As 2024 draws to a close, those working in the data center industry may reflect on it as the year that liquid cooling went fully mainstream.

For so long talked about as a coming technology for the sector, liquid cooling has become embedded in the data center design process to the extent that it is now the default option for many developers, particularly those looking to cater for AI workloads. At the same time, the number of flavors of liquid cooling on offer is also on the rise, with more direct-to-chip and immersion options coming to the market than ever before.

In this cooling supplement, we take a look at various implications of having more and more liquid flowing through data centers.