I'm really skeptical that the demonstrated setup will provide adequate cooling. As a simple example, why not just run your hardware in a big pile on the ground

I'm really skeptical that the demonstrated setup will provide adequate cooling. As a simple example, why not just run your hardware in a big pile on the ground? Answer: your exhaust is too close to the air intake, creating a positive feedback loop. I tried this, and a small pile of 3 2u servers got smoking hot overnight. After I built an enclosure to ensure the air intake was separate from the exhaust, they now run great. The shelves are 3u, so there is space between the servers (and I don't like this fact), but the system stays cool because airflow is good enough. Also, with the kind of airflow you expect from rack mount hardware, the Ikea setup is going to cake the insides of those systems with dust. The air intakes are going to be visibly accumulating within a week. In my solution, I added a simple air screen, and it reduced dust DRAMATICALLY. Regarding this article, I predict disaster, based on my experience with the at-home rack mount hardware...