Dell contradicts self, debuts "Energy Smart" servers

It's no secret: energy efficiency has become a top priority in the server room. Whether you're trying to save the planet or just trying to shave costs from the bottom line, power efficiency is an important issue. In recent months, we've seen vendors scrambling to make the data center more efficient; marketing everything from server virtualization to dynamic cooling solutions to energy-efficient chips. Well, you can now add Dell to the list of companies that are attempting to follow the energy efficiency trend all the way to the bank: The Texas retailer has announced a line of "Energy Smart" servers that, according to Dell, will save IT departments $200 in power costs a year, per server. The servers use high-efficiency Intel processors, in addition to power supplies and fans that draw less power. The systems also feature components that increase air flow in the chassis--reducing the need for powerful fans--and sport system settings that cut down on power consumption as well.

Sounds good, huh? ZDnet blogger David Berlind doesn't think so. He calls Dell out for not backing up their "$200" claim with any hard data. Furthermore, he doubts Dell's commitment to energy reduction, when the company has long encouraged enterprise customers to increase the number of machines in their server room. "Scale out. That has always been Dell's strategy when it comes adding more horsepower to a data center. Just add more Intel-based boxes. Some of Dell's Intel-based boxes."

For more on the "Energy Smart" servers:
- see this ZDnet article
- as well as Berlind's rebuttal