4 ms·
Yes, you'd still need a full forced air cooling system (especially with modern datacentre densities), so the only gain would be from the there being a higher te
by roryirvine 9mo ago
Yes, you'd still need a full forced air cooling system (especially with modern datacentre densities), so the only gain would be from the there being a higher temperature gradient for your heat exchangers to work with.
There's no way that by itself would make enough of a difference to justify building a dc there, given all the other negatives that others have mentioned.
- HarHarVeryFunny 9mo agoActually modern datacenters, such as xAI's Memphis one, are now using liquid cooling since the power density of SOTA chips demands it.
- roryirvine 9mo agoThat's inevitable, really, given the way power densities have been increasing. I wouldn't be surprised if people weren't also experimenting with high pressure Helium and similar technologies. It's certainly a far cry from opening some windows and stringing a few fans together in the hope that the chilly outside air will be enough to keep things cool!
- touisteur 9mo agoBefore we go down that path, datacenters full of oil tubs seems to be a trend in some spaces. Very good cooling power, low-tech heat extraction (small pumps to make the oil move, car radiators with big simple plumbing... do the trick well).
- quickthrowman 9mo agoThat data center likely still uses liquid to liquid heat exchangers with a chilled water loop and cooling towers to reject heat outside, but I could be wrong. Piping refrigerant around a massive building costs way more than chilled water, same goes for filling up the system, glycol and water is cheaper than refrigerant.