Nvidia Announces Fully Liquid Cooling System That Runs Coolant at 45°C
The announcement signals a shift in data center cooling strategy for high-performance AI hardware, moving away from air cooling and toward a closed-loop liquid system that could lower both electricity and water consumption at scale.
Reporting from 1 sources: GIGAZINE.
Nvidia has announced a fully liquid cooling method for AI servers that circulates coolant at 45°C. The system uses a closed-loop liquid to cool all major components, including chips and network equipment, in a fanless design. Nvidia claims the approach can reduce water usage for facility cooling by up to 100% and cut cooling energy costs, though effectiveness depends on local climate conditions.
Nvidia has detailed a fully liquid cooling system for its Rubin generation AI servers that runs coolant at 45°C, a temperature higher than a typical hot tub. The coolant, a mix of 75% water and 25% propylene glycol, flows through cold plates attached directly to processors. Nvidia says that in suitable climates, heat can be dissipated using outdoor dry coolers, reducing or eliminating the need for power-intensive chillers. The company estimates that raising chiller set temperature by 1°C can cut cooling energy costs by about 4%. Water consumption for facility cooling could drop by up to 100% compared to cooling tower methods, though the system's effectiveness depends on local outside temperatures. Nvidia is also redesigning server internals to accommodate liquid cooling for components that previously relied on air, potentially allowing a 2U configuration where 6U was needed before.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.