Cost Optimization & TCO Analysis
Identifying "Hidden Leaks" and maximizing the ROI of your Supercomputing budget.
The HPC TCO Iceberg Model
In HPC, the server invoice (CapEx) is often only 25-30% of the total cost over 5 years. The other 70%—electricity, cooling, commercial software licenses, and administration (OpEx)—is hidden below the waterline.
Figure: Visible Capital Expenditure vs. Hidden Operating Expenses
Power & Cooling Efficiency
An HPC rack can consume $30,000+ per year in electricity. We analyze your PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) to ensure you aren't paying more for heat than for compute.
The Software License Trap
Commercial software (Ansys, LS-DYNA) often charges per core. Running on old, slow cores requires more licenses for the same work. Upgrading to faster hardware can slash your software bill by 50%.
Optimization Strategies
License-Aware Design
Switching from 64 slow cores to 32 high-frequency cores maintains simulation speed but cuts per-core license costs in half.
Energy-Aware Scheduling
Throttling CPU frequency by 10% during peak hours can save up to 30% power with negligible performance loss.
Storage Tiering
Automated data movement: Move untouched files from expensive NVMe to lower-cost HDD or Tape storage.
Cost Management Toolkit
| Category | Tool | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| License Management | FlexLM / OpenLM | Detecting "License Hoarding" and tracking actual usage trends. |
| Power Monitoring | IPMI / Redfish | Real-time power draw analysis to calculate and improve PUE. |
| Financial Modeling | Cloud TCO Calculators | Factual "All-In" comparison: On-Premises vs. AWS/Azure. |
| Scheduling | Slurm Energy Plugin | Automated CPU throttling during idle times or high-cost periods. |
Stop Burning Cash
Download our "HPC Iceberg" TCO Spreadsheet to visualize your hidden operating costs.
Download TCO Framework (.docx)