High-performance computing (HPC) is key to solving large, complex problems in science, engineering and business environments.
By enabling researchers and scientists to tackle complex problems, they can push the boundaries of what is possible, ultimately leading to discoveries and accelerating technological advancements.
However, HPC data centres require a significant increase in rack density compared to business-as-usual servers.
HPC is typically cooled through unconventional means, such as the use of rear door heat exchangers (RDHX), although there are many ‘alternative’ solutions.
HPC data centres are usually designed with scalability in mind. This means they can easily scale up or down based on the computational needs, ensuring that the system can handle varying workloads effectively and efficiently.
Organisations that use HPC data centres will often gain a competitive edge by accelerating research, product development, and decision-making processes. They can bring products to market faster and maintain a leadership position within their industry.
These environments also encourage collaboration and resource sharing among researchers and institutions, particularly in the higher education sector. This is because they can collectively pool their computational resources, expertise, and data to tackle larger and more complex challenges.
2bm prides itself on being vendor-neutral. Offering first-class independent advice on data centre design and builds, together with true neutrality in selecting hardware that will perform the best in HPC deployments.
Upgrading a data centre to a High Performance Computing (HPC) facility can deliver transformative benefits to an organisation, especially in sectors that rely on data-intensive processes – here are some key advantages:
Drastically improved processing power
HPC facilities are designed to handle complex computations and large datasets at speed – this enables:
• Faster data analysis and modelling
• Reduced processing time for simulations, AI, machine and deep learning
• Real-time decision-making capabilities
Enhanced competitive advantage
Organisations gain a significant edge by:
• Accelerating product development cycles
• Enabling advanced research, innovation, and forecasting
• Delivering better, faster services to customers and stakeholders
Scalability for future demands
HPC environments are inherently scalable, allowing organisations to:
• Seamlessly manage growing data volumes
• Add compute and storage resources on demand
• Support future workloads without major redesigns
Increased operational efficiency
Modern HPC facilities optimise:
• Power usage via advanced cooling (e.g. liquid cooling, hot aisle containment)
• Resource allocation with job scheduling and workload balancing
• Space efficiency, often consolidating workloads onto fewer, more powerful machines
Improved resilience and redundancy
HPC infrastructure typically incorporates:
• Advanced fault tolerance and system redundancy
• Robust monitoring and failure recovery systems
• Greater uptime and reliability for critical operations
Sustainability gains
By consolidating and optimising performance:
• Energy efficiency improves, especially when paired with sustainable design (e.g. free cooling, efficient UPS)
• Carbon footprint can be significantly reduced
• Supports ESG and Net Zero initiatives
Better support for emerging technologies
HPC provides the backbone for:
• AI/ML training at scale
• Advanced analytics and data visualisation
• IoT and edge computing integration
• Digital twins and simulation environments
Summary
Upgrading to an HPC facility is a strategic move that supports innovation, drives efficiency, and future-proofs your organisation’s IT infrastructure. At 2bm, we specialise in designing and building HPC-ready data centres that meet the highest standards of performance and sustainability.
Would you like help assessing the HPC-readiness of your current facility? Contact 2bm today.
Deployment and integration of complete high performance computing facilities
Solutions to suit different servers
Guarantee that each solution meets the IT infrastructure requirement
Energy efficient cooling solutions for high density server deployments
Effective and resilient power distribution
Cooling solutions to grow with a company's HPC requirements and future expansion
Cooling to suit differing rack densities from 10 to 25kW and 22kW to 65kW
In-rack and on-rack cooling
Partnership with Iceotope whose technology allows for efficient cooling and total heat reclaim
Reusing heat from IT equipment for other applications
