IBM's 'Cool Blue' looks to help servers chill out
Cooling gadget for data centers is designed to extend the abilities of existing air conditioning systems while saving space, money.
rack, circulating chilled water and carrying
away heat.
The component, IBM says, lets companies cool additional servers without having to install more floor-space-hogging, and pricey, air conditioning systems.
The Heat eXchanger can remove up to 55 percent of the heat generated in a fully populated rack and then take it out of the data center, IBM said. Big Blue boasts that the product can remove up to 50,000 BTU (thermal units) of heat generated by a full server rack.
Cool Blue is designed to fit on to IBM eServer-class enterprise racks, but the company said the technology can help cool off heat issues caused by other servers in the data center as well.
Prices start at $4,299 in the United States, as a standalone product. The Heat eXchanger can also be purchased as part of IBM's eServer Cluster 1350, with prices depending on the configuration.