NVIDIA's Blackwell artificial intelligence graphics processor is set to deliver significant performance gains but also comes with high power consumption data (up to 1200 watts). This will prompt data centers to move away from traditional cooling methods. One of the currently effective methods is using water cooling, a solution that has already seen widespread adoption in the market, with NVIDIA's CEO announcing it as the next choice.
In light of this, Taiwan's "Economic Daily News" reports that due to companies eager to seize the opportunity early, there has been a significant surge in demand for water cooling solutions.
The chairman of the Taiwan Thermal Management Association revealed that crucial components involved in water cooling processes are currently out of stock in the market, attributing this to hype around artificial intelligence and how individuals and clients are artificially creating shortages of such components. The official disclosed that water-cooled data centers are the future of the artificial intelligence market, making sustainability of future products crucial. Many companies have recognized the significant demand for water-cooled servers and data centers, leading them to establish specialized factories focusing on producing such cooling equipment.
NVIDIA's CEO himself has reiterated the importance of liquid cooling for the development of data centers, stating that future data centers will be cooled using liquid cooling. It is worth noting that AI GPU servers centered around Blackwell may heavily utilize water cooling technology. However, due to the sensitivity of the setup process (board-to-board and plumbing methods), current supply constraints have led to bottlenecks and soaring prices.
This means that the upcoming data centers will be relatively more expensive than previous ones, not only due to successive upgrades but also because liquid cooling can be costly. If the industry does not promptly address the issue of inefficient supply chain, it may lead to a backlog of orders.
