Currently, most data centers use a cold plate to prevent GPUs from overheating. However, the effectiveness is limited because the cooling film is separated from the heat source of many layers of materials.
"If you rely on traditional cold plate technology for another 5 years, you will be stuck," emphasized Sashi Majety, program manager of Microsoft.
The big difference of the new technology lies in bringing cooling fluids closer to the heat source. In the Microsoft prototype, the liquid flows through microchannels carved directly on the back of the chip. The company also applies AI to optimize flow, ensuring more efficient cooling. These carvings are inspired by nature, simulating the tangles of leaves or butterfly wings.
According to Microsoft, the new technology helps reduce the maximum heat gain in the silicon core of the GPU by up to 65% (depending on the chip type and workload). As a result, xung pressing becomes safer, while allowing for more dense server arrangements, reducing latency and making better use of waste heat sources.
Although the environmental significance is very clear, Microsoft mainly emphasizes the performance and efficiency aspect in official announcement. Green benefits are only briefly mentioned under the phrases sustainability and reducing pressure on the grid.
In the context of the need for more practical solutions to deal with climate change, many opinions expect this step forward to be exploited in the right direction that reality is demanding.
