Nvidia has announced that its Rubin generation of AI infrastructure is the first to achieve 100% liquid cooling, eliminating the need for fans or air cooling within the system. This innovative design operates at higher temperatures, allowing for “chiller-less operation” with the use of outdoor air to reject heat, significantly reducing the reliance on traditional cooling methods. Cooling has historically consumed a substantial portion of data center energy, but transitioning to this liquid-cooled infrastructure could allow a 50 MW hyperscale facility to save over $4 million annually in related costs. According to Richard Whitmore, president and CEO of Motivair, this shift has become necessary as power consumption per chip increases, prompting cloud providers and data center operators to adapt their systems accordingly.
Nvidia: Nvidia develops semiconductors and software for graphics processing and artificial intelligence acceleration. The company has detailed its upcoming Rubin generation of AI infrastructure, which mandates 100% liquid cooling across all chips and networking components in a closed-loop system. This design supports higher coolant temperatures and enables chiller-less operation in suitable climates.
Motivair: Motivair provides advanced cooling technologies as Schneider Electric’s specialized division. It supports data center operators transitioning to liquid cooling solutions required by high-density AI hardware such as Nvidia’s Rubin platform.
Richard Whitmore: Richard Whitmore is president and CEO of Motivair, the advanced cooling division of Schneider Electric. He noted that liquid cooling has become mandatory once chip power levels exceed certain thresholds in modern data centers.
`json
{
“Cooling Technology”: “Liquid cooling systems operate independently of ambient air temperatures and support chiller-less setups using dry coolers in appropriate climates.”,
“Infrastructure Transition”: “Cloud providers and data center operators building for Nvidia’s Rubin generation are shifting to full liquid cooling designs.”
}
`