4 ms·
Gigawatts seems like more a statement of the power supply and dissipation of the actual facility. I’m assuming you can cram more chips in there if you have mor
by brokencode 6mo ago
Gigawatts seems like more a statement of the power supply and dissipation of the actual facility.
I’m assuming you can cram more chips in there if you have more efficient chips to make use of spare capacity?
Trying to measure the actual compute is a moving target since you’d be upgrading things over time, whereas the power aspects are probably more fixed by fire code, building size, and utilities.
- delichon 6mo agoMeasuring data centers in watts is like measuring cars in horsepower. Power isn't a direct measure of performance, but of the primary constraint on performance. When in doubt choose the thermodynamic perspective.
- pepperoni_pizza 6mo agoGigawatts are units of power, gigawatthours are units of energy. The equivalent of cars would be pricing by how much gas you burned, not horsepower.
- delichon 6mo ago1 horsepower = 745.7 watts
- pepperoni_pizza 6mo agoYes, and that is both units of power, not energy.
- stingraycharles 6mo agoI mean a single nuclear reactor delivers around 1GW, so if a single datacenter consumes multiple of those, it gives a reasonably accurate idea of the scale.
- deleted 6mo ago[deleted]
- franktankbank 6mo agoThis conversation is confusing because OP didn't use the same units as the person in the quote.