How Airflow Management System Works Inside A Server
Aug 17th 2020
The computing machine is notorious for generating heat, and servers can pack some very powerful machines. Because of this, knowing you can about airflow is essential to managing a server rack.
Even up to the data center level, airflow works the same, managed with various mechanisms.
Server heat dissipation
Silicon chips in processors, motherboards, and other computer components generate heat at a rapid rate when used. Because of this, silicon is never kept exposed and is therefore always covered by a heat spreader.
Internal Heat Spreaders (IHS) are the first level of heat spreading. The more powerful a chip is, the less an IHS will be able to manage heat. All non-mobile CPUs and GPUs can have some heat sink attached to them. This is a bigger chunk of metal that spreads out the heat to a greater extent.
For low powered chips, the heat sink is enough to cool the CPU while browsing the web. On the other hand, servers will require a fan in addition to the heat sink. On top of that, the fan needs to have access to airflow. In short, your server manages heat for various components in different ways. GPUs and CPUs have an IHS, heatsink, and fan, while chips on the motherboard and RAM only have an IHS. Heat sinks are used for chipsets and VRMs on a motherboard.
Server chassis cooling design
Although all of the cooling mechanisms are in the right places inside your server, there needs to be a proper airflow system through it.
Temperatures on the GPU were flat out undesirable for long term usage while the CPU was in a decent range. Results might vary depending on the case you use, but both temperatures were 20-30 degrees higher than what you can expect in a fully cooled case. PC and server cases work similarly, except additional cooling shrouds on servers.For servers, heat management is really important because they run 24/7, are in a thin framework, and have more elements. Intel CPUs have a maximum tolerance of 100 degrees celsius of heat, and once that is reached, the CPU decreases voltage and clock speed, dramatically affecting performance. If it is not able to control temperatures after that, the system will crash.
Having a well-ventilated server could differentiate between a safe operating temperature and decreased performance or complete failure. Server Case UK recommends a 4U Rack mount frame for best cooling as you can pass large volumes of air with a 140mm fan. Not everyone requires this much cooling, and mainstream brands like Dell, IBM, and HP can be trusted to properly manage thermals in a thinner chassis.
Controlling a server's environment
The most important difference between consumer PC and server thermal management is that people usually have more than one server. As you increase the number of servers, their environment keeps getting more and more important. If you have a bunch of servers, you need to put in as much effort you can into cooling the room. Data centers and server rooms have different cooling mechanisms, but the basic idea is the same. Cold air enters the front of the server and hot air exits from out of the back.
Products to improve server airflow
There isn't any cooling accessory you can add inside a server chassis that the OEM didn't supply. Thankfully, some tools can improve thermal performance when racks are mounted.
Server chassis cooling design
Although all of the cooling mechanisms are in the right places inside your server, there needs to be a proper airflow system through it.
Temperatures on the GPU were flat out undesirable for long term usage while the CPU was in a decent range. Results might vary depending on the case you use, but both temperatures were 20-30 degrees higher than what you can expect in a fully cooled case. PC and server cases work similarly, except additional cooling shrouds on servers.For servers, heat management is really important because they run 24/7, are in a thin framework, and have more elements. Intel CPUs have a maximum tolerance of 100 degrees celsius of heat, and once that is reached, the CPU decreases voltage and clock speed, dramatically affecting performance. If it is not able to control temperatures after that, the system will crash.
Having a well-ventilated server could differentiate between a safe operating temperature and decreased performance or complete failure. Server Case UK recommends a 4U Rack mount frame for best cooling as you can pass large volumes of air with a 140mm fan. Not everyone requires this much cooling, and mainstream brands like Dell, IBM, and HP can be trusted to properly manage thermals in a thinner chassis.
Controlling a server's environment
The most important difference between consumer PC and server thermal management is that people usually have more than one server. As you increase the number of servers, their environment keeps getting more and more important. If you have a bunch of servers, you need to put in as much effort you can into cooling the room. Data centers and server rooms have different cooling mechanisms, but the basic idea is the same. Cold air enters the front of the server and hot air exits from out of the back.
Products to improve server airflow
There isn't any cooling accessory you can add inside a server chassis that the OEM didn't supply. Thankfully, some tools can improve thermal performance when racks are mounted.
- If your rack has an open space, there is a risk of hot air recycling into the frozen air section. Blanking panels help to prevent this by giving hot, airless access to the front of servers.
- Even if you use blanking panels, stagnant air can create hot spots. These develop after continued use in a poorly ventilated area and can increase the equipment's temperature. Installing server rack fans can help move around the heat in an area with hot spots.
- A combination of a blanking panel and rack fan tray is a horizontal rack fan. These can seal off airflow and break up hot air in the rack.
- Lastly, an effective measure to direct airflow is to put side panels on an open frame rack. This is another way to stop cold and warm air from mixing and to help control temperature.