Demand for data center services continues to increase. Organizations are generating, storing, and analyzing more data than ever before. They’re also implementing advanced applications such as machine learning, business intelligence, and operational analytics. These applications require substantial processing power.
As a result, data center rack densities are increasing. Rack density refers to the amount of power consumed by all of the IT equipment in the rack.
Data Center KW Per Rack
For many years, rack densities averaged 2kW to 5kW. That’s not the case anymore.
According to AFCOM’s 2024 State of the Data Center Report, average rack density now sits around 12 kW. That’s 2x the 6.1 kW per rack they initially reported in 2016. Despite doubling average density in just eight years, 12 kW still isn’t enough. Data center operators are being asked to support 30 kW+ per rack.
Greater rack density offers key benefits, such as the ability to pack more computing power in a smaller space and expand vertically rather than horizontally. However, it also creates various challenges for data center operators.
What’s Driving the Increase in Rack Densities?
Data center power used to be measured in watts per square foot. The industry shifted to kilowatts per rack as power densities increased. Two primary forces are driving the continued increase.
Power-Hungry Workloads
Advanced applications top the list of causes behind increasing rack densities. Data centers are the backbone of AI. Training one machine learning model can consume as much energy as 100 homes. Bitcoin uses more power each year than Argentina. Not to mention to sheer volume of network-connected devices continues to skyrocket with nearly 19 million connected IoT devices across the globe in 2024. As machine learning, blockchain, and other computation-intensive applications become prevalent, data centers are seeing their power demands skyrocket.
More Powerful Chips
IT equipment is becoming more powerful and thus consuming more electricity. A decade ago, most server processors used less than 100W. Today, server processors commonly use more than 200W. The entire server uses almost 500W on average.
Specialized chips with hundreds or even thousands of cores consume even more power. These include graphics processing units (GPUs), AI accelerators, and massively parallel chips. A GPU, for example, can consume more than 300W.
What’s Holding Back Rack Densities?
It’s important to note that 37 percent of data centers still have racks of less than 10kW. There are three key reasons why these data centers have not seen substantial increases in rack density.
Low Server Utilization
Server virtualization has been around for decades, and containerization has been used for several years. However, many data centers still have servers running a single workload. Low server utilization means more hardware using less power, thus limiting rack density. Server consolidation can reduce the amount of IT equipment and the number of racks and cabinets needed. However, server consolidation can be a complex undertaking.
Greater Business Risk
A data center is a long-term investment, but it’s difficult to calculate how much power density the facility will need in the coming years. The traditional rule-of-thumb estimates are no longer accurate. If an organization builds a data center that can support rack densities of 30kW or more, it must be able to utilize that much power to see a return on investment. Some data center operators play it safe by sticking with the status quo.
Technical Challenges
Greater rack density means greater heat, and increasing a data center’s cooling capacity is no easy task. Often, it means a transition from traditional CRAC units to liquid cooling. Increased rack densities also require greater power distribution capacity. All of this creates technical risk — and requires significant investments in time and money.
Preparing Your Data Center for the Future
The fact remains that most data centers are seeing dramatic increases in rack density. Now is the time to prepare for future demands. It starts with the right racks and cabinets.
We designed the Enconnex InfiniRack cabinet with great load ratings to accommodate growing power density. It is engineered to maximize internal usable space and has a unique, integrated PDU channel. We’ll configure it to order and ship it fully assembled to meet your project timeline. Additionally, we offer cooling solutions like aisle containment to accommodate ever-increasing heat outputs. Get in touch to discuss your specific requirements.
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