Max Smolaks

Max Smolaks

Max is a Research Analyst at Uptime Institute Intelligence. Mr Smolaks’ expertise spans digital infrastructure management software, power and cooling equipment, and regulations and standards. He has 10 years’ experience as a technology journalist, reporting on innovation in IT and data center infrastructure.

Latest Research

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4 days ago
GPU utilization is a confusing metric

Many operators expect GPUs to be highly utilized, but examples of real-world deployments paint a different picture. Why are expensive compute resources being wasted — and what effect does this have on data center power consumption?

Intelligence Updates 6 min read
 
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‘Reasoning’ will increase the infrastructure footprint of AI

AI vendors claim that “reasoning” can improve the accuracy and quality of the responses generated by LLMs, but this comes at a high cost. What does this mean for digital infrastructure?

Intelligence Updates 5 min read
 
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Hardware for AI: options and directions

AI is not a uniform workload — the infrastructure requirements for a particular model depend on a multitude of factors. Systems and silicon designers envision at least three approaches to developing and delivering AI.

Intelligence Updates 6 min read
 
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The DeepSeek paradox: more efficiency, more infrastructure?

The emergence of the Chinese DeepSeek LLM has raised many questions. In this analysis, Uptime Intelligence considers some of the implications for all those primarily concerned with the deployment of AI infrastructure.

Intelligence Updates 10 min read
 
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AI supremacy: how will the new US GPU export controls work?

The US government is applying a new set of rules to control the building of large AI clusters around the world. The application of these rules will be complex.

Intelligence Updates 9 min read
 
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REPLAY | Five Data Center Predictions for 2025

Uptime Intelligence surveys the data center industry landscape to look deeper at what can actually happen in 2025 and beyond based on the latest trends and developments. The stronghold that AI has on the industry is a constant discussion - but how…

On-Demand Webinars 60 min
 
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Five data center predictions for 2025

Uptime Intelligence looks beyond the more obvious trends of 2025 and examines some of the latest developments and challenges shaping the data center industry.

Keynote Reports 28 min read
 
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Nvidia’s vision for data centers may be a false prophecy

Nvidia’s dominant position in the AI hardware market may be steering data center design in the wrong direction. This dominance will be harder to sustain as enterprises begin to understand AI and opt for cheaper, simpler hardware.

Intelligence Updates 7 min read 1 comment
 
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REPLAY | Uptime Intelligence Client Webinar: Cooling the AI heat wave

In this inaugural Uptime Intelligence client webinar, Uptime experts discuss and answer questions on cooling technologies and strategies to address AI workloads. Uptime Intelligence client webinars are only available for Uptime Intelligence…

On-Demand Webinars 60 min
 
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Why bigger is not better: gen AI models are shrinking

Not all generative AI applications will require large and dense infrastructure footprints. This complicates AI power consumption projections and data center planning.

Intelligence Updates 6 min read
 
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Should data centers sell their heat?

Historically, data center waste heat recovery has been promoted with a focus on the benefits for the heat off-taker. And yet, the overall winner in most situations is the data center operator — even if they are not paid for heat.

Intelligence Updates 7 min read
 
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AI has a weight problem

Generative AI models brought about an influx of high-density cabinets. There has been much focus on how to best manage thermal issues, but the weight of power distribution equipment is a potentially overlooked concern.

Intelligence Updates 6 min read
 
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Hardware for AI: what makes it different

Most operators will be familiar with the outrageous power and cooling demands of hardware for generative AI. Why are these systems so difficult to accommodate, and what does this mean for the future of data center design?

Intelligence Updates 10 min read
 
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Uptime Institute Global Data Center Survey 2024

The 14th edition of the Uptime Institute Global Data Center Survey highlights the experiences and strategies of data center owners and operators in the areas of resiliency, sustainability, efficiency, staffing, cloud and AI.

Keynote Reports 27 min read
 
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Global IT disruption highlights concentration, third-party risk

Several recent outages have exposed the global dependency on a small number of third-party suppliers — and governments around the world are already taking note.

Intelligence Updates 7 min read
 
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