▁shorter ▁route ▁around ▁the ▁circle ▁in ▁the ▁other ▁direction . ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁steps ▁involved ▁in ▁sending ▁the ▁packet ▁has ▁very ▁little ▁impact ▁on ▁transfer ▁laten cy : ▁the ▁clock ▁speed ▁driving ▁the ▁steps ▁is ▁very ▁fast ▁relative ▁to ▁other ▁consider ations . ▁However , ▁longer ▁communication ▁distances ▁are ▁det r iment al ▁to ▁the ▁overall ▁performance ▁of ▁the ▁E IB ▁as ▁they ▁reduce ▁available ▁conc urrency . ▁▁ ▁Despite ▁IBM ' s ▁original ▁desire ▁to ▁implement ▁the ▁E IB ▁as ▁a ▁more ▁powerful ▁cross - bar , ▁the ▁circular ▁configuration ▁they ▁adopted ▁to ▁spare ▁resources ▁rarely ▁represents ▁a ▁limit ing ▁factor ▁on ▁the ▁performance ▁of ▁the ▁Cell ▁chip ▁as ▁a ▁whole . ▁In ▁the ▁worst ▁case , ▁the ▁programmer ▁must ▁take ▁extra ▁care ▁to ▁schedule ▁communication ▁patterns ▁where ▁the ▁E IB ▁is ▁able ▁to ▁function ▁at ▁high ▁conc urrency ▁levels . ▁ ▁David ▁K ro lak ▁explained : ▁ ▁Band width ▁assess ment ▁At ▁ 3 . 2   G Hz , ▁each ▁channel ▁flows ▁at ▁a ▁rate ▁of ▁ 2 5 . 6   GB / s . ▁View ing ▁the ▁E IB ▁in ▁isol ation ▁from ▁the ▁system ▁elements ▁it ▁connect s , ▁ach ieving ▁twelve ▁concurrent ▁transactions ▁at ▁this ▁flow ▁rate ▁works ▁out ▁to ▁an ▁abstract ▁E IB ▁band width ▁of ▁ 3 0 7 . 2   GB / s . ▁Based ▁on ▁this ▁view ▁many ▁IBM ▁publications ▁dep ict ▁available ▁E IB ▁band width ▁as ▁" gre ater ▁than ▁ 3 0 0   GB / s