Nvidia Unveils 45°C Cooling System, but Cuts Only a Third of Data Center Water Use
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Jun 22
Nvidia Unveils 45°C Cooling System, but Cuts Only a Third of Data Center Water Use
3 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Jun 22
Summary
45°C coolant entering racks and 55°C on exit lets Nvidia recirculate water in a closed loop for the life of a facility, potentially cutting on-site cooling water use by 100%.
That gain stops at the data center boundary: water used for electricity generation and chip manufacturing can double or triple a facility’s total footprint, leaving Nvidia’s fix addressing only about a quarter to a third.
2.7 billion gallons a day are consumed by U.S. fossil-fuel power plants, while natural gas uses 1.17 liters of water per kilowatt-hour and coal 2.2 liters, making power supply a major hidden drain.
About half of data center electricity still comes from fossil fuels, and the IEA expects gas and coal to provide more than 40% of new power needed through 2030, limiting how far facility-level cooling advances can reduce overall water use.