What is a TeraFLOP? - Easily explained

FLOPS - regardless of whether MegaFLOPS, TeraFLOPS or PetaFLOPS - are an essential parameter for the performance of computers. We'll explain exactly what it is and what makes supercomputers so impressive.

TeraFLOPS simply explained

FLOPS in all sizes, for example in the form of the notorious TeraFLOPS, appear more and more frequently in reports on supercomputers. Before you ask yourself the question about the "Tera", you should consider the "FLOPS" more generally.

• FLOPS is an acronym from English and stands for "Floating Point Operations Per Second". In German this means "floating point operations per second".
• Operations are mathematical operations such as adding and multiplying numbers.
• Floating point in turn stands for the usual way of representing numbers on computers.
• FLOPS therefore indicate how many such calculations a computer can perform per second. The more FLOPS a computer creates, the faster and more powerful it is.
• However, this is just one of several indicators that make a strong processor, as it only expresses how many calculations it can perform. In addition, many other aspects influence how much performance you can actually feel as a user.
• Everyday computers have processors and graphics cards whose performance is generally in the GigaFLOPS range and makes rare outliers in the low TeraFlOPS.
• Supercomputers, such as those built for research purposes, combine countless processors and even reach PetaFLOPS. A very recent development is the new record holder Sunway Taihu Light with 125 PetaFLOPS.

FLOPS: Kilo, Tera, Peta simply explained

FLOPS are now clear, but the question remains about the "Tera". To calm down: This is more closely related to everyday life:

• Tera, like kilos, is a size. Kilo stands for a factor of 10 ^ 3 or 1, 000: Because 1, 000 meters is a kilometer, 1, 000 grams is a kilogram and 1, 000 FLOPS is a kiloFLOP.
• It's the same with Tera, except that you rarely need this factor in everyday life. Tera stands for 10 ^ 12, so for TeraFLOPS for a trillion calculations per second.
• With 125 petaFLOPS, i.e. 10 ^ 15 FLOPS, the PC Sunway Tauhu Light manages an order of magnitude more: 125, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000 calculations. The following sizes are particularly relevant for FLOPS:

All FLOPS at a glance

1. KiloFLOPS (kFLOPS) = 10 ^ 3 (1, 000) FLOPS
2. MegaFLOPS (MFLOPS) = 10 ^ 6 (1, 000, 000) FLOPS
3. GigaFLOPS (GFLOPS) = 10 ^ 9 (1, 000, 000, 000) FLOPS
4. TeraFLOPS (TFLOPS) = 10 ^ 12 (1, 000, 000, 000, 000) FLOPS
5. PetaFLOPS (PFLOPS) = 10 ^ 15 (1, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000) FLOPS
6. ExaFLOPS (EFLOPS) = 10 ^ 18 (1, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000) FLOPS
7. ZettaFLOPS (ZFLOPS) = 10 ^ 21 (1, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000) FLOPS
8. YottaFLOPS (YFLOPS) = 10 ^ 24 (1, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000) FLOPS

You probably won't buy a supercomputer, but a new processor with lots of FLOPS can be worth it. We explain how to change the CPU in your computer. In addition, you can use certain tools such as OverDrive to get even more FLOPS out of your CPU.