WoW servers use 75,000 cpu cores

13,250 server blades and 112.5 terabytes of RAM.

If you've ever wondered how much computing power is needed to ensure over 11.5 million subscribers can happily take off their clothes and dance around, then wonder no more.

Thursday morning's GDC Austin keynote saw Blizzard Entertainment's J. Allen Brack and Frank Pearce take to the stage to delve deep into the inner workings of the blockbuster MMO.

According to Pearce, the Blizzard Online network has data centres from Texas to Soul, and monitor over 13,250 server blades. This equates to 75,000 cpu cores and 112.5 terabytes of blade RAM. The Global Network Operations Center even features televisions tuned into weather stations that are used to ensure that conditions at the data centre are up to their standards

With so many players, releasing a patch is no simple task. Patch 1.3 saw 4.7 petabytes of data sent out to players. Brack described the process of patching, which includes testing, as a monumental task.

As an organisation World of Warcraft uses 20,000 computer systems and 1.3 petabytes of storage.

There's loads more of this stuff over on Gamasutra.