As AI workloads reach 130 kW per rack, data center operators need end-to-end liquid cooling solutions to efficiently handle rising thermal loads. The solutions are a critical part of the infrastructure, not another SKU, requiring data centers to work with partners who can deliver complete, integrated solutions that connect every layer of the system—from the chip to the chiller.
AI chips and heat densification are causing a shift in data center design, with gray space replacing IT racks in white space as the dominant factor. This means data center design now revolves around the Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) that accelerate AI learning and inference models. To accommodate this change, cooling solutions require an end-to-end approach.
As high-density AI racks become more common in data centers, the demand for liquid or hybrid liquid-air cooling solutions is accelerating. McKinsey predicts that data centers designed for AI workloads will demand $5.2 trillion in capital investment over the coming years. Operators face a growing urgency to deploy effective cooling solutions, as protecting that level of investment depends on a resilient infrastructure that ensures uptime and thermal stability.
Liquid cooling systems for AI
Liquid-cooling infrastructure for AI workloads is considerably more complex than air-cooling solutions since liquid cooling is a direct extension of the server itself. It requires plumbing infrastructure to circulate coolant between the IT equipment and a chiller — something air cooling didn’t require. As such, liquid cooling impacts data center operations at all levels, from the facility level to the room, the row, the rack, and ultimately, the chip. Components at all levels must function like fine-tuned Formula 1 racecars.
Data centers have traditionally relied on multiple suppliers for various infrastructure components, such as racks, power solutions, and cooling. But as operators embark on retrofits of existing facilities and new construction to support AI, it’s hard to achieve the necessary coordination when juggling multiple suppliers. True efficiency and reliability come from a single, trusted partner who can engineer, deliver, and manage your entire cooling infrastructure as one cohesive system.
A single-provider, end-to-end approach provides a faster enablement path to implementation and improved service and maintenance. And that translates to a quicker ROI for AI data center implementations – something operators can leverage with their clients.
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Benefits of treating liquid cooling as a system
Working with a single data center infrastructure provider eliminates the need to cobble components together, which can cause integration and compatibility issues. Here are some benefits of the single provider approach:
Operational Optimization – An integrated solutions provider delivers the technology and services to make sure everything works in an orchestrated, high-performance manner. This is contrary to suppliers of single components, who have no operational obligations beyond delivering their products.
Better Integration – Multi-supplier cooling environments can introduce mismatched pressures, control logic, and monitoring interfaces that slow deployment and complicate maintenance. A single end-to-end provider delivers fully integrated components engineered to perform as one system, simplifying service and ensuring reliability
Quicker Access to Technical Support – A single provider enables faster access to technical and customer service resources. This translates to improved communication between the supplier and the data center operator, resulting in quicker problem resolution.
Unified Accountability between Cooling and Server Vendors – If equipment from multiple suppliers underperforms because of integration issues, it’s harder to determine who is at fault. Warranty issues may arise that are difficult to resolve. A single provider of integrated solutions eliminates these issues with ease of access, streamlined communication, and – ultimately – operational optimization.
Access integrated liquid cooling solutions for AI data centers
As AI continues to place greater demands on data center infrastructure, thermal management cannot continue to be treated as a SKU. By partnering with a single trusted provider, data centers can simplify deployment, improve uptime, and future-proof their operations. Schneider Electric, along with Motivair by Schneider Electric, is the leading liquid cooling provider, offering an end-to-end cooling portfolio that delivers efficiency, reliability, and scalability to keep pace with today’s high-density AI workloads. Get started now with a more strategic and scalable approach to AI-liquid cooling for your data center.
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