A company has had problems with their HVAC system's ability to cool their data center. Which solution would best reduce the load on the HVAC system?

The solution of replacing traditional racks with water-cooled racks directly addresses the issue of cooling efficiency in a data center. Traditional air-cooled systems can struggle when there is high thermal output from servers, especially in densely populated environments. Water-cooled racks use liquid as a cooling medium, which is more effective at transferring heat away from the servers compared to air.

By implementing water-cooled racks, the company can significantly enhance the cooling capacity and efficiency of their data center's HVAC system. This approach not only keeps servers at optimal operating temperatures but also reduces the overall load that traditional HVAC systems experience, thereby improving longevity and performance. Water cooling systems can also help in maintaining a more consistent temperature throughout the data center, further alleviating the burden on HVAC systems and potentially reducing energy costs over time.

In contrast, while other options may provide some benefits, they do not directly improve the cooling efficiency as effectively as water-cooled racks. For instance, replacing cables or turning off non-critical servers may have minimal impact on overall cooling load, and removing secondary power supplies does not contribute to reducing thermal output from the servers themselves. Thus, water-cooled racks present the most comprehensive and effective solution for addressing the cooling challenges within the data center.