Setting the stage for 5U PC to join our product range
Air cooled multi-GPU 5U render workstation computing
Innovation is the driving force behind G2 Digital’s success in today’s fast-paced marketplaces. Recognising evolving customer demand is essential. At the heart of our process lies the development of new products that reflect both creativity and strategic purpose.
More and more customers are expressing a need for bigger, more powerful computers to cope with heavy duty AI and rendering tasks. This has prompted a project to develop a solution to fit 4 top-end air cooled NVIDIA GeForce 5000 series graphics cards in a compact rack cabinet space.
Air or liquid cooling
Our existing 4U PC product allows for the fitting of multiple graphics cards, but to achieve a high density, GPUs must be liquid cooled. This method undoubtedly offers the best performance and higher density of compute power but there are several limitations. Notably; higher cost, risk of liquid leaks in critical infrastructure environments and increased chance of failure due to complexity.
The alternative is to stick with GPU stock cooler, this simplifies the design, reduces the number of parts in the system, requires less maintenance and reduces the cost. However, this is not as straightforward as it sounds because GPU performance has increased hugely over the past years which means so has the heat output. Air cooled GeForce GPUs are normally designed to be used in a tower case which have a lot more space. This is why rackmount 4U cases struggle to remove heat from the case which in turn overheats the cards and reduces performance. Our 5U design incorporates vacuum chambers above and below the cards. This additional space combined with forced air-cooling extracts hot air from around the GPUs, cooling the system and improving performance.
So, what else is different in the 5U?
The De-facto standard of case designs allows 8 PCI slots; however, GPUs have been growing in width for some time. New 5090 NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards take up 3.5 PCI slots which severely limits the quantity of cards that can be installed in a standard system.
Our 5U PC case design features 12x PCI expansion slots, that float above the motherboard, connected to the motherboard via ‘risers’. This allows for significantly more flexible arrangement of the GPUs because we can move the PCIe riser to a suitable location.
Ultimately this means the 5U is compatible with a vast range of off the shelf GeForce GPUs, simplifying the choice when configuring a system.
Power up
With all these High-Power GPUs involved, power becomes a significant issue. ATX (The standard power supply form factor) power supplies are currently (Pun Intended) limited to 2500W, necessitating a dual PSU setup. Consider the power requirements of a system with four graphics cards: 550W per GPU, 450W for the CPU, plus additional power for system fans and storage drives. To meet these demands, a solution needs more than one PSU, which is why the 5U chassis has been designed to accommodate two ATX power supplies.
What next?
Initial development of a prototype has gone well but keeping the GPUs cool enough has been a challenge. We can see why several of our customers have struggled with overheating when they tried to get this configuration to work for themselves.
However, we have looked at the test data and fine-tuned a working solution that will assist active cooling of the PCIe bay area, and we intend to have salable products from July ‘25.
Creativity and clear objectives
Developing new products is a dynamic process, combining clever and innovative creativity with precision at every stage. From the initial design and prototype creation through to production, every detail is meticulously planned and executed by our in-house R&D team. We test and test again, ensuring that the product will meet both technical and user standards and can seamlessly integrate into your infrastructure. Beyond functionality, we prioritise delivering a product that embodies exceptional quality and reliability.
Look out for our product launch notifications and if you have a question, unusual requirement or simply need a fix for a project, we want to know about it. Our experts can work directly with you to design and build a bespoke or tailored solution. Contact our team on +44(0) 333 880 4242 or drop us an email.
