Direct to chip cooling: why data centers should consider it

Direct to chip cooling emerges in the context of the need for advanced data center cooling alternatives to tackle the profound transformations taking place in the industry today.

As data center energy efficiency becomes a central issue for operators and regulatory bodies alike, advanced cooling technologies are at the heart of innovative solutions pushing for efficiency.

Liquid cooling solutions are gaining momentum: around 40% of data centers are projected to adopt liquid cooling by 2026. Building on the higher thermal efficiencies that liquids present, this transformation is expected to provide sufficient cooling for the increasing data processing power that advanced computing will require in the near future.

Simply put, direct to chip liquid cooling provides a more efficient approach to air cooling by applying a coolant substance directly to the heated components of servers.

As the race to achieve reductions in cooling energy becomes more urgent than ever, direct to chip cooling is poised to become a key alternative for moving forward, reducing operational costs and paving the way for green data centers.

What is direct to chip cooling?

Direct-to-chip cooling is a cutting-edge thermal management technology used in data centers to efficiently dissipate heat from hardware.

Also known as direct to chip liquid cooling, this approach is based on circulating a coolant directly over the surfaces of critical components that represent heat sources, such as CPUs.

As such, key components to this approach are:

• Coolant: a specialized dielectric fluid with high thermal conductivity and low electrical conductivity engineered for direct contact with chips. Through its circulation, this fluid is able to dissipate heat from the components.
• Cold plates: attached to chips and thus directly in touch with them, these heat exchangers are in charge of enabling the heat transfer between the chip and the coolant.
• Pumps and tubes: in charge of circulating the coolant.

The basic premise of direct to chip cooling is that, by being directly in touch with critical heat generation components in IT equipment, it becomes more effective in removing heat than other alternatives. 

Simply put: direct to chip cooling gets closer to heat sources, allowing for higher efficiencies even on higher computer loads. At the same time, it builds on the benefits of liquid cooling, as liquids are more efficient at transferring heat than air.

Additionally, dual-phase systems incorporate the possibility to transform coolants into steam, thus facilitating enhanced heat transfers that don’t require pumps, as well as circular approaches.

The benefits of direct to chip cooling

The need to optimize data center cooling is pressing. 

The IEA has found data centers account for around 1% of global electricity consumption today. However, this figure is expected to escalate rapidly as advanced computing requirements for AI and other developments generate unprecedented demands from data centers.

In this context, a number of cutting-edge advancements and transformations have put the focus on guaranteeing energy efficiency in data centers. A concern that is aligned with operators priorities to reduce costs, minimize data center impact and comply with the surge in regulations that is expected to target data center power consumption. As such, “IT or data center power consumption” is a top priority for 88% of data center operators, according to Uptime Institute’s Global Data Center Results in 2023.

This is the context where the implementation of IA-based data centers that ensure energy optimization can be understood. And it’s also the context where advanced data center cooling solutions such as direct to chip cooling can be framed.

In fact, addressing data center cooling to improve energy efficiency in data centers is key, considering “cooling data centers can take up 40% of their total energy consumption”, according to figures published by EU sources.

In this context, direct to chip cooling represents several key advantages:

• An alternative to air-cooling solutions that allows for higher rack densities. The low efficiencies of air-cooling for data centers mean this approach typically presents a limitation when supporting rack densities beyond 20 kilowatts per rack. This aligns current escalation needs for data centers, as direct-to-chip cooling can support rack densities from 50 to 100 kilowatts. In fact, today, around half of operators in the high-density rack category have already adopted liquid cooling as their main option.

• High efficiency and lower costs. Direct to chip cooling not only dissipates heat at faster rates, but it also employs less energy to do so compared to air-based cooling systems. This is because this approach directly targets heat-generating components, while also building on liquids’ higher capacities for heat absorption compared to air.

• Enhanced sustainability. The higher efficiencies mentioned above also mean direct to chip cooling represents a key alternative to reduce energy consumption for these facilities, and thus significantly reduce their environmental impact. 

• Facilitating performance and data center connectivity. The right data center cooling solution is at the heart of guaranteeing equipment performs correctly. By reducing heat efficiently through advanced techniques such as direct to chip cooling, data centers increase their equipment’s reliability and thus reduce the chances of failure and downtime. As such, this approach to cooling allows for trustworthy operations that open the door to meeting rising power demands and providing outstanding services to clients. A possibility that is further developed when opting for flexible and modular architectures able to expand data center operations when needed.
• Reduced vibrations. A study looking at the benefits of precision immersion cooling solutions such as direct to chip cooling has also found this approach allows for significant reductions in mitigating “acoustic vibrational issues” when compared with air-cooling solutions.

When combined, these benefits mean direct to chip liquid cooling represents a key strategy to enhance data center resilience, minimize downtime and extend equipment lifespan. 

Challenges in direct to chip cooling, solutions and alternatives 

Challenges in implementing direct to chip cooling vary depending on whether the project involves a new installation or retrofitting existing ones. 

Generally speaking, liquid cooling solutions often involve more costly equipment and components compared to air-cooled systems. However, the ROI considering the higher efficiencies of liquid cooling must be taken into account beyond upfront costs.

Additionally, while liquid cooling typically sparks concerns around potential leaks or evaporation, advanced systems for monitoring can be in charge of alerting on leaks, fluid loss and related issues.

For those considering direct to chip cooling versus other liquid cooling options, immersion cooling emerges as a direct alternative that also offers outstanding efficiencies. 

With the capacity to support rack densities from 50 to 250 kilowatts per rack, this choice also covers potential concerns about cooling all heat sources in hardware beyond those covered by direct to chip liquid cooling.

Advice by seasoned thermal engineering experts remains the key foundation for data center operators to make informed decisions when selecting the right data center cooling approach. Professional data center cooling design that takes current advancements into account can supercharge any new or retrofitting project by aligning state-of-the-art technologies with the specific requirements of the data center at hand. 

From modular deployments to integrating data center cooling and district heating, there are a myriad of possibilities today that put energy efficiency at the forefront to facilitate cost reductions and sustainability measures. Complementary technologies are also emerging to guarantee data center cooling is as efficient as possible. This includes Thermal Energy Storage (TES) tanks, capable of turning waste energy into a resource.

Liquid cooling provides up to 1000 times more effective cooling than air-cooling techniques. Today, the diversity of available liquid cooling methods means data center efficiency is achievable and can match any data center project needs and requirements.

This is where ARANER comes in. Our expert advice based on decades-long experience in thermal engineering guarantees we can provide tailored cooling solutions for each project. 

Through careful consideration of each centers’ equipment, expected use and environmental conditions, we help operators make the right choice and pick the right solution. From there, we take care of designing and implementing cooling technologies that align with the project.

The goal? To develop fully-integrated data center cooling solutions that take efficiency to the next level and open the door to significant cost savings and boost equipment performance. All while ensuring data centers can advance towards greater sustainability.

Want to find out if direct to chip cooling is the right option for your project? Take a look at our data center cooling solutions or get in touch with us to speak to our team of experts about how we can help you.