Let's be frank, cooling down servers is one of the hardest challenges for data centers today. Machines are getting faster and more popular, which means they are also generating more heat. So then the question becomes: air cooling or move to liquid cooling? Let's discuss about what they both suggest.
It is less complicated, dependable, and an inexpensive way to to cool too. This is why many data centers still use air cooling with servers. But as soon as you put the servers under heavy load, such as using AI, or cloud computing tasks, you will start to reach the thermal limits of air cooling.
A great comparison for air cooling is to think of your laptop when running a triple A or a substantial game. Have you ever watched a video showing how a data center seems to be the sound of a jet engine? Yup, that is air cooling!
• Great for small to medium-sized data centers
• Easy to repair when things go wrong
Disadvantages of air cooling:
• Not suited for high-density/high-performance
• High energy consumption—fans need power
• Difficult to keep temperatures even on larger systems
Some systems use cold plates strapped to CPUs and GPUs, and others circulate coolant throughout the rack. What are the benefits? Cooler temperatures, less noise, and lower energy usage.
• Less energy use than air
• Quieter and occupies a smaller footprint
• Maintenance would have to be a specialized process with increased complexity;
• With the use of liquid, a leak would be difficult to rectify.
Have you noticed that established tech companies like Google and Microsoft are investing in liquid cooling? There must be a reason for process- there are tangible savings on power usage and reliability.
So what will it be? The traditional cooling process or all-in on the “cool” technology?
Air Cooling - what is the point of air cooling?
Air cooling is simply what has always worked - it's the oldest process to cooling. Air cooling relies on using fans, vents and airflow to move the heat away from the servers.It is less complicated, dependable, and an inexpensive way to to cool too. This is why many data centers still use air cooling with servers. But as soon as you put the servers under heavy load, such as using AI, or cloud computing tasks, you will start to reach the thermal limits of air cooling.
A great comparison for air cooling is to think of your laptop when running a triple A or a substantial game. Have you ever watched a video showing how a data center seems to be the sound of a jet engine? Yup, that is air cooling!
Air cooling benefits:
• Inexpensive and low-maintenance• Great for small to medium-sized data centers
• Easy to repair when things go wrong
Disadvantages of air cooling:
• Not suited for high-density/high-performance
• High energy consumption—fans need power
• Difficult to keep temperatures even on larger systems
Liquid Cooling: The Up-and-Comer
Liquid cooling represents the contemporary solution for developing high-performing systems. Instead of simply blowing air for cooling, it extracts heat from components using a liquid supplemented by water or another coolant. It's like putting your server in a refreshing ice bath. How cool is that?Some systems use cold plates strapped to CPUs and GPUs, and others circulate coolant throughout the rack. What are the benefits? Cooler temperatures, less noise, and lower energy usage.
Benefits of liquid cooling:
• Significant improvement in heat management, especially with high-end servers• Less energy use than air
• Quieter and occupies a smaller footprint
Drawbacks of liquid cooling:
• More upfront costs;• Maintenance would have to be a specialized process with increased complexity;
• With the use of liquid, a leak would be difficult to rectify.
So, who the real winner?
Honestly, it all varies on your needs. If you are using a small hosting configuration for personal use or simply do not have workloads that tax your resources, air-cooled solutions still make sense. However, if you are running artificial workloads, vendor-hosted workloads or large data farms, then dropped efficiency and power usage will be reduced in a liquid-cooled setup.Have you noticed that established tech companies like Google and Microsoft are investing in liquid cooling? There must be a reason for process- there are tangible savings on power usage and reliability.
So what will it be? The traditional cooling process or all-in on the “cool” technology?