Brain vs Supercomputer: Comparison of Power and Energy Efficiency

🧠 The Brain – the most powerful computer on the planet?

Imagine you have the most powerful supercomputer right in your head. It performs 1 quintillion operations per second, works 17 times faster than the entire Internet, and consumes only 20 W — like a regular light bulb! In this article, we will explore how the brain compares to the best supercomputers, how much data it processes daily, and why no computer has yet been able to replicate its unique abilities.

5 reasons why the brain is more powerful than supercomputers: comparison of power and energy efficiency

Modern supercomputers perform quintillions of operations per second, analyze huge data sets, and even learn based on neural networks. However, even the most powerful machines cannot match the human brain. Here’s why:

1. Colossal energy efficiency

• The brain consumes only 20 W — like a regular light bulb.

• The Frontier supercomputer consumes 21 megawatts — enough energy to power an entire city!

2. Parallel processing on a billion threads

• Processors perform calculations sequentially, even if they have many cores.

• The brain processes data in parallel on billions of neurons — it instantly combines vision, sound, sensations, emotions, and memory.

3. Self-learning and adaptation

• A computer needs reprogramming or updating.

• The brain learns on its own, creating and restructuring neural connections every second.

4. Flexibility of thinking and creativity

• A computer analyzes data and finds patterns but cannot go beyond the algorithm.

• A human is capable of spontaneous ideas, intuition, and non-standard solutions.

5. Emotions and awareness

• Computers do not experience emotions — they simply analyze data.

• The brain not only processes information but also “lives” it through feelings, which affect decisions.

Result:
✅ The brain is thousands of times more powerful and energy efficient than any supercomputer.
✅ It is capable of adaptation, creativity, and self-development.
✅ It is not just a calculation machine but a system that creates personality and awareness.

🔬 How the brain works: processor, RAM, and hard drive

You can compare the brain to a computer, where each part has its own unique function:

• Superconsciousness — the “processor” (CPU) responsible for global data processing.
• Consciousness (EGO) — the “RAM,” where conscious thinking takes place.
• Subconsciousness — the “hard drive” (HDD/SSD), the long-term storage of information and automatic skills.

Superconsciousness – the “Brain Processor” (CPU)

• Function: Global data processing, forecasting, analysis.

• Speed: Up to 1 exaflops (that’s a billion billion operations per second — as many as the most powerful supercomputers perform).

• Power consumption: Only 20 W — like a light bulb.

• Location: Frontal lobes and cerebral cortex.

Example of operation:
The brain processes everything at once: vision, hearing, emotions, memory — and instantly draws a conclusion.

Consciousness – “RAM” (cache)

• Function: Temporary storage and data processing.

• Volume: ≈ 230–500 KB/day (resets daily).

• Performance: ≈ 1 gigaflops (like an iPhone 5).

• Location: Prefrontal cortex.

Example of operation:
When you read, consciousness holds the words at the current moment, but by the next day they may be forgotten without repetition.

Subconsciousness – “Hard drive” (HDD/SSD)

• Function: Long-term storage of memories, skills, and habits.

• Volume: ≈ 10 PB over a lifetime (equivalent to 10,000 1 TB hard drives).

• Performance: ≈ 1–10 petaflops (like a supercomputer, but thousands of times more energy efficient).

• Location: Neocortex and cerebellum.

Example of operation:
You do not think about how to walk or ride a bicycle — it is already wired into neural connections.

Comparison of the brain with supercomputers

How do the brain and a supercomputer compare in numbers?

System	Performance	Power consumption
🧠 Brain	1 exaflops	20 W (like a light bulb)
🖥 Frontier	1.6 exaflops	21 megawatts (city)

What can supercomputers do?

Powerful machines like Frontier can perform 1.6 exaflops (1.6 quintillion operations per second). They analyze huge amounts of data, conduct complex simulations, help with scientific research, and even train neural networks.

But despite all their power, they have limitations…

Why haven’t supercomputers caught up with the brain?

✔ They perform calculations sequentially, whereas the brain works in parallel.
✔ They require enormous computing power and energy comparable to a city’s consumption.
✔ They do not possess intuition, flexibility, and awareness like the human brain.

The brain processes up to 86 zettabytes of data daily — that’s 17 times more than the entire global Internet traffic. For comparison: if the brain were a computer, it would process an amount of information equivalent to several days of global Internet traffic in just one day! At the same time, it only consumes 20 W of power — like a regular light bulb.

But power isn’t everything. Let’s figure out why even the most powerful computer can’t think like a human.

Why can’t a computer replace the brain?

🔹 A computer can beat a human at chess but cannot think.
🔹 The brain adapts on its own, while computers require programming.

3 reasons why a computer cannot replace the brain

✔ Plasticity – the brain changes its structure, a computer does not.
✔ Emotions – the brain feels, a computer only calculates.
✔ Energy – the brain operates on 20 W, a computer runs on megawatts.

Result:
✅ The brain is self-learning and adaptive.
✅ It not only calculates but also “experiences” information through emotions.
✅ Computers are still unable to replicate the brain’s complex biochemical processes.

Future: is it possible to create a computer equal to the brain?

Why does a computer beat a person at chess but hasn’t become smarter?