

The thermodynamics of negative entropy: bounds on heat generated by computers - Read_the_Genes
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v474/n7349/full/nature10123.html

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tzs
OT, but this reminds me of something I've wondered about. Assume it is winter,
and I live in a region where this requires me to run some kind of heating
system to keep my house sufficiently warm.

Under those conditions, is my computer use essentially free? The idea is that
when the computer is on, it generates heat, which presumably reduces the
amount of heat that my home heating system is called upon to produce.

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Udo
Yes, it's essentially "free" - an electrical heater does the same thing as a
computer in this regard. My MacPro3,1 (lovingly called The Behemoth) produces
enough heat to make my home office comfortable through most of the winter. The
electrical bill is astronomical, however. And it really sucks in summer.

I always wondered why data centers aren't exporting heat to the local
community the same way many power plants do - it's a lost opportunity. It
would also be a great secondary heat source for many skyscrapers if they
designed them with a well-placed datacenter inside.

