February 23, 2026
From hot takes to hotter racks
GPU Rack Power Density, 2015–2025
GPUs are boiling hot; fans can't cope — commenters cry 'bring the coolant'
TLDR: Modern AI racks run so hot that air cooling can’t keep up, making liquid cooling a must for NVIDIA’s latest GPUs. Commenters split between “this is physics, folks” and “lol marketing fluff,” but agree: if you’re buying GB200 or next-gen, plan for water or prepare to melt.
The internet just discovered that cutting‑edge AI chips are basically tiny space heaters, and the comments are sizzling. NVIDIA’s new Blackwell GPUs can pull up to 1,000 watts each, pushing racks to 132kW today and 240kW tomorrow. Translation: air cooling taps out around 50–100kW, and the crowd yelled, “Someone bring water!” Commenter jaynamburi declared a “thermal management crisis,” dropping numbers like mic drops, while others linked to Tom’s Hardware and Data Center Dynamics to back the physics.
Then came the drama. daemonologist rolled in with the classic “not a technical deep dive” dunk, and aabhay swung harder: “Marketing page… AI copy-written.” Meanwhile, TrainedMonkey offered the galaxy-brain take: we got so good at packing transistors that we broke fans. Cue memes about dunking servers in “computer soup,” data centers “cosplaying as aquariums,” and the inevitable It’s not a feature, it’s physics one-liners.
Under the jokes, there’s rare consensus: for GB200 and next‑gen gear, liquid cooling isn’t optional. Direct‑to‑chip plates are the practical path, immersion tanks are the spicy option, and high‑density air is only for yesterday’s H100/H200 racks. Whether you call it marketing or meltdown, the vibe is clear: AI’s future is wet, and the comments are wetter.
Key Points
- •NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs can draw up to 1,000W per chip, increasing heat output significantly.
- •Air cooling becomes ineffective above 50–100 kW per rack due to material limits; liquid cooling is required.
- •Rack power density rose from ~15 kW (2017) to ~40–60 kW (2024) to ~132 kW with GB200 (2025) and is expected to reach ~240 kW (2026).
- •Liquid cooling options and capacities: RDHx (30–50 kW), direct-to-chip (100–200+ kW), immersion (200+ kW).
- •Planning guidance: H100/H200 (40–80 kW) may use high-density air; GB200 (132 kW) requires liquid; next-gen (240 kW) mandates advanced liquid cooling.