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The 100 Degree Data Center

miller60 writes "Are you ready for the 100-degree data center? Rackable Systems has introduced a new enclosure that it says can run high-density racks safely in environments as hot as 104 degrees (40 degrees C), offering customers the option of saving energy in their data center. Most data centers operate in a range between 68 and 74 degrees. Raising the thermostat can lower the power bill, allowing data centers to use less power for cooling. But higher temperatures can be less forgiving in the event of a cooling failure, and not likely to be welcomed by employees working in the data center."

5 of 472 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Were nerds here... use the f'ing metric system by Shakrai · · Score: 5, Informative

    Actually, this is an American site, so use something that most Americans can intuitively relate to. I have no problem working with most metric measurements (indeed, I did so for a number of years working in machining) but temperature just doesn't compute for me unless I do the calculations in my head.

    Fahrenheit just makes more sense to most of us. 30s = cold, 40s = chilly, 50s = cool, 60s = decent/might need a windbreaker, 70s = nice, 80s = warm, 90s = hot, etc, etc. Celsius is no where near that intuitive and was as arbitrarily defined as Fahrenheit was.

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  2. Re:Drives by rackserverdeals · · Score: 3, Informative

    It's really not so bad. Most drives are rated to about 55deg C (131F), 104F is only 40C.

    The key is to design the server with sufficient airflow to try and keep the temperature of the components close to the room's temperature.

    Looking at the Datasheet, it looks like they are running the servers on DC power. That way, each server doesn't have it's own power supply, they just hook up to a separate power unit elsewhere in the rack.

    The servers don't seem to have fans either. The fans are in the cabinet door.

    This setup reminds me of the description of Google's search cluster racks I saw somewhere.

    This could result in huge savings. I remember some Sun data center guy talking about one of their new data centers and how they were able to run it at 74F. He said each deg F the could keep the temperature up resulted in 4% power savings.

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  3. Re:Were nerds here... use the f'ing metric system by scorp1us · · Score: 3, Informative

    Only at standard temperature and pressure...

    Besides, at Zero, shouldn't there be NO thermal energy? You standard of +273K = 0C seems pretty arbitrary to me!

    Real geeks use Kelvin.

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  4. Re:Were nerds here... use the f'ing metric system by qc_dk · · Score: 4, Informative

    Ahh yes, the sea, filled with saturated brine.
    Sea water is ~26% salt. Which is why it is impossible to put any more salt in there, it'll just gently float to the bottom.

    What's that?? It's only actually ~50 ppt salt? And saturated brine freezes at around -7F/-23C? And harbour sea water normaly freezes at around -2C?

    Poppycock.

  5. Re:Were nerds here... use the f'ing metric system by mdf356 · · Score: 3, Informative

    I don't even know how many ml there are in a tablespoon.

    5ml per teaspoon, or close enough. So 15ml in 1 TBSP.

    Once you start doling out liquid medicine for kids, this one's easy. :-)

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