Microsoft says this new cooling method could enable more powerful chips and efficient data centers

"Microsoft is making advances with a new way to cool microchips that it says could lead to more energy-efficient data centers in the future. It's a method called microfluidics that involves liquid coolant flowing directly into the silicon. After lab tests, Microsoft found that this strategy can remove heat up to three times better than cold plates currently used in data centers today."

"If they can find the same success outside of a lab, microfluidics could cut down the amount of energy needed to cool a data center. It could also lead to more powerful chips that current cooling systems would struggle to keep from overheating. But there are still a lot of factors that could influence how impactful this new technology ultimately is in the real world."

"Compared to data centers of yore, the next generation being built to train and run new AI models house more powerful chips. Not only do those GPUs use a lot of energy, they also get very hot. Keeping them cool is a challenge that not only affects performance, but also makes data centers consume more energy. Typically, a data center might use fans to pass cool air over a chip."

Microsoft developed a microfluidic cooling method that circulates liquid coolant directly into silicon to remove heat more efficiently. Lab tests showed this approach can remove heat up to three times better than current cold plates. A prototype microfluidic cooling system ran a server hosting core services for a simulated Microsoft Teams meeting. If implemented beyond the lab, microfluidics could reduce the energy required to cool data centers and enable more powerful chips that existing cooling systems cannot handle. Next-generation AI-focused data centers house GPUs that consume significant energy and generate high heat, challenging performance and increasing cooling energy demand.

Read at The Verge