Deciding to run Artificial Intelligence models (like Llama 3 or Stable Diffusion) on your company's own servers is a great strategy for data privacy. But there is one factor most IT Managers forget until they smell something burning:Power density.
A standard file server consumes little. But a server equipped with GPUs (like the NVIDIA RTX 3090/4090 or A-series) for AI processing is essentially an industrial heater plugged into your rack.
In a city likeLima, where voltage fluctuation and humidity are constant, plugging this equipment into a standard power outlet is like playing Russian roulette with a multi-thousand dollar investment.
1. The Electrical Problem: It's Not Just About "Not Losing Power"
Modern GPUs have transient power spikes that can last milliseconds but exceed twice their nominal power consumption.
- The risk:A cheap interactive UPS (the kind sold in department stores) is not fast enough to detect these spikes. Result: The server reboots in the middle of a critical process, or worse, the power supply fails catastrophically.
- The reality in Lima:Power quality in industrial zones or older office areas often has electrical 'noise' that degrades sensitive AI electronic components over the long term.
2. Cooling: The Silent Enemy
A GPU running at 100% for AI training can easily reach 80°C. If you have two or three in a small server room without proper airflow design:
- The server will enterThermal Throttling(it will slow down to avoid overheating), making your AI slow.
- You'll cut the components' lifespan in half.
Leaving the door open or putting a floor fan is not enough. You needBTU/h calculationsto install the correct precision air conditioning for that room.
3. The Vicma Infrastructure Solution
For companies integrating high-performance hardware, our implementation standard includes:
- Real Load Calculation:We size the Double-Conversion Online UPS (the only safe technology for this) based on the peak consumption of your GPUs, not the average.
- Certified Grounding:We verify that your grounding system has the appropriate resistance (< 5 ohms) to drain any static leakage before it reaches your processors.
- Thermal Management:We reorganize your rack and manage airflow (hot/cold aisles) to ensure efficiency.
Conclusion
Artificial Intelligence requires 'Energy Intelligence.' Don't risk $10,000 hardware by saving on inadequate electrical wiring or an undersized UPS.
Are you installing new servers and concerned about the electrical installation?At Vicma Perú we perform electrical sizing and adaptation of your local Data Center. 👉Schedule a technical visit for an electrical assessment here