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."

Comments

Drives

[maz2331]

I'd be mostly concerned about the lifespan of hard drives at these temperatures. The electronics can be easily made to tolerate heat, but drives are a weak link. The bearings and lubricants are especially vulnerable.

Re:Were nerds here... use the f'ing metric system

[osu-neko]

Well, yeah, except for that 98.6 thing.

You're referring to the common misconception that that's the normal body temperature, or even that body temperatures are so regular that you'd need a decimal point to express it? (The figure 98.6F is an example of false precision, being a translation of 37C, which wasn't meant to be more accurate than a degree celsius to begin with, and was a rough figure at that.)