Summary
This technical report analyzes the impact of memory configuration and BIOS power profiles on the energy efficiency of Data Centre servers. It examines how these factors influence performance through a series of benchmarks that simulate real-world applications. The paper identifies straightforward improvements, termed 'easy wins,' alongside more specialized enhancements achievable via server profile customization. The methodology section outlines the use of industry-standard benchmarks, SPECpower_ssj2008 and SERT, to measure energy efficiency metrics. The results indicate that memory configuration significantly affects the SERT 2 score, with a focus on the number of DIMMs and their capacity. The findings suggest that maximizing the number of populated memory channels enhances efficiency. Additionally, the report discusses the role of BIOS settings in optimizing server performance, highlighting the importance of server profile awareness. The analysis demonstrates that specific BIOS configurations can lead to substantial reductions in power consumption without compromising performance.
