Mainframe, the limited parallelism (if it exists) is normally hidden from the programmer. |
| A Supercomputer is optimized for complicated calculations that take place mostly in memory. | While the central unit is optimized for simple calculations that involve large amounts of external data that are accessed from databases. |
| A Supercomputer tends to engage in science and the army, while mainframes tend to engage in business and government administrative applications. | Mainframe computers are used in organizations/companies to control their database. |
| A supercomputer has a Linux and their variants operating system. | While mainframe has multiple operating systems. |
| A supercomputer is a very large and most expensive form the mainframe. | A mainframe also expensive but less than the supercomputer |
