IBM Explores Water-Cooled Computers

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We have water cooled nuclear reactors, water cooled motorcycles and water cooled cars. Why not water-cooled computers?

Of course this makes sense. According to IBM scientists, water is 4 x more efficient than air at cooling and it uses less energy to pump water than to power fans that blow the cold air over the hot chip 'sinks.' IBM went on to remind us that 50% of the cost of operating a data center is energy and 1/2 of that is energy.

Of course, most data centers are able to run at higher temperatures than they do today. I remember the data center at 3Com's Marlborough MA facility - it was about 50 degrees! Chilly indeed, and probably a good 30 degrees too cold.