Quantum Computing - How hard will you overclock it?

[fury]

Quantum computing is around the corner, and it promises almost limitless speeds, probably more than any average human will ever need. So, when it becomes plausible for a mainstream user to buy a computer powered by a quantum CPU, how hard will you overclock it?

I'd probably try for 300-400% stock clock speed if possible. But I guess I could settle for 150-200%

 

[PT]

I'll buy two, see how far I can push the first before it blows, then take the second about 10% less than that.

So that would be what? 123 Ghz?

 

[fury]

What if quantum CPUs don't have a conventional clock speed?

 

[PT]

Then how will you know if you overclocked it?

 

[fury]

Someone, somewhere, will eventually find a way.

Maybe it won't be called overclocking though.

Maybe it'll be called overquantumizing.

Nah, that's too many syllables. I think we'll probably still call it overclocking even though it technically has no clock speed. Just like how we still call refrigerators refrigerators even though they're mostly beer- or CPU-cooling units.

 

[Professur]

Wouldn't overclocking a Quantum chip produce something like an atomic bomb? I think Fluffy would be seeing more than just a little whisp of smoke.

 

[Luis G]

probably more than any average human will ever need.

that's the biggest lie that has been told ever since computers were invented

 

[Gonz]

humans need vs the needs of humans. We can't have long term space travel without quantum (or better) computers. imagine, everything, and I do mean everything requiring a computer in order to live. breathable air, gravity, momentum, food, water, lighting, communications...hmmmm

 

[fury]

Yeah, I guess a dual Athlon XP isn't quite overkill then.

Just imagine trying to run environmental controls on a duallie setup.. if you were running Windows, you'd have a hell of a time balancing the load between the two processors... and if you're overclocking, don't be surprised if you suddenly start experiencing 300x gravity, breathing in helium, and drinking water that turns to mercury when heated to 98.6°F.

 

[outside looking in]

Quantum computers process information along massively parallel paths... I'm not sure that there will be an equivalent to overclocking. I mean, sure... you might could speed up the process of input and output value handling, but the actual calculation will use time borrowed from other realities, so there is no "overclocking."

AFAIK, there isn't a limit on the number of possible realities available for calculation, but there may be a phycisal limit on the number of realities a given quantum processor design can access. I think the degree of parallelism will become more akin to what our current "clock speed" is.