Intelligence Update
Investments back two-phase cooling as water cold plate successor
Direct liquid cooling (DLC) has attracted significant investment over the past two years, driven largely by the massive buildout of dense AI training clusters. In the coming years, major AI hardware manufacturers are planning ever-higher computing density, with a corresponding sharp increase in rack power — soon to surpass 200 kW.
Not long ago, the typical question about DLC for data center planning was whether it was needed at all. By 2026, the question for many organizations has shifted to how much DLC capacity they will need over time — AI compute systems have made it clear to many operators they needed to prepare for DLC. Generic servers are also approaching thermal power densities where a change to liquids make sense. As such, expectations of DLC adoption are running high, as highlighted by a recent flurry of acquisitions and investments.
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