What is high performance computing?
High performance computing is at the heart of many major technological innovations and advancements in the modern age. High Performance Computing or HPC refers to aggregated computer systems with the ability to perform extremely complex tasks and process data at incredibly high speeds. Where a personal desktop computer can complete around 3 billion calculations per second, an HPC can perform quadrillions. One of the most commonly known types of high performance computer solutions is the supercomputer; thousands of computer nodes joined together to perform tasks, combining power to complete those tasks faster.
But what does a high performance computer do? With more and more data being generated every second in today’s world, HPC is vital to analysing and processing this data. HPC’s can be used in a variety of fields; it is used in scientific applications to track the weather and find new sources of renewable energy and to help develop cures for diseases, in media it’s used to live stream events, it’s used in AI and machine learning, and has many many more possible uses. HPC systems are becoming more and more accessible to small businesses and startups, with rapid processing saving time and money. Most HPC data centers are on-premises and specialised for their field, but there is an increasing amount of off-premises and cloud-based HPC data centers emerging. An on-site HPC data center can be an expensive investment to implement so cloud-based HPC’s are becoming more accessible and popular, with Nordic European countries being a popular place to build the data centers due to the favourable climate and efficient electricity costs. Some businesses also use hybrid systems, with a combination of on-site and cloud HPC data center usage, allowing them to invest in infrastructure whilst also making the most of the flexibility and money saving options offered by the cloud. As cloud performance improves and continues to become more reliable, High Performance Computing is expected to rapidly grow over the next few years, and computing power is expected to increase leading to even more groundbreaking innovations being made in the scientific sectors and beyond.
Like any data center, a High Performance Computing data center requires cooling. The most efficient and common type of HPC data center cooling is liquid cooling as it is the most energy-efficient option with approximately 1000 times the cooling efficiency of cold air. Temperature regulated water circulates through the heat exchangers throughout the HPC system, cooling the vital computing equipment as it goes. Some HPC data centers have also found ways to recycle waste heating, using it to heat offices and other areas of the building where the data center is housed. Like most modern data center cooling solutions, high performance data center cooling should prioritise energy efficiency to reduce environmental impact.
With the growth of HPC data centers, energy efficiency is paramount. USystems aims to provide efficient data center cooling solutions that save money and leave a minimal impact on the environment. We supply industry-leading data center cooling equipment for data centers of all sizes, from High Performance Computing data centers right down to micro data centers on the user end.
