48V direct to CPU goes Mainstream
Channel: Open Compute Project
Date: 13/03/2017

Speaker: Robert Gendron

High Performance Computing (HPC) applications have been using 48V rack power distribution architectures for over 10 years as a means of reducing power distribution losses. Due to increasing performance needs and subsequent higher power CPU and GPU requirements to meet those performance needs, mainstream data center servers are crossing a threshold of power utilization that is making the standard 12V distribution very challenging. A 48V distribution system would enable a reduction in current of 4X that of a 12V system and with a 16X (I2R losses) reduction in power distribution losses. The presentation will show how a 48V system can be architected and easily implemented using readily available and time proven (+10 year) component level power building blocks with industry leading efficiency and density.