▁of ▁this ▁machine , ▁now ▁called ▁the ▁Play Station ▁ 3 ▁Gra vity ▁Grid , ▁uses ▁a ▁network ▁of ▁ 1 6 ▁machines , ▁and ▁explo its ▁the ▁Cell ▁processor ▁for ▁the ▁intended ▁application ▁which ▁is ▁binary ▁black ▁hole ▁co ales c ence ▁using ▁perturb ation ▁theory . ▁In ▁particular , ▁the ▁cluster ▁performs ▁ast ro phys ical ▁simulations ▁of ▁large ▁super mass ive ▁black ▁holes ▁capt uring ▁smaller ▁compact ▁objects ▁and ▁has ▁generated ▁numerical ▁data ▁that ▁has ▁been ▁published ▁multiple ▁times ▁in ▁the ▁relevant ▁scientific ▁research ▁literature . ▁The ▁Cell ▁processor ▁version ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁Play Station ▁ 3 ▁has ▁a ▁main ▁CPU ▁and ▁ 6 ▁S PE s ▁available ▁to ▁the ▁user , ▁giving ▁the ▁Gra vity ▁Grid ▁machine ▁a ▁net ▁of ▁ 1 6 ▁general - pur pose ▁process ors ▁and ▁ 9 6 ▁vector ▁process ors . ▁The ▁machine ▁has ▁a ▁one - time ▁cost ▁of ▁$ 9 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁build ▁and ▁is ▁ade qu ate ▁for ▁black - hole ▁simulations ▁which ▁would ▁otherwise ▁cost ▁$ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁per ▁run ▁on ▁a ▁conventional ▁super comput er . ▁The ▁black ▁hole ▁calculations ▁are ▁not ▁memory - int ensive ▁and ▁are ▁highly ▁local izable , ▁and ▁so ▁are ▁well - su ited ▁to ▁this ▁architecture . ▁Kh anna ▁claims ▁that ▁the ▁cluster ' s ▁performance ▁exceed s ▁that ▁of ▁a ▁ 1 0 0 + ▁Intel ▁X e on ▁core ▁based ▁traditional ▁Linux ▁cluster ▁on ▁his ▁simulations . ▁The ▁PS 3 ▁Gra vity ▁Grid ▁gathered