Computers may become the central heaters of the future

[janas19]

http://www.extremetech.com/computing/90992-microsoft-suggests-heating-your-home-with-data-furnaces

Microsoft research proposal on "data furnaces!"

In the bitcoin mining thread, I said it was ridiculous to use computer chips as heaters. I think I was wrong.

 

[momeNt]

Did you see the most recent mission impossible? Turn the fan off of that thing and it started breathing molten hot fire.

 

[janas19]

Did you see the most recent mission impossible? Turn the fan off of that thing and it started breathing molten hot fire.

I did not.

 

[Lemon law]

When I acquire and use a few hundred servers and keep them on 24/7/365, I will consider it practical to recover the waste heat, for my one single computer I don't run for even 12 hours a day, I don't think so.

 

[EagleKeeper]

There are people over in the DC forum that use their number crunchers to heat their living areas.

How to reverse the heat flow in the summer is a different story

 

[Jaskalas]

When I acquire and use a few hundred servers and keep them on 24/7/365, I will consider it practical to recover the waste heat, for my one single computer I don't run for even 12 hours a day, I don't think so.

Maybe Google will store its server farms in our homes to help heat them.

 

[janas19]

Maybe Google will store its server farms in our homes to help heat them.

That's what the article is about dude.

 

[nonlnear]

When I acquire and use a few hundred servers and keep them on 24/7/365, I will consider it practical to recover the waste heat, for my one single computer I don't run for even 12 hours a day, I don't think so.

If your computer is indoors you already "recover" the waste heat. All of it.

 

[Lanyap]

I'm glad I still have my mainframe in the basement. It generates heated air and water.

 

[bfdd]

Mine already is. I close my windows and leave it on. Without the heat escaping due to modern insulation, it works relatively nice with fans pushing the warm air into the room.

 

[Fern]

Strikes me as stupid.

Let's forget about trying to install and maintain in these peoples' private homes, what the hell are you going to do in Summer time when that excess makes your AC bill sky high?

I think they should find some other way to capture the heat and make use of it. Seems to me that would be easier when they are all located together.

Fern

 

[cybrsage]

Why would I want to pay the electric bill for Google's servers when I have gas heat, which is MUCH cheaper?

 

[cave_dweller]

Another 'FAIL' from Microsoft

With a temperature of around 40-50C (104-122F), the exhaust from a rack of cloud servers could be a very cost-effective way of heating your house, according to researchers from Microsoft

Price of server farm + Electricity bill = ??????????????